Posts Tagged ‘gigs’

Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz September/October 1980

Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz September/October 1980
OzzyprogWhen Ozzy left Black Sabbath in 1979 I honestly thought it could be the last we saw of him. Sure; he was a great, mad front man in Sabbath, but I really didn’t see him as a solo act. Ozzy always struck me as crazy, fearless, yet almost child-like. He fitted well within the Sabbath context, and as part of a group; but on his own? How wrong I was. No-one could have predicted just how successful his career would turn out to be. But it was obvious from the first time I saw him in concert and heard him play his new songs that Ozzy was going to be OK, more than OK in fact. The new album had some great tracks in “Crazy Train”; “Goodbye to Romance”; and “Mr. Crowley”, and he included Sabbath favourites “Iron Man”; “Children of the Grave”; and “Paranoid” in the live show, so how could he not be great. Oh, and Randy Rhoads was a simply incredible guitarist, just as good as his legend suggests. The tour called at Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle Mayfair and Sunderland Mayfair. Now this is another one of those gigs that has tested my memory; which has been playing tricks on me again. Now in my mind I went to see Ozzy at the City Hall concert; but I can’t find a ticket for that show, and I always keep them. I do have a programme so I know that I did see Ozzy that year, and on that tour, and I can definitely remember it was shortly after the Blizzard of Oz album was released. I can only conclude that I must have gone to the Sunderland Mayfair gig, andย  I either paid at the door or tickets were collected on the way in. I’m learning just to accept things like that now; I can’t always remember details fully these days, and it’s no good dwelling on them or trying to figure it out; it just drives me nuts ๐Ÿ™‚ . The line-up of Blizzard of Ozz was Ozzy (of course) on vocals, the late and truly great guitarist Randy Rhoads; Bob Daisley from Rainbow on bass, Lee Kerslake fom Uriah Heep on drums and local lad Don Airey on keyboards (replaced by Lindsey Bridgewater for the tour). Support came from those excellent Welsh rock heroes Budgie.
Setlist for the tour was: I Don’t Know; You Lookin’ at Me Lookin’ at You; Crazy Train; Goodbye to Romance; Mr. Crowley; Suicide Solution; Iron Man; Children of the Grave; Steal Away (The Night). Encore: Paranoid

Oasis, Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, 13th July 2005

Oasis, Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, 13th July 2005
oasisprogThe next time I saw Oasis was at Newcastle Arena in July 2005. They were on tour to promote their album “Don’t Believe the Truth” and called at Newcastle for two nights; Tuesday 12th July and Wednesday 13th July. The rest of the tour saw them selling out massive stadiums: three nights at the City of Manchester Stadium, two nights at Milton Keynes National Bowl and shows at Hampden Park, Glasgow and Southampton Rose Bowl. So the Newcastle concerts were small gigs in comparison and tickets sold out immediately. I went to concert on the second night at the venue.
It was a red hot summer night and the place was jam packed. The heat in the arena was stifling, and Oasis came on stage to one of the biggest roars I’ve ever heard. I was with David; we had standing tickets, and managed to get ourselves right into the thick of the crowd; everyone around us was going totally crazy. Oasis, and Liam in particular, were on excellent form. This gig was so much better than the first time I saw them at the Reebok Stadium; it wasn’t that the band were playing any better, but the sound was much clearer, louder and the atmosphere in the middle of the arena was much more exciting than it can ever be when you are standing up on the terraces at the back of a stadium. The set included the hits and tracks from the new album. They closed with an excellent version of the Who’s My Generation, showing their classic rock roots. Great stuff.
Jonjo McNeill summed it up well in a review of the time: “every single person in that room was part of the band tonight, every single one a Rock N Roll Star, and thatโ€™s why Oasis will always be the Best Band in the World to me” (Jonjo McNeill, PennyBlackMusic, 2005).
Setlist: Turn Up the Sun; Lyla; Bring It on Down; Morning Glory; Cigarettes & Alcohol; The Importance of Being Idle; Little By Little; A Bell Will Ring; Acquiesce; Songbird; Live Forever; Mucky Fingers; Wonderwall; Champagne Supernova; Rock ‘n’ Roll Star. Encore: Guess God Thinks I’m Abel; The Meaning of Soul; Don’t Look Back in Anger; My Generation (The Who cover)

