Billed as the ‘Half A Sentry tour’, John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett team up again for an extensive UK tour, that as the press releases states – “celebrates 5 decades of music making animosity, splits and reunions.”

First visit to Aldershot and their rather splendind West End Centre, a converted Victorian school that has been hosting various arts events in the past 45 years. Musically they have had the likes of Blur and Primal Scream appear, and now the “lucky” folk of Hampshire & beyond have two musical legends appearing, namely John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett. To be fair one is an excellent musician and without naming names it isn’t Otway ;-)

Opening with ‘Louisa On A Horse’ (with Barrett whipping up a musical frenzy on his violin) and then ‘Gypsy’, the duo only went and played their 1977 hit single, ‘Really Free’! Not many pop stars play their big hit (and to be fair, only hit) so early in their set. A raucous version complete with Barrett on his ‘wah wah wheelie bin’.

Throughout the course of the evening Barrett provided a series of deadpan quips about Otway needing to up his meds and that he should have an increased carer’s allowance for looking after Otway on stage. It was all done in a good natured way although I am not sure he could hide is feelings when Otway went a bit over the top on the singing on ‘Separated’.

The first set closed with ‘Body Talk’ which allowed Otway to make various drum and percussion noises with his body, along with some theremin. For someone who is seventy Otway throws himself into the song with the gusto and energy half his age.

After an instrumental jam to start the second set – basically Otway messing around on the theremin with what sounded like a snippet of ‘White Cliffs Of Dover’ in the mix. Their cover of ‘Two Little Boys’ was delivered in a folk style and one of the few songs where Otway seemed to behave himself.

‘Beware Of The Flowers (‘Cos I’m Sure They’re Going to Get You Yeah)’ may never have been a chart hit, however, as Otway informed us it was voted Britain’s seventh most popular song lyric of the past one hundred years in a 1999 online poll by the BBC. Listening to the duo perform it tonight it is easy to see why it polled so well…

Barrett certainly is a master of the string instruments playing a variety of guitars including a homemade guitar that sounded like a racing car on ‘Racing Cars (Jet Spotter of the Track)’ – or Otway’s old school friend Jeff Potter whose Volkswagen Beetle sounded like the guitar, on whom the song is based on.

Final song of the night was ‘Geneve’, the last of the two encores, although they don’t do encores apparently as this was one cause of the many splits the duo have had through the years. For this one Barrett played guitar and a Bagpus bagpipe, as you do.

Most of the audience tonight had seen them before and the cheers & audience participation showed they knew what was coming, bit like the Rocky Horror Show but without the basques and fishnets!

Seeing these two live is a mix of musical delights, comic timing and theatrical bizareness that on paper shouldn’t work but live these two are a perfect combination. They are on tour until September and you would be missing a treat if you didn’t catch them playing live near you. You get the true punk spirit mixed with comedy from Otway and a healthy dose of folk and musical finesse from Wild Willy Barrett.

Review by Jason Ritchie
Photo credit: Lorna Wilson

The Best of 2023

Pete Feenstra chatted to John Otway for Get Ready To ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 16 April 2023

June

08 Fareham Ashcroft Theatre www.ashcroft.org.uk
09 Aylesbury Limelight Theatre www.queensparkarts.com
10 Louth The Pump House www.ents24.com/louth-events/the-pumphouse
11 Nottingham The Running Horse www.facebook.com/runninghorsenottingham
15 Chester Alexander’s www.alexanderslive.com
16 Otley Courthouse www.otleycourthouse.org.uk
17 Louth The Pump House www.ents24.com/louth-events/the-pumphouse
18 Cromer Community Centre www.facebook.com/CromerCommunityCentre
23 Cardiff Earl Haig www.earlhaigclub.weebly.com

July

08 Shoreham-By-Sea Ropetackle Arts Centre www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk
14 Bath Rondo Theatre www.rondotheatre.co.uk
16 Colchester Arts Centre www.colchesterartscentre.com

September

07 Sutton Sound Lounge www.thesoundlounge.org.uk
08 Hockley Soundry www.thesoundry.co.uk

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

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More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)