Otway in Ascot in April

Subject: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 04:24 AM

I know my plugs for my local club annoy some 'Catters and overwehelm the rest with indifference but thought some of you might like to know that Larry's less famous cousin,John Otway, is appearing on 27th April on the blues night. They've also booked a couple of tribute bands (Stoned, Claptonite!)on other blues nights in the next season. Full details on www.jagz.co.uk
RtS

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: mooman
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 04:29 AM

No...Roger! Just carry on keeping us informed! We need more blues here and I'll definitely wangle a visit to Jagz sometime soon when I'm in the UK (as I normally stay in Richmond - a short train hop from Ascot). Yours isn't a plug for any individual but rather for what seems an excellent (and fast vashing) type of venue.

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: mooman
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 04:31 AM

Though...a thought...if it does annoy people then there is always a home for it in the "What's on - Who's performing where" permathread.

Keep the information flowing...!

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Leadfingers
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 05:56 AM

John Otway is well worth catching,whatever your personal preferences in music might be. All round competence, and a high level of entertainment is about how I would describe him.

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Morticia
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 06:55 AM

Ah, the tour remains the same,eh? Whereabouts in Ascot, Rog? I haven't seen John in at least a couple of years so might be tempted.

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 09:25 AM

Jagz@The Station is the club room off the carpark attached to the Station pub right next door to Ascot station, Terri. There is a map on their web page if anyone is coming by road. Colin Blunstone (ex-Alexis Korner Blues Incorporated) is also upcoming as is Chicken Shack with Stan Webb and a band called Ruthless Blues with that face well-known from Grumpy Old Men, Countdown, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and the divorce courts, Rick Wakeman. Seems a 60's theme this season. Personally I'd prefer more acoustic blues and fewer loud-and-fast electric guitars , but take what we get!

I'll be the pensioner in the corner nursing a pint of bitter.

RtS

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Morticia
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 11:05 AM

might well see you there then Roger....

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 11:15 AM

What is he on the 3.30 ??

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: GUEST,minkfish
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 12:06 PM

John Otway? As in "Beware of the Flowers" ??
If so then he's truly wonderful - but I'd be more inclined to call it all-round incompetence!!!
We saw him at Trowbridge Festival, and the marquee had a heaving mass of ecstatic fans at the front, and a somewhat puzzled set of people sitting on their deckchairs at the back wondering what the hell all the fuss was about. Pure magic.

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: GUEST,c.sparra
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 12:24 PM

is it "really free?"

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: woodsie
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 12:45 PM

We saw im at Canterbury fayre - brilliant entertainer!

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Compton
Date: 22 Jan 04 - 08:35 PM

He's in Stafford, January 30th as well!!

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 05:29 PM

As they say in Australia, about the wilderness region... "Save the Otways!" Well, save a night to go hear John, he is a prince... anyone who has not heard Cheryl, his opera... well, you ain't lived mate. Enjoy the performance and give him my best... really confuse him, and tell him you decided to check him out after hearing me!
I hear his daughter likes my CDs.
Cheers
Larry Otway

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 26 Feb 04 - 09:37 AM

Refresh.
Any 'Catters likely to be there? If so I'll wear something distinctive, my Robert Johnson T-shirt, perhaps, so you can recognise me, as the Health & Safety Executive insist I wear a bag over my head in public to avoid frightening those of a nervous disposition.

RtS
("Face made for radio, voice made for mime")

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 03:48 AM

refresh (last time, nearly there).
RtS

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 24 Apr 04 - 07:18 AM

Further details including 2 other gigs by John:
OTWAY
THE HIT PHENOMENON TREADS THE BOARDS AGAIN

25 years after his first Hit, "Cor Baby That´s Really Free", John Otway was in the Top Ten again last year with "Bunsen Burner." Now comes 4 special gigs to belatedly celebrate Otway as he sets off on the next quarter of a century for his next hit!






•        Over the years Otway´s fans had clubbed together to buy him a birthday present. When asked what he would like for his special 50th present, John decided that what he would like, most of all, was another Hit. He was very keen to loose his One Hit Wonder label and was aware that his fans were just as tired of the hitless years as he was.

•        So it was decided that the fans themselves should pick his present and choose the song they felt had the most potential to soar to the higher reaches of the UK charts. An 11 track CD was produced, and, to ensure that Otway could not cheat and pick his favourite, the Electoral Reform Society conducted a ballot to decide which one was to be the Hit.

•        The track they chose was Bunsen Burner, it was inspired by John´s daughter´s science homework and produced by Barry Upton. Barry, who had written and produced 5678 for Steps, had e-mailed Otway "just knocked Kylie Minogue off the number one album spot, want a hand with the Hit!"

•        The b-side of the single was recorded at Abbey Road. The studio that was famous for the Fab Four was booked to capture the 1,000 piece choir of Otway fans who are credited, along with the other musicians, as backing singers on the CD.

•        So confident were John and his following that he would cease to be a micro-star by the time he reached 50 that they booked the London Palladium for the night the chart was announced, to celebrate their success, even before they knew what the hit song was going to be. Five days after this sell out show Otway had achieved his goal and was back on Top Of The Pops.
        
