Monday, May 21, 2007

My long-standing hero


I've discovered youtube. It's a dreadful timewaster. BUT it does feature some excellent clips of my all-time hero John Otway.

I promise not to do this very often; I've seen a million and one blogs which contain little more than links to something that the author has found and considers amusing or relevant, but I'm going to post a link to see John perform his hit.


John Otway (with then sidesman Wild Willy Barrett) was the first act I ever saw live, when he was going to be the future of rock and roll (yes, really) and I was a tender fifteen years of age.

One of the reasons I love the man so much is that he managed to have one minor hit in 1977 and has succeeded in never doing a sensible day's work since, but he has always worked!

He recently rigged the chart to score a second hit by getting all of his registered fans to buy his record on the same day - but "Bunsen Burner" had none of the class of the original Otway chart botherer.

So, without more ado, ladies and gentlemen - I give you John Otway performing "Really Free" in a solo gig at Boston Folk Club with a few heckles and a smuggled fuzz-box, stay with it - I think he's magic:

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