Playing together for twenty years, Maria Aheard and Bob Branscombe are no strangers to the live music scene, being first-hand witnesses to the evolving nightlife economy in the post-pandemic world.
Their Kate Bush cover band, The Kate Bush Experience, has been on tour across the UK for several years, riding the wave of the elusive artist’s revival into popular culture; be it through Stranger Things’ use of “Running Up That Hill” at a key emotional turning point, or through renewed interest in hit “Wuthering Heights” following the Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi-led romance of the same name.
Now touring the UK, Maria, 44, and Bob, 55, bring old and new audiences to Bush through their music.
“What we’re trying to do is be her live band if they had kept going in the 1970s, rather than recreate the records,” said Bob, who has been a musician since his teen years.
“We do it differently every night, we make it a show rather than an order of tracks.”
Maria, the vocalist of the band, has said becoming Kate was a “no brainer” after having her voice compared to the artist who she has admired for years. She had attended Bush’s performance at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2014, her first string of performances since 1979.
“It was like seeing God in the flesh,” said Maria. “It was amazing, I was so lucky.”
Both being musicians since their school years – Bob, picking up his grandfather’s guitar and playing in garages and Maria being scouted as a singer after wanting to become a drummer – described their future careers as inevitable.
“It sounds really grand to say that you don’t have a choice about doing it because you end up doing it anyways,” said Bob.
Having gotten together to start The Kate Bush experience in 2018, their plans were scuppered two years later when COVID hit and “killed the whole thing”.
They described keeping busy during lockdown by sending files to each other, building music through recording over each new track just to keep the project going. Towards the end of lockdown, they “ended up doing nothing.”
It was only when restrictions lifted that the hope of getting back onto stage, came into view but Bob recalled the slow start.
“It took everyone a long time to get going again, and we’re still not fully back” said Bob, noting pubs and smaller bars not seeking out live music like they used to – an experience felt across the UKs live music industry.
The trend noticed by the musicians has been steadily documented through the Music Venue Trust reports on grassroots venues across the country. In 2024 they found that almost a quarter of grassroot venues across the UK had to reach out to charities to avoid closure completely.
Their 2025 report examined how new taxation pressure from the rise in Employer National Insurance contribution accounted for an estimated £15 million in costs across these bars and pubs, leading to a 20% drop in employment.
Despite this, 2025 showed a “turning point” since the pandemic, with the benefits of structural reform beginning to appear and activity stabilising.
Bob’s assessment of the post-pandemic landscape shows that its demand from people that has also changed. He noticed that their crowds on tour tended to have more regulars than casual attendees: “the people that love it, love it with a passion”.
The MVT report supports the assessment that it is those most passionate about music that continue to support the existence of smaller venues. They estimate 38% of grassroot music venues are now operation as not-for-profit entities, up from 30% in 2024.
The report suggests this increase “signals a sector-wide cultural movement towards models that protect venues from speculative commercial pressures and embed them permanently within communities.”
“None of us can make enough full time these days, only the very elite players, but playing music is still your hobby, and it’s still your life – it’s what you do,” said Bob.
As they return to Twickenham’s The Exchange, Maria and Bob will continue to navigate the changing landscape of live music and grass root venues.
Featured image credit: Bethan King
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