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!!

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues

Eve Selis/Randi Driscoll

EVE SELIS/RANDI DRISCOLL

IAC 16TH July 2025

What an absolute treat at the International Arts Centre last night... First up was Randi Driscoll, a singer/songwriter accompanying her self brilliantly on keyboard. Randi writes great songs, i especially loved the set opener about the love given to and received from your child... beautiful lyric and sentiment. Randi has a lovely voice and sings beautifully, and delivered a really terrific upbeat set. At times there were elements of twee and reminders of Melanie (who I have loved since 1971!!) but they contributed to a beautifully positive and compelling set... her point that music is best heard live, in the flesh is so right... there is nothing like live music to warm the heart...

After a break, Eve Selis took the stage with her band, Randi on keyboards and vocals and Sam Hunt on Acoustic guitar. Eve started by explaining that this was not going to be a typical Eve show as she would be performing her latest album "Dark Sky Blue". She explained that she, along with everyone else had had shock and trauma in her life and told her own story... the songs contained on the album, and this set, were all drawn from those experiences and the writing and performance cathartic.

After this introduction Eve launched into the songs... and what a voice!!... she has a wonderful voice and sings superbly... clearly living every emotion and feeling through every moment.

The second song was "Monster" which she said was meant to be hard and scary... it was all of that but the sentiments expressed through it were a lesson to all... This song was delivered with a much harsher louder voice and absolutely stunning in its power...

As she then said... however dark and hopeless things feel at the time, we don't know the end of the story... and as the songs and show progress the darkness slowly lifts and we see more positivity as the healing progresses... near the end the philosophy learned through the counselling and recovery emerges clearly with "I Choose Love"... something we all need to take on board because without it things cannot improve...

The set ends with "Somebodys Brother" for her brother and for everyone... for the whole world... as the song ends Eve walked slowly off stage to leave Randi playing a most exquisite keyboard piece, accompanied by Sam’s delicate guitar, simply beautiful end to what was a magnificent performance.

I know that I, and all of us have all gone through traumas, maybe diifferent traumas to Eve, but the journey remains the same... and every word she said or sang.. every emotion, went straight to my heart and spirit. Eve said that if she had reached one person she had done her job... she reached me totally...

After a short pause, Eve came back on stage and played a couple of encores, more typical Eve material... saying the second would merge into something we all knew by heart... and we could all sing together... when it came, the song was Crazy John's "Imagine"... but with slight difference.. Johns record is soft, wistful and as a dream... Eve sings it as an exaltation... a positive way forward... and it was simply beautiful.

A word for the band... Sam’s guitar work was delicate, empathetic and superb all through and Randi's keyboard work absolutely stunning...

The whole show was absolutely wonderful... it prompted every emotion in me... at times laughter and tears simultaneously...

And something i dont usually refer to... talking to Eve after the show... what a wonderful human being!!

keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues... and please, choose love...

After a break, Eve Selis took the stage with her band, Randi on keyboards and vocals and Sam Hunt on Acoustic guitar.

Eve started by explaining that this was not going to be a typical Eve show as she would be performing her latest album "Dark Sky Blue". She explained that she, along with everyone else had had shock and trauma in her life and told her own story... the songs contained on the album, and this set, were all drawn from those experiences and the writing and performance cathartic.

After this introduction Eve launched into the songs... and what a voice!!... she has a wonderful voice and sings superbly... clearly living every emotion and feeling through every moment.

The second song was "Monster" which she said was meant to be hard and scary... it was all of that but the sentiments expressed through it were a lesson to all... This song was delivered with a much harsher louder voice and absolutely stunning in its power...

As she then said... however dark and hopeless things feel at the time, we don't know the end of the story... and as the songs and show progress the darkness slowly lifts and we see more positivity as the healing progresses... near the end the philosophy learned through the counselling and recovery emerges clearly with "I Choose Love"... something we all need to take on board because without it things cannot improve...

