It seems remarkable, in this age of global arena tours, that one of rock music’s most iconic artists only ever did one tour, lasting just a month.

Kate Bush’s Tour of Life took place in spring 1979, blending songs from her first two albums, The Kick Inside and Lionheart, with mime, illusions and poetry readings.

The show began with a recording of whale song as Kate, in trademark leotard, sang haunting early track Moving. She performed 24 routines wearing everything from bat wings to top hat and tails, with her dancers dressed as giant violins and spacemen. She flew across the stage, brandished a Wild West shotgun and played piano in a cloud. Fake corpses fell out of the walls, and a parachute was spread across the stage as she sang Oh England, My Lionheart with dancers emerging in Second World War bomber attire. The show ended with Kate re-creating her Wuthering Heights video, dancing through mist as Cathy’s ghost.

Fast forward 30 years and Dutch singer Maaike Breijman is performing at a Belfast music festival where she’s spotted by a producer planning a show based around Kate Bush’s music.

Maaike, who shares a birthday with Bush and is said to bear an uncanny resemblance, both physically and in performance and vocals, became the star of Wow, a “celebration of the music and artistry of Kate Bush”.

“I’m a trained singer and have always danced, but I never realised how demanding it is to do both at the same time,” says Maaike. “That is what Kate did, and her engineers made her a wireless microphone out of a clothes hanger for the tour. Lots of singers use headset microphones now, but she was the first.”

While Wow is described as the closest thing to seeing Kate Bush live, Maaike says it isn’t solely based on the 1979 tour.

“We have included some later songs that she never performed live. Some dances are from her videos, and we have created new routines,” says Maaike, who has studied Kate’s videos. “She has such a distinctive voice, and visually she’s very creative, so I feel a responsibility to get it right.”

Born in Haarlem, west of Amsterdam, Maaike was performing on stage aged three with her bass-playing father. She later worked with several Dutch bands whose diverse musical styles including prog rock, disco, soul, jazz and folk.

Drawn to haunting melodies and lyrics, Maaike discovered Kate Bush’s music and started performing her songs at festivals. “I didn’t listen to them when I was growing up because she wasn’t well known in Holland,” says Maaike. “Later, when I started singing her songs in Holland people looked at me as if to say ‘what is this?’ In Britain she’s an icon, she has a big fan base.”

Kate Bush was one of the pioneering female rock singers, paving the way for other artists. She may have only toured once, but as a recording artist she has earned acclaim and longevity. Maaike is drawn to her strength and creative control.

“She did things the way she wanted, she always had control. I love her lyrics too, and the way she interprets them through dance and videos,” she says.

Does Maaike have a favourite Kate Bush song? “It changes all the time but at the moment I like performing Breathing, it’s a beautiful song.”

Wow is at St George’s Hall on Saturday, February 23. For tickets, ring (01274) 432000.