Otway and Barrett have had a bizarre, fascinating and crazy career. Only one hit, more splits and reunions than you could count on several hands and a pile of crazy, and well, to be frank, weird compositions.
We're here at the wonderful Acorn Theatre in Penzance. A place steeped in history, and with an old-fashioned layout that you don't see enough of these days. The Lower level has cabaret-style seats, and the upper balcony has standard theatre-style seats, which have a panoramic view. The place creates a great atmosphere even before the guys hit the stage.
The stage is set up tonight; on the right, a mic stand. On the left, a big rack of guitars, a banjo, a set of bagpipes with Bagpuss on instead of a tartan cover over the air reservoir. Look it up, you have to see it to believe it!
John Otway and Wild Billy Barrett come on stage and straight away kick into what can only be described as some kind of weird comedy double act routine. Otway sets up the gags, and Barrett crashes them down. Otway comes across as a kind of hyperactive man-child, and Barrett as a slightly bored, pissed-off uncle, the act seemingly an exaggeration of their actual relationship. It works, it's funny, and the music rocks.
John sets up every song with a fascinating story from their history, and it really is fascinating. They were properly discovered on the Old Grey Whistle Test when a wild performance of Cheryl's Goin' Home got wilder when John jumped on and consequently crashed onto Willy's Amp. They play their big hit single (which followed on the back of this stunt), Really Free, with much excitement and glee, well for John anyway.
I really can't say I've ever seen anyone any near his age to be so excited and animated about, not only performing his music, but telling the stories about them (which, let's face it, he must have rolled out hundreds of times before) with such fresh and genuine enthusiasm.
I came into this gig knowing, to be honest, very little of this duo, but came away feeling like I knew them both very well, almost too well at points. Otway is clearly an immensely eccentric, but driven man, who has blindly followed his dreams of becoming a pop star his whole life, and, if maybe he hasn't quite got what he set out for, has tried a damn site harder than most of us! The set is full of their own compositions, a few Otway solo tracks and a couple of covers.
Separated he screams with such intensity, a break-up song, which clearly still hurts. Real Tears From Both Eyes is a singalong, but soaked in real hurt and Beware of the Flowers ('Cos I'm Sure They're Going to Get You Yeah '), well it was rated number 7 in a Greatest Lyrics of All Time Poll run by the BBC, and an awesome little punk song it is too. Rumours that Otway's cult fanbase staged a huge campaign to enable this are highly unsubstantiated, of course!
Wild Billy's musicianship really is second to none, and his eccentricity almost rivals that of Otway's. Have you ever seen anyone else use a Wah-Wah wheely bin? No, I'm pretty sure you haven't!
At one point John gets his Theremin out for a Jam, and of course, the bagpuss bagpipes get thoroughly played as well. Two guys, no drums, no bass, no backing vocals, just pure talent, a shitload of eccentricity and a need to be heard, oh and a whole heap of fascinating stories...but I won't repeat them all, you need to go and see this duo live while you can. Plenty of dates left on the tour, go!
Setlist
Louisa on a Horse
Gypsy
Really Free
Best Dream
If I Did
Separated
Misty Mountain
Bluey Green
Body Talk
Set 2:
Otway/Barrett Jam
Two Little Boys
Real Tears From Both Eyes
Beware of the Flowers ('Cos I'm Sure They're Going to Get You Yeah)
The Snowflake Effect
21 Days
Come Back Darling
Cheryl's Goin' Home
Encore:
Racing Cars (Jet Spotter of the Track)
Encore 2:
Geneve