Oasis Reebok Stadium Bolton 15th July 2000

Oasis Reebok Stadium Bolton 15th July 2000
OasisprogI came late in terms of getting to see Oasis in concert. They came up during a time that my gig going was at a low point, and it wasn’t until 2000 that I finally got to see them. By then I had missed (and regretted doing so) their massive Knebworth gig, so I was pretty keen to see what the Gallagher brothers were like live. When they announced their next tour, I bought tickets immediately for their (relatively) home town gig at Bolton Reebok football stadium. Marie and I travelled across to Manchester by train, staying at the Midland hotel, and taking the train across to Bolton. We arrived just in time to catch some of the first support act, which was ex-Smiths Johnny Marr’s new band the Healers. Next up were Shaun Ryder and his Manchester heroes the Happy Mondays. Both went down well with the home crowd and warmed everyone up for the main attraction.
This gig came shortly after the Gallagher brothers had one of their bust-ups which resulted in Noel walking out of the European leg of the Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants world tour, and the scrapping of French tour dates. The tour tcontinued with a stand-in for Noel, but luckily the brothers had made it up by the time the tour reached the UK. Oasis opened their set with Don’t Let It Out, and played for around 90 minutes, featuring all of their well known songs. We were up in the stands to the left of the stage, and the sound wasn’t great up there, but Oasis were still impressive.
oasistixHowever, my most enduring memory of the day comes from the journey back to Manchester. We left during the encores in the hope of getting a headstart before the massive crowds rolled out onto the trains. The station was walking distance from the Stadium. We got onto the platform without any problem, and stood waiting for the next train. And we waited and waited, as more and more people piled onto the platform. Soon the station was completely packed to the extent people were in danger of being pushed onto the tracks. Eventually a train arrived and everyone piled on. I’ve never been on such a packed train; it was so full you couldn’t move at all, with people up on tables and every inch of space taken; to the extent it was dangerous and pretty frightening. The short journey from Bolton to Oxford Road seemed to take forever. How we managed to squeeze our way out of the carriage I don’t know. Marie lost a shoe in the process and I literally had to pull her out of the carriage. She wasn’t in too good a mood travelling back the next morning with only one shoe ๐Ÿ™‚ Very bad organisation, which left a bad taste after what was, otherwise a great gig.
From a review of the time: “Oasis just know how to rock an entire stadium. The entire crowd rocked when ‘Supersonic’ played, they jumped when ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ played, they laughed when Liam spoke, they reminisced about Knebworth when ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’ oozed from the giant speakers. You could see the atmosphere it was that rich.” Reblogged from: http://www.ciao.co.uk/OASIS_Bolton_Reebok_Stadium__44759
Setlist: Go Let It Out; Who Feels Love?; Supersonic; Shakermaker; Acquiesce; Step Out; Gas Panic!; Roll With It; Stand By Me; Wonderwall; Cigarettes & Alcohol; Don’t Look Back in Anger; Live Forever. Encore: Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) (Neil Young cover); Champagne Supernova; Rock ‘n’ Roll Star

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark live 1979 to 1983

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark live 1979 to 1983
omdtixI first saw Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on 21st September 1979 when they supported Gary Numan on tour at Newcastle City Hall. This was the original two piece band featuring Andy McCluskey on vocals and bass and side-kick Paul Humphreys on vocals and keyboards. Oh, and not to forget “Winston”, their friendly four track tape-recorder, on backing tracks. My memories are of crazy (or cool; all depending upon your point of view) dancing by Andy and that great first single “Electricity”. omdprogThis was before the release of their eponymous first album in early 1980. OMD hit the chart big-time later in 1980 with the very catchy “Enola Gay”; an anti-war song entitled after the plane which dropped the bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, during the final stages of World War II. By the time they played Newcastle Polytechnic on 18th November 1980, OMD were massively popular and tickets sold out immediately. By now Andy and Paul had augmented the OMD line-up with the addition of Martin Cooper (saxophone) and Malcolm Holmes (drums). This tour was to promote Organisation which was their second album, and support came from Fatal Charm. The students union ballroom was packed to the walls that night; and the band got a great reception, with “Enola Gay” and “Electricity” being stand-outs. Exactly one year later to the very day, on 18th November 1981, OMD were headlining at Newcastle City Hall on the Architecture & Morality tour, to promote their their third album. Support came from Random Hold. photo(160)I saw the band once more, on 23rd April 1983, when they returned to the City Hall as part of their the Dazzle Ships tour (to promote their fourth album). Support came this time from the Cocteau Twins, featuring the beautiful voice of Elisabeth Fraser. The Cocteau Twins were on the cusp of success at the time (this was just before the release of “Pearly Dew Drops Drop”). The classic four-piece OMD line-up split in the late ’80s, and they reunited in 2005.
A setlist from the 1981 tour: Architecture & Morality; The Romance Of The Telescope; Sealand; Pretending To See The Future; Messages; Almost; Mystereality; Joan of Arc; Motion And Heart; Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans); Statues; Souvenir; New Stone Age; Enola Gay: Bunker Soldiers; Electricity. Encore: She’s Leaving; Julia’s Song; Stanlow.

