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+ support from Gee Sonnit JOHN OTWAY
Rock veteran, cult favourite and self-appointed “rock’n’roll’s greatest failure”, John Otway returns to Hull with his band in tow.
Expect madcap mayhem and some scintillating stunts from a man old enough to know better…..and also to be surprised at just what a showman and musician really lies underneath the tomfoolery.
John Otway, a brief history…
John Otway is an English singer-songwriter who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.
From the age of 9, Otway knew he wanted to be a pop star. But even at that young age, having listened to his sister’s Beatles and Stones records, he knew he would never be able to do what they do. However, when his sister got the latest Bob Dylan album, he knew there was a place for him and he set about learning how to play guitar.
Otway had to wait until 1977 and the rise of punk before his dream of fame and fortune would finally become a reality. Having caught the eye of the producers of the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test, Otway’s performance on that show would grab the attention of the watching audience. Otway, ever the showman, decided to jump on to the amplifier of his colleague during a performance of Bob Lind’s Cheryl’s Going Home. (Un)fortunately for Otway, he misjudged his leap and sent Wild Willy Barrett’s amplifier tumbling as he crashed down straddling the box under the amp.
The full force of the impact was absorbed by the most tender body parts, but in doing this one simple act of recklessness and his wanton disregard for his own safety, Otway was the talk of everyone who watched that evening’s programme.
The Hit
Not only did he see a surge in his audiences, sales of Otway’s sixth single, the half-spoken love song Cor Baby That’s Really Free increased dramatically and reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart. An appearance on the BBC’s flagship music programme Top of the Pops, where Otway & Barrett were introduced by Elton John later, Otway was finally a star. It would however, be his greatest success for some time.
Despite numerous attempts to get back into the charts, Otway would have to wait 25 years for his next taste of chart success. In the intervening years, Otway would become an actor; write an autobiography (Cor Baby That’s Really Me: Rock and Roll’s Greatest Failure); perform sold out shows at London’s Astoria and Royal Albert Hall; make regular appearances at both Glastonbury and Edinburgh Festivals; and write the nation’s seventh favourite lyric of all-time (beating Bob Dylan and Paul Simon in the process).
A Second Hit
In 2002, Otway achieved what he desired the most – a second hit. A concerted publicity campaign saw Otway reach number 9 with the disco pastiche Bunsen Burner and a second appearance on Top of the Pops. Despite this success, a planned world tour collapsed, but Otway continued to gig extensively around the UK either with his band, as a duo with Wild Willy Barrett or solo. A follow-up autobiography was penned in 2010 and titled I Did It Otway: Regrets I’ve Had a Few.
Otway The Movie
In 2012, to celebrate his 60th birthday, Otway produced his debut movie – Otway the Movie: Rock n Roll’s Greatest Failure. The Premiere was held at London’s Leicester Square with the final scenes from the movie filmed on the red carpet and edited into the film as it was being shown. The film was then taken to Cannes Film Festival and a 50-date tour of cinemas in both the UK and North America. It was subsequently voted the 2nd best film of the year in a poll of its readers conducted by The Guardian newspaper. It is currently available on Netflix
Montserrat
Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Otway took his band to the Caribbean island of Montserrat to record a new album. The album would be the first to be recorded on the island by an international artist since The Rolling Stones recorded Steel Wheels in 1989. Produced by Grammy-award winner Chris Birkett and recorded at Olveston House – the former home of Sir George Martin, it was released to critical acclaim in May 2017.
The 2020’s
Otway recorded a popular series of Face-book live shows during the 2020 Lockdown in the UK which has a regular audience of 10,000 viewers (or two and a half Royal Albert Halls which is Otway’s preferred numbering system).
The constant gigging over the years meant that in April 2022 John was able to fill London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire for his 5,000th gig – and produce a Free Newspaper listing every single one of those shows. In September of that year, Otway became Dr. Otway after being awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Oxford Brookes University shortly before his 70th birthday.
Last year his band released a Live album featuring tracks played at gigs over the last thirty years at venues including The Astoria, The Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury Festival, The London Palladium and the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The album was titled The Set Remains The Same.
GEE SONNIT
Gee Sonnit is a UK based Singer/Songwriter writing lo-fi easy listing folk pop tunes living the musical adventure. Gee started writing songs at an early age in Hull. With an appreciation for folk music and harmonies. Gee’s songs expand from a wide range of influences from Folk, Rock and ambient Folk drawing on influences from artists like Bob Dylan, Elliot Smith to John Martin incorporating experiences from everyday life and personal experiences. Compositionally, his music utilises a diverse Wray of colours, blending together reverb guitars with moody textures, simplistic chord progressions and catchy melodies, dramatic harmonies with a rich warm voice full of sound.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Social, 25 Humber Street, Hull, HU1 1, United Kingdom, Kingston Upon Hull
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