Otway & Barratt

JOHN OTWAY & WILD WILLY BARRATT

IAC 18th July 2025

Barmpots... totally english eccentric barmpots... an absolute treat to see the incredible @john Otway and Wild Willy Barrett back at the International Arts Centre... You know exactly what you are going to get with this pair... probably know the set!!... a couple of hours frantic music, madcap comedy, bizarre songs and dances and a truly wonderful evening.

As we arrived the stage was set... Otways guitar and theramin on one side, Barratt's battery of stringed instruments and bagpuss pipes hanging ready on the rail on the other side....

Otway appears on stage from behind the curtains in the centre holding a couple of pints aloft, while Barratt wanders on from the side...

After Otways usual introduction of sympathizing with anyone who hasn't seen them before they launch into a manic version of "Ridin' on me 'Orse" with Otway thrashing his guitar and Barratt playing brilliant fiddle...All the obvious hit appears to great cheers and the pair continue with their madcap set... Otway laughing and handling the bulk of the chat and crazy introductions and Barratt remaining deadpan throughout speaking only to berate Otway... The on-stage banter and the songs and performance remain hilarious... the first half ends as ever with an Otway tour de force in "Body talk"... featuring Otway with a drum pad in each pocket and dancing wildly slapping the pads for percussion whilst playing the theramin and dancing like a dervish... there was a suggestion of a "Strictly" invite.. not to be taken seriously... but i would watch!!

The second half continued in the same vein... madcap humour to the fore... including a crazy bluegrass version of "Two Little Boys"

Two of my favourite lines were Barratt explaining they couldn't do requests because of Otways mental capacity...but if anyone did have a request they would play it at the next gig... "so this song is for Geraldine in Grimsby"... and Otways dedication of a song to "anyone whose wife has just come out of prison"...

After a wonderful set featuring all the greats, such as "Coo Baby thats Really Free" "Beware of the Flowers" and "Geneve" (which Barratt asked the audiene to sing because Otway couldnt.. they ended with "Cheryl's Going Home"... followed by the last two numbers in the set... Barratt ended on guitar before switching, to great cheers, to the bagpuss pipes and ending with Scotland the Brave"

We'd had great songs... great comedy... Barratt taking a saw and then a lump hammer to a guitar before throwing it down and stamping on it... Otway's outrageous "Body Talk" the performing wheelie bin and so many hilarious moments...

Through the insanity, dont lose sight of the fact the Wild Willy Barratt is a superb musician!!

The end of the show has Barratt on stage alone explaining that he destroys the cheap guitar because he wants to rid the world of such awful instruments... but is happy to sell it after the show!

You will never be entertained this well outside of an Otway and Barrat gig... and will probably never be the same again...

John and Wild Willy... you are welcome back any time... the best most entertaining enjoyable and totally madcap show anywhere... love it!! absolutely love it!!

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