Cloudbusting's Mandy Watson: "Bringing Joy to Others is The Greatest Job in the World”

After spending 15 years as a teaching assistant, Mandy Watson — the now lead singer of the world's premier Kate Bush tribute act, Cloudbusting — had a chat with a head teacher that would change the trajectory of her life. When he asked her what she really wanted to do, Mandy half-heartedly muttered that she wanted to "run away and join a band". While he may have laughed it off, Mandy buried the thought and continued pursuing her degree in teaching. However, she found solace in performing at local pubs with a band on weekends, and eventually met the boys of Cloudbusting in early 2014.

Mandy knew Michael, the keyboard player, through another musical endeavour, and he knew how much Mandy loved Kate Bush's music. As fate would have it, Cloudbusting was in need of a new lead singer, and Mandy was just the woman for the job.

Fast forward to today, and Cloudbusting is selling out venues left and right. The meteoric success of Stranger Things propelled Kate’s music to the top of the charts, with her very first Number 1 single that inspired a new generation of Kate Bush fans. Mandy has been invited to every major news outlet across the UK and beyond, including a TV performance on This Morning.

Several of the musicians and performers who originally collaborated with Kate on stage and in the studio have been motivated to reunite and perform with the band on stage. Among them are bass player Del Palmer, drummer Preston Heyman, and dancer Stewart Avon Arnold, who were all part of Kate's iconic Tour of Life live shows more than four decades ago.

"Every clap from the audience member is a reminder of why we do what we do. I remember playing for about 27 people in St. Ives and feeling the enormity of it all - people had bought tickets and were watching us perform. Our success has been built steadily and organically over the past 10 years, and we are grateful for every step of the journey."

While some may see Mandy's transition from teaching to music as taking a leap, she sees it as taking steps. “With anything that you go into with some trepidation, it's not until you look back at the journey and think, wow, I did take a leap. So when you start it, you're taking steps."

Mandy's story is one of following your passion, no matter how long it takes to get there. She encourages others to take those steps towards their dreams, just as she did. Cloudbusting may be a tribute act, but Mandy's journey to get there is nothing short of original.