The set ends with "Somebodys Brother" for her brother and for everyone... for the whole world... as the song ends Eve walked slowly off stage to leave Randi playing a most exquisite keyboard piece, accompanied by Sam’s delicate guitar, simply beautiful end to what was a magnificent performance.

I know that I, and all of us have all gone through traumas, maybe diifferent traumas to Eve, but the journey remains the same... and every word she said or sang.. every emotion, went straight to my heart and spirit. Eve said that if she had reached one person she had done her job... she reached me totally...

After a short pause, Eve came back on stage and played a couple of encores, more typical Eve material... saying the second would merge into something we all knew by heart... and we could all sing together... when it came, the song was Crazy John's "Imagine"... but with slight difference.. Johns record is soft, wistful and as a dream... Eve sings it as an exaltation... a positive way forward... and it was simply beautiful.

A word for the band... Sam’s guitar work was delicate, empathetic and superb all through and Randi's keyboard work absolutely stunning...

The whole show was absolutely wonderful... it prompted every emotion in me... at times laughter and tears simultaneously...

And something i dont usually refer to... talking to Eve after the show... what a wonderful human being!!

keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues... and please, choose love...

Moody Fairy/Steve Cartwright/Rosa Fernandez/Kevin Hewick

 MOODY FAIRY/STEVE CARTWRIGHT/

ROSA FERNANDEZ/KEVIN HEWICK

Duffys 10th July 2025

Thursday night at Duffy's... Botheration 3 hosted as ever by Kevin Hewick

Kevin opened the evening in typical Kevin style... rambling and telling his tales and singing his songs... it never fails to amaze me that Kevin can sound so frail and vulnerable when chatting and sing so strongly with so much real assertiveness and passion. i'm sure everyone knows Kevin and knows how good his songs are... his patter can be somewhat inconsequential at times but is always interesting and entertaining... i could listen to it all night!!... and his songs and singing are strong, passionate and real quality... could also listen to them all night!!

After Kevin, a new name to me, Rosa Fernandez... difficult artist to review, but bottom line is I really enjoyed her entertaining set. She says she is not a serious musician, and clearly sets out to enjoy herself and entertain... she walks a fine line and while staying on the right side she is a fine singer, accompanying herself on ukelele, with an intriguing mix of covers and original poetry... however when she crosses the line it becomes, to my taste, a tad uncomfortable... but with this kind of fun performance, stepping the wron g side for mements is no problem, and inevitable

Highlight for me was her acapella "My love is like a red red rose" which was superb. The whole performance was full of fun and she and the audience loved it... The mix of song and poetry really appealed, though at times the poetry for me didnt quite match the standards of the rest of the set, but i really loved the closing line about a famous singer, which which was something along the lines of "Gary set the Bar low"

We then had one of the elder statesmen and local legend Steve Cartwright & The Last Days, Steve playing electric guitar and singing with Jim Tetlow on cajon...

Steves songs are always high class, often touched with legend and mythology and beautifully constructed... the guitar playing perfectly reflects the nature of the lyrics... and along with Jim's cajon creates a hypnotic and delightful whole.

The Last Days are always terrific and this set was a real cracker...

MOODY FAIRY was next up, she started the set with some album tracks and ended with new material.... and played some solo and others with her partner "Lairy Bear"...

The songs are high quality and delivery both captivating and a delight... the guitar playing perfectly in sync with the delivery. "Lairy Bear" also contributed some high class guitar work to accompany her.. There was a moment when they couldn't get an intro right, but it turned out she was playing the wrong intro!... they made the most of it and eventually played the song superbly...

No two ways about it.. this was a super set by someone whose reputation i knew well but hadn't got to see before... hope to see Moody Fairy more as the weeks go by... really loved the performance... and I agree with Kevin's comment... the last song performed was absolutely magnificent, beautiful

My apologies to Velvet Crisis , i wasn't able to stay for their set, but judging by the sound check i am sure they would have been as ebullient and good as ever

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues and artists.