The Johnny Otis Show featuring Shuggie Otis @ Reading Festival 12th August 1972

The Johnny Otis Show featuring The Three Tons of Joy and Shuggie Otis, Reading 12th August 1972
otisOne of my most enduring memories of the 1972 Reading Festival is seeing the Johnny Otis show. The late Johnny Otis (1921 โ€“ 2012) was one of the originators of rock’n’roll, and is often referred to as the “Godfather of Rhythm and Blues”. Otis was a band leader, musician, singer, composer, radio and TV host, author and artist; he was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 1994. He started forming bands after World War II, blending swing with the blues. Otis opened the first nightclub in the world devoted solely to rhythm and blues, discovered many artists including Etta James, and Jackie Wilson, wrote and recorded โ€œWillie and the Hand Jive,โ€ and played drums on Big Mama Thorntonโ€™s original recording of โ€œHound Dogโ€. Brian Wilson, Frank Zappa, Bob Dylan are all on record as saying that they were influenced by Otis. In the UK he hit the UK charts with “Ma He’s Making Eyes At Me” featuring singer Marie Adams and The Three Tons of Joy, which reached number 2 in 1957.
otis1Johnny Otis is also the father of child prodigy guitarist Shuggie Otis, who joined the Otis Show at a young age. Shuggie was heavily influenced by blues-rock, funk and the music of Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and Love. In 1969, at the age of 15 he featured on Al Kooper’s Super Sessions; he then released his first solo album “Here Comes Shuggie Otis”and played bass on “Peaches en Regalia” on Zappa’s Hot Rats. In 1971 he wrote “Strawberry Letter 23” which was later covered by the Brothers Johnson.
So these guys brought some pedigree to the Reading festival stage in 1972. They appeared on the early Saturday evening coming before ELO and The Faces. The Reading festival originates from the National Jazz Festival and in the early ’70s jazz artists still featured as part of the line-up. For example I remember seeing Chris Barber and George Melly play there in 1973. So Johnny Otis fitted well into that context.
otis2 To me, a young kid at the time, The Johnny Otis Show live seemed to come from another age and another world. This was the full US show, featuring Johnny on piano, a big band, Shuggie, and the return of Marie Adams and The Three Tons of Joy. There must have been 20 people on stage at one point. The show took the form of a R&B revue with guest performances by Shuggie, who played a lengthy and amazing guitar solo on “Shuggie’s Boogie”, and Marie Adams and The Three Tons of Joy who sang “Ma He’s Making Eyes At Me” and were simply sensational; the crowd just loved them. They also played “Willie and the Hand Jive”. It was a hot sunny day and The Johnny Otis show matched the mood of the day, and fitted in well with the rest of the heavy and prog-rock line-up, which featured Ten Years After, Curved Air, Status Quo, Genesis, Stray and Edgar Broughton. Johnny Otis must have been in his early 50s at the time, which seemed like he was an “old” guy; its interesting how my concept of “old” has changed as I have become “old” myself ๐Ÿ™‚ . Shuggie was of course a young guy; around 18 years old at the time. Shuggie continues to play to this day, and retains a cult following; he returned to the UK a year or so ago and played at Manchester’s Band on the Wall, and the Jazz Cafe in London. His influence is felt through the music of Prince and Lenny Kravitz. These guys are legends, and the Johnny Otis show stays in my mind as something pretty special, the like of which I’ll probably never see again.
PS. I added some photos of a page from the 1972 Reading programme showing Johnny Otis and the Three Tons of Joy.

