John Otway reappears on Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall stage early next month nearly four years after his first appearnace in the company of Wild Willy Barrett.
His gig on April 8 will see John, who once described himself as “rock’n’roll’s greatest failure”, perform with characteristic madcap mayhem.
“John is an English singer-songwriter who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona and we very much look forward to welcoming him back to Ropery Hall,” said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk.
“As well as madcap mayhem we can expect some scintillating stunts from a man old enough to know better but also be prepared to be surprised at just what a showman and musician really lies underneath the tomfoolery.”
Although John knew from an early age he wanted to be a pop star it wasn’t until 1977 that his dream became a reality when he appeared on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test and became the talk of everyone who watched the show when he decided to jump on an amplifier, misjudged his leap and sent Wild Willy Barrett’s amplifier tumbling.
Not only did he see a surge in his audiences, sales of Otway’s sixth single, the half-spoken love song Really Free increased dramatically and reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart. An appearance on the BBC’s flagship music programme Top of the Pops followed.
“Despite numerous attempts to get back into the charts, John had to wait 25 years for his next taste of chart success and in the intervening years become an actor; wrote an autobiography, performed sell out shows at London’s Astoria and Royal Albert Hall and make regular appearances at both Glastonbury and Edinburgh Festivals as well as write the nation’s seventh favourite lyric of all-time,” Liz continued.
In 2002 he had a second hit with Bunsen Burner and scored a second appearance on the Top of the Pops and continued to gig extensively around the UK either with his band, as a duo with Wild Willy Barrett or solo.
He celebrated his 60th birthday, with his debut movie, Otway the Movie: The Story of Rock n Roll’s Greatest Failure that was voted the second best film of the year in a poll of its readers conducted by The Guardian newspaper.
John’s gig on Sunday, April 8, starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £13 in advance or £15 on the door. Advance tickets can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, in person from The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery or by calling 01652 660380.
Blurring the lines between traditional Celtic tunes and popular music, The East Pointers bring their “smart maritime folk” to Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall next Friday (February 1)
The East Pointers are three young men from Canada whose talent and penchant for traditional Celtic tunes of decades past greatly belie their respective ages. (more…)
A Special Charity Event – Tribute to Dolly Parton
The Rags to Rhinestones Story is a smash hit tribute concert production that continues to sell out theatres across the UK. It is widely accepted as the foremost tribute show to Dolly Parton, and is performed by the Award Winning Miss Julia Martin. The show has been described by theatre audiences as totally authentic in every way, and not only captures Dolly’s incredible stage presence, mannerisms and unique comedy one-liners, but also delivers a spectacular evening of entertainment, that no true country fan will want to miss.
Supporting the Autism Unseen Tall Ships Challenge:
This nation-wide theatre tour is raising funds for Charlie Riley, and other autistic individuals who will be taking part in a sailing race around the UK in the AUTISM UNSEEN TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE. Charlie is a local autistic individual who recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and works at Tesco’s.
Look out for Charlie’s contribution in the show – Visit www.autismunseen.org for more details and for online donations.
A regular family quiz hosted by Quizmaster Daniel Dyson
A regular family quiz hosted by Quizmaster Daniel Dyson
A regular family quiz hosted by Quizmaster Daniel Dyson
These days Justin’s not certain about anything apart from his uncertainty – Brexit looms, it appears the Cold War is being rebooted and that’s before we begin to worry about what’s happening in America…..closer to home he’s starting to feel redundant as a parent. One kid is leaving home, the dog is getting older and doesn’t need much walking, and the youngest kid hits thirteen and cancels the family subscription to The Beano.
On top of this the golden age of the Northern straight white male comedian has gone the way of the dinosaurs. How will he adapt if he wants to survive? What next for this Northern Joker? What can he talk to his daughter about now she cares little for Dennis the Menace and the Bash St Kids? Hang on. Perhaps nothing has changed that much. When he was thirteen, the Russians were scary, the White House was a madhouse and he’d never been to Europe anyhow. Thinking back this was when his reading habits changed too, more Dark Knight than Desperate Dan, more Catwoman than Minnie the Minx. Perhaps our heroes never went away….they just waited for us to pick them up again. Perhaps she just needs a different type of comic.
