Tickets for Kate Bush's recently announced London residency have completely sold out less than 15 minutes after they went on sale at 9.30am this morning. All 22 of the shows will take place at London's Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, starting from the 26th August this year. The live concerts will mark the iconic English singer-songwriter's return to touring after a 35 year hiatus.

Kate Bush
Kate Bush's 22 Date London Residency Has Sold Out Within 15 Minutes

The 55 year-old pop musician, whose last live show was in 1979, said this morning: "I'm completely overwhelmed by the response to the shows. Thank you so much to everyone. Looking forward to seeing you all later this year." Today's sale was preceded by an exclusive fan presale allocation of tickets, all of which were reportedly snapped up within half an hour.

The Apollo dates will be only Bush's second ever tour after her 1979 shows. Those shows proved an alternative experience in musical entertainment, as the eclectic then 20 year-old star brought music, dance, poetry, mime, burlesque, magic and theatre to performances choreographed by Anthony Van Laast, the later choreographer for the Mamma Mia! movie and several West End hits, as well as two young dancers.

Kate Bush London Planetarium
Kate's Upcoming 2014 Shows Will Be Only Her Second Ever Set

Attendees were also met with an elaborate set dominated by a large, ribbed screen on which slides and film footage were projected during Bush's songs. It is not yet known whether the English performer will bring a similar live experience to the Apollo but those lucky enough to have landed ticket's in this morning's scrum can anticipate plenty of "I was there" moments.

The Guardian's Alex Petridis summed up the mood well when he wrote: "You can speculate wildly, but the truth is that no one really has any idea what Kate Bush is going to do, which seems perfectly fitting: that's been pretty much the case throughout her career."

Kate Bush London Planetarium 1985
Lucky Ticketholders Will Be Waiting Excitedly To See What The Eccentric Star Brings To Her 2014 Shows

For Kate's fans, the announcement of live shows has been treated as a landmark event, as it was assumed the singer would never tour again. It has been speculatd that her '70s shows left her physically drained and were so expensive that it deterred the 'Wuthering Heights' singer from embarking on another tour. Others have suggested that the accidental death of her lighting director, Bill Duffield, after a performance in Poole, had shattered her desire to play live again.

Kate Bush's London residency will begin on the 26th August this year and conclude on the 1st October.

More: Kate Bush is back - recap with our pick of ten of her best songs.

More: Relive Kate Bush's music with our video gallery selection.

Kate Bush New Tour
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