Sinead O’Connor The Sage Gateshead 22nd July 2008

Sinead O’Connor The Sage Gateshead 22nd July 2008
sineadTheologyDressed simply in jeans and a shirt, Sinead O’Connor walked on to the stage of the Sage Gateshead to deliver an acoustic performance. She was joined on stage by guitarist Steve Cooney, who played on, and co-produced, the Dublin Sessions of her two disc ‘Theology’ album; and multi-instrumentalist Kieran Kiely from her touring band on keyboards, accordion, and whistles. “Theology”, which was Sinead’s 8th album, was released one year earlier. As the name suggests, Siobhan was heavily into religion at the time and the songs on the album reflect this. The concert drew heavily from “Theology” and a selection of older numbers, including of course “Nothing Compares 2 U”, which sounded good in this stripped-down form. The acoustic setting demonstrated the incredible range of Sinead’s voice; she sang with great passion and intensity. The concert was part of the 2007 SummerTyne festival. At the time the Sage had a practice of offering discounted ยฃ7 seats for certain performances. The seats were in the upper level, above the stage, almost looking down on the top of the performers heads. This gave the opportunity to catch performances by world class acts at a bargain price; I was seated in one of these seats for Sinead’s concert.sineadtixSinead is a difficult artist to categorise, and often gains headlines for the more controversial aspects of her life rather than for her music. This concert at the Sage showed just how powerful her voice and her performance can be, and how talented Sinead is. I can’t pretend to be a big fan, and I’m not familiar with much of her music, but I really admire her voice, passion, attitude and the authentic and honest manner in which she seems to approach life and her art.
Setlist (something like this; based on setlists of the time): Something Beautiful; If You Had a Vineyard; Whomsoever Dwells; Watcher of Men; Dark I Am Yet Lovely; The Healing Room; All Babies; Black Boys on Mopeds; Big Bunch of Junkie Lies; Never Get Old; Nothing Compares 2 U; I Am Stretched on Your Grave; The Last Day of Our Acquaintance; Thank You for Hearing Me; 33; Rivers of Babylon

Osibisa: criss-cross rhythms live in the early to mid 1970s

Osibisa: criss-cross rhythms live in the early to mid 1970s
osibisalpOsibisa is Ghanian forโ€ฆ’criss-cross rhythms that explode with happiness’. Good choice of name. Osibisa were ahead of their time. Formed in 1971 their unique fusion of African, Caribbean, Rock, Jazz, Latin and Rโ€˜nโ€™B paved the way for world music, disco, reggae and Bob Marley and the emergence of African music in the 80s. A night in the company of Osibisa was guaranteed to be good fun, high energy, and very different from the progressive rock I was going to see at the time, and the punk music that lay just around the corner for me. David Hughes wrote (Disc and Music Echo, 1971): “….criss-cross rhythms are exploding with happiness right across the country, and if ever you want to get high โ€“ but naturally โ€“ all you have to do is see them play, hear their music or simply be in their presence!” Osibisa are one of those bands that I saw several times, but can’t recall exactly where or when. It was in the early to mid 70s, and probably at Sunderland Locarno or Newcastle Mayfair. I definitely remember seeing them at Newcastle Poly Students Union one night. Marie and I were in the habit of going along to the Poly dances on Friday nights in the mid 70s. Most of the time we didn’t know who was performing until we arrived, which had to be before 10.30pm (no entry after that point, to dissuade the locals turning up when the pubs closed). Once or twice we got there to find Osibisa playing, which was a great surprise. In his memoirs “Broken Music” Sting refers to his band Last Exit supporting Osibisa at a Poly gig in the mid 70s. Well; I don’t recall seeing Last Exit that night (they had probably finished their set by the time we arrived) but I do recall Osibisa going down a storm. Crazy beats, happy vibes, wonderful Roger Dean graphics on their album covers and the late great founder member Sparticus R (actually he left in the early days of the band). They would explode into the hall; pounding congas, driving bass, chants; the crowd were up and with them from the start, dancing along with the African highlife rhythms. “Sunshine Day” was out at the time; which must place it around 1975. Think I also saw them at Bede College Durham (or that could have been Assagai who were another African rock band of the time) and at Reading festival when they were a special guest band, closing the 1976 festival. Osibisa are still playing today. Robin Denselow reviewed a 2010 gig at the Festival Hall London: “Osibisa have played a unique role in the history of African music. No other band achieved such extraordinary success, in terms of hit singles and albums in the UK and US, and yet no other band fell so dramatically from fashion…….But Osibisa kept going and, 40 years on, they were back in London to show that they have refused to change their approach, and are still populist mavericks” (the Guardian, 3rd March 2010). Time for me to see them again methinks.
Sting (2005), Broken Music: A Memoir, Dial Press.
Osibisa website: http://www.osibisa.co.uk/

