Friends, I have foolishly taken it upon myself to write something long-form about Is This Desire?, mainly because it's the album people here have often said they wanted to see written about. I've only just started and it will take ages, if indeed it ever happens, but I sketched a plan which I've come back to after a few weeks and don't even understand my notes, so that doesn't bode well. I will probably ask you things.

Was there ever an EPK for ITD? I can't find any clear reference anywhere.

Great! Looking forward to what you're going to to write, I'm sure there's a lot to unpack. But no video epk has ever surfaced about this album, as far as I'm aware. Which is a real pity since this period of her career was not as widely documented compared to the rest. The only proper, "official" press release about the album at the time seems the Interview disc:

Sounds good! Looking forward to it already.

Ah yes, the interview disc. I knew there was something, thank you.

Don't hold your breath!

A question as my 'research' stumbles forward: Is it true, as far as anyone here knows, that The River was never performed during the ITD tour in 1998? I've only just spotted that and it rather surprises me. Of course some of the playlists are missing, but it would be very odd if all the performances took place in those unrecorded concerts.

as far as i know, yes, that's true. Even checking on Setlist.fm brings me to the same conclusion. The first time the river was performed should be 10 years later (2008-02-20), in Melbourne, Australia.

2008 was my peak teenage Polly fandom era and I remember it being a Huge Deal on livejournals, fan blogs and whatnot that she finally performed "The River" live, so yes, I guess you're right! I think she only did it in Australia with Mick Harvey playing the piano - I went to my first PJH concert a few months later and she did not include it in the set.

I looked for live versions of The River and I am now addicted to this version from the LES tour. I think the guitar part has hypnotised me
I think it is closer to the original demo than the album version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SiUQ-KfjYE&t=147s