•        John first became notorious back in 1977, after an appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test with his former partner Wild Willy Barrett. He had leapt astride Wild Willy´s amplifier and lost his footing. And the whole weight of Otway´s body crashed down on the most delicate parts of his body…a true TV star!

•        This sort of behaviour went down exceedingly well with the punk audiences of the time, and Otway was rewarded with his first hit, a recording contract worth a million in today´s money and a sizable live audience.

•        Following a remarkable spending spree and a run of consecutive flops Otway wrote his autobiography Cor Baby That´s Really Me (Rock And Roll´s Greatest Failure) a self effacing humorous book on how certain artists have the uncanny ability to turn any promising situation to their disadvantage.

•        He was very, very good at being a failure and slowly, as he promoted himself in this role, he started to become a success. The audience for his live show steadily grew and by 1998 he was able to boast that ticket touts were doing a roaring trade for his show at the Royal Albert Hall.

•        As a run up to the Millennium, the BBC ran a poll to find the nation´s favourite song lyric over the past 2000 years. Otway was as shocked as many others to discover that "Beware Of The Flowers Cause I´m Sure They´re Going To Get You Yeah", the B Side to his first hit was voted No 7. It came above artists like Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and even Bob Dylan.

•        The story of John´s birthday present last year was covered by all the major national TV news and press. Otway has recently appeared on "Never Mind The Buzzcocks", the only person in the history of the programme to rise from the ranks of the "who are they now" line up, to the guest panelist.



        Tue 27th Apr:        Music Box @ Jagz at The Station, Station Hill, Ascot, Berks
        Sun 9th May:        Back Door Club, The Torrington, Lodge Lane/High Rd, N12
        Sat 19th Jun:        Boom Boom Club, Sutton Utd FC, Gander Green La, Sutton, Sy

Bookings /Info: Pete Feenstra 0208 460 4907- www.feenstra.co.uk


RtS
(NOT on commission, honest!)

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 28 Apr 04 - 03:55 AM

Well, no other 'Catters there so….
Thanks to promoter Pete Feenstra, I was able to meet John before the gig and pass on Larry's good wishes (I told him to break a leg, Larry, was that OK!) and tell him about Larry's being "plastered"! He sent his best wishes back, Larry, and hopes to meet you when the Otway World Tour takes place (2005?).
So, to the gig…
Not knowing what to expect I settled down with a pint or two of Young's Special. Although not as large as the Albert Hall, Jagz managed a respectable audience of about 60, the average age somewhat lower than the blues night audience!
John was accompanied on guitar and foot-operated drum machine by Richard of the heavy metal group We-evil and John-the-roadie was in charge of disentangling Otway from his guitar leads (after his forward rolls!), retrieving mikes, picks, spoons and ladders (don't ask!).
2-Hits Otway began with his first 1977 hit "Cor.." and explained how he had progressed seamlessly from punk icon to disco diva. He followed this up with " Deliliah" (eat your heart out, Tom Jones), Josephine (featuring John on acoustic Takamine), "Bodytalk" featured drum machine pickups in various pockets being slapped and also theremin. "Bunsen Burner" opened the second half and the glitterball was featured. "House of the Rising Sun" came next. What can I say? My duets with my Greek friend Yorgos in June will never be the same! Then back to the theremin with "Crazy Horses",
a wire coat hanger and Madonna impression on "Louisa", "Rumplestiltskin" from the punk days , "I'm so Cold" featuring Richard on vocal ("He plays and sings good, I sing and play "interesting""–John). "You ain't seen nothing' yet" featured the stepladder again and was followed by "Dancin' in the Rain" featuring the use of John's shirt sleeves as glove puppets and his shirt as an umbrella to shelter, gag, blindfold poor Richard. The ladder came out again for "Cheryl's Going Home" from John's rock opera and the encore was an a capella version of "Give it 'ead butts".
Pete said in his introduction: "You won't have seen anything like this". It was true! A hilarious evening, the audience, even the diners, listening to all songs and stories in silence except for laughter and applause, how refreshing!
As the T-shirt says:
"You have to be mad to like Otway- but it doesn't help"
Thanks to Larry for putting me on to the unique talent of his less famous cousin (*BG*) otherwise I would never have thought to go.

RtS

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 28 Apr 04 - 04:09 AM

PS... I forgot to mention the double headed guitar: like a Siamses Twin, joined at the body with one lefthand neck and one right-hand neck at angle of about 120 degrees, not parallel, played alternatly by Otway....

RtS
(and we arrived in a thunderstorm and hail...fortunately She gave me a lift. Walked (rolled) home as usual but Him Up There had stopped the rain by then)

Subject: RE: Otway in Ascot in April
From: InOBU
Date: 28 Apr 04 - 04:58 AM

As you no doubt saw by his performance, it is dangerous to wish john a broken leg! I am looking forward to the new york stop on his tour, and it is great you two met. Thanks for saying hi to him for me... and hope you also get to his new york gig... cheers l.o.