John Otway
John Otway at Betsey Trotwood, London
About the show
Trotwood Events proudly presents the one and only JOHN OTWAY
ROCK AND ROLL’S GREATEST FAILURE!! … a man who’s entire career is a stunningly original work of performance art in its own right. Arriving on the back of punk in 1977 and helped by an ill-balanced gymnastic performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test, his first single"Cor Baby That’s Really Free" managed to reach number 27 in the UK Charts. Going on to develop an increasingly unhinged career, building a cult following along the way, 2002 saw him finally become a 2 HIT WONDER when “Bunsen Burner” - a song written to help his daughter with her chemistry homework - scored a top 10 hit and saw Otway running amok on Top of The Pops. Thanks to this second hit he has now been able to release his Greatest Hits album. Commenting on the fact that the title of this album is now in the plural, Otway said that he was very proud of having "finally got the 'S' on the right side of Hit". Expect ill-judged on-stage acrobatics, theramins and the stupidity of a great genius.
Featuring - John Otway
John first achieved notoriety with his eye-watering performance on Old Grey Whistle Test and subsequent hit single 'Really Free' in 1977. A heady mix of blind ambition and rank incompetence was to keep this microstar shining for almost two decades despite Otway's ability to turn any situation to his own disadvantage.
His autobiography 'Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure' out sold, by a factor of ten, all the records he had released since his hit, and now Otway is struggling to live up to this billing - selling out London Astoria for his 2000th gig in 1993, filling the Royal Albert Hall in 1998, and charting at number 9 with his 2002 single 'Bunsen Burner'. For John 'Two Hits' Otway, 'the future's bright; the future's Otway!