Mike Oldfield Newcastle City Hall 22nd May 1980 and 11th September 1982

Mike Oldfield Newcastle City Hall 22nd May 1980 and 11th September 1982
miketix80“Tubular Bells” was a massively popular album in the mid 70s, and a big favourite of mine. It is an important and groundbreaking album which broke new ground for progressive/classical rock music, helped to establish Virgins records, and received further recognition when the opening was used in the 1973 film The Exorcist (I still have the nightmares about Regan :)), introducing the work to a broader audience. The nearest I got to seeing a live performance of Oldfield’s magnum opus was a concert at Newcastle City Hall which featured a film of Mike and friends performing “Tubular Bells”, accompanied by live performances by Gong and Hatfield and the North; a concert which I have already blogged on. Mike Oldfield was quite reclusive at the time and didn’t tour until the late 70s. mikeprog80 By 1980, when his “In Concert” tour called at Newcastle City, Mike was moving to a more pop-oriented style and was including covers and songs on his albums. He had also hit the singles chart with “Portsmouth”. The tour was in promotion of the “Platinum” album, which is the fifth album by Oldfield, and was released in 1979 on Virgin Records. His earlier albums were, of course, “Tubular Bells” (1973), “Hergest Ridge” (1974), “Ommadawn” (1975) and “Incantations” (1978). The tour featured the whole of the “Platinum” album and selections from his previous releases, including “Tubular Bells”, which is what we all wanted to hear.
miketix82Setlist: Platinum Parts 1 to 4; I Got Rhythm; Punkadiddle; Incantations Parts 1 to 4; Tubular Bells Parts 1 and 2; Guilty; Ommadawn Part 1; Blue Peter; Portsmouth; Polka; Radetzky Marsch; Blaydon Races.
Musicians: Mike Oldfield (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Peter Naphtali Lemer (synths and keyboards), Mike Frye (percussion), Tim Cross (keyboards), Pete “Bimbo” Acock (saxes), Nico Ramsden (guitar), Hansford Rowe (bass), Benoit Moerleb (vibrophone), Wendy Robert (vocals), Pierre Moerlen (drums and percussion).
A couple of years later Mike was back on tour again, this time to promote the “Five Miles Out” album (1982). In the interim he had also released “QE2” (1981).
mikeprog82Setlist: Tubular Bells Part 1; In High Places; Etude/Recuerdos De La Alhambra; Platinum Parts 1 and 2; Conflict; Ommadawn Part 1; Incantations Part 4; Hergest Ridge Part 2; Taurus II; Five Miles Out; Mount Teidi; Orabidoo.
Mike’s band was more compact this time: Mike Oldfield (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Tim Cross (keyboards), Tim Renwick (guitars and bass), Pierre Moerlen (drums and percussion), Maggie Reilly (vocals), Devra Robitaille (keyboards, guitar and vocals).
This was before the release of the great “Moonlight Shadow” which is a classic track. Both concerts were excellent, featuring perfect renditions of Oldfield’s intricate music, much credit for which must go to his backing musicians.

