John Otway – Micro-stardom, 5,000 gigs and how to capture a crowd in 20 seconds

John Otway – self-billed as “Rock And Roll’s Greatest Failure” - has played 5,260 gigs in 53 years, a record possibly only beaten by BB King. There are more this autumn of course. He simply can’t stop. “People buying me drinks and telling me what a good bloke I am? Why would you stop?” We talk to him here about the art of shambling stagecraft and a life lived almost permanently on the road, which involves …

 

... a burning desire to perform from the age of nine.

 

… “Don’t think before opening your mouth!”

 

… the rhythm of life when you play two gigs a week for five decades. And the value of ‘Micro-stardom’ - “I’m at the bar when they walk in”.  

 

… seeing the Move, Free and Mott the Hoople in Aylesbury.

 

… how people always noticed him – not least because “I was idiot-dancing by the bass speakers”.

 

... his first performance, a massively overwrought version of Peter Sarstedt’s Where Do You Go To My Lovely.

 

… best-selling Otway merch - “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better! It’s Nearly Rock And Roll But I Like It!” etc.

 

… “You have to capture an audience in the first 20 seconds.”

 

... why playing the same size venues every night doesn’t challenge you.

 

… a recent three-month ‘trial retirement’.

 

… when he estimates he’ll play his 6,000th gig.

 

… and his planned and bank-breaking 2026 World Tour.

 

John Otway tour dates here: https://www.johnotway.com/gigs.html

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