Orange Juice The Soul Kitchen The Bier Kellar Newcastle 22nd Feb 1982

Orange Juice The Soul Kitchen The Bier Kellar Newcastle 22nd Feb 1982
orangejuiceticketThe Soul Kitchen promoted many gigs in the early 80s featuring, among others, Scottish bands from the Postcard label, and upcoming local ats such as Prefab Sprout and Hurrah! Soul Kitchen was a moving night club, with took up residence at various venues around Newcastle. It also spawned Kitchenware records which currently has Editors, Prefab Sprout and others on its rosta. This gig was by Orange Juice, and was held at the Bier Keller, which was, as the name suggests, a German style beer house in the 70s (and the scene of lots of drunken nights). It later became Dingwalls and then Rockshots. Orange Juice came from the Postcard stable, and were on the brink of chart success at the time of this gig. This gig was before they released their second album “Rip It Up”, and the single of the same name, which was a hit in the following year. I’m sure I remember also seeing them at the time of “Rip It Up”; I think I went to see them again in the same venue the following year, by which time the Bier Keller was Dingwalls. What I do recall is a great jangly pop band who moved closer to disco/funk and added deeper bass and synth; particularly on “Rip It Up”. Line-up: Edwyn Collins โ€“ guitar, vocals; Malcolm Ross โ€“ guitar; keyboards; David McClymont โ€“ bass guitar; Zeke Manyika โ€“ drums.

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett in concert in the late ’70s and early ’80s

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett in concert in the late ’70s and early ’80s
otwaymaxwellsOne of the many good things about the emergence of punk and new wave in the late 70s was that it allowed a series of fresh and, in some cases maverick, artists to break through and kick start their career. Many of the bands and singers who were bracketed in with the scene were not truly punk, but they shared a sense of enthusiasm, passion, energy and craziness with the movement. John Otway, accompanied by his partner in madness, Wild Willy Barrett, was one such act. Otway is one of the most authentic performers I have ever seen. He can’t sing well in any traditional sense of the word, and his stage act was at times, bizarre to say the least. But there was always an honesty about his performance; with Otway what you saw was what you got, and he would always put 110% into a gig. It was a manic performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 which propelled John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett to success. ottersThe single “Really Free” was popular at the time, and I saw him on several occasions including a gig at Maxwells club in Tynemouth (15th March 1978), Reading Festival (August 1978), The Cooperage Newcastle (16th July 1980) and Sunderland Poly Wearmouth Hall (17th January 1981). I think I may also have seen them asaย  support act at the City Hall (perhaps for Madness in late 1980?), but can’t be sure. The gig that sticks in my mind most of all is the performance at Maxwells (note miss-spelling of “Barrett” on the ticket). Maxwells was (it doesn’t exist anymore) a club along the coast in Tynemouth and hosted a few gigs at the time, the most notable being this one, and an appearance by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Otway was on top form that night; simply buzzing, manic and crazy. The place was packed; punk was really starting to take off in the North East, and there was lots of beer being thrown about, and some spitting at the stage. John took it all in his stride; winding us all up between songs and at one point he ran around the venue, chasing a guy who had been spitting at him. otwaypolyMy favourite songs at the time were “Really Free” (of course) and his truly unique and amazing version of Bob Lind’s “Cheryl’s Coming Home”. I must also mention John’s companion, Willy Barrett. He would stand quietly alongside Otway, playing a beat up guitar that looked home-made, a silent foil to John’s madness. The other gig that I’ll mention is the Cooperage concert, which I remember for another reason. By 1980 Otway was looking for another hit record, and devised a cunning plan. At the time only certain selected shops counted towards the charts and although their identity was meant to be kept secret, the record companies worked out where the shops were. Otway decided to do a tour of towns where the shops were, and announced that you were only allowed to come and see the gig (for free) if you bought a copy of the single. It certainly worked; I remember loads of us queuing outside the Cooperage, each of us holding our copy of “DK 50/80”; I still have mine somewhere. otwayprogFrom the programme: “You may have asked yourself on the way to the gig, if you are in your right mind traipsing down the road clutching a single. That I cannot answer, but what you are doing is taking part in something that is unique and will probably be part of rock history.” Indeed; and well said Otters. Also from the programme: “To cut the costs of touring the Otway/Barrett party will be staying in tents on local camp sits, hiring biy scouts for road crew etc.”
otwayThe record managed to reach the lower region of the single charts.
John Otway continues to perform up and down the country and retains a sizable cult following. He has tried a series of stunts over the years; which has seen him hit the charts again with “Bunsen Burner” (he wanted a new hit for his 50th birthday in 2002), play and fill the Albert Hall, and most recently premier “Otway the Movie” at a full red carpet event at the Odeon Leicester Square. The guy’s ingenuity knows no end.