Local duo, John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett returned to The Nag’s Head on Thursday 14th July 1977.
The Aylesbury boys had played the London Road venue in April 1977 and their increasing popularity amongst old and new music fans made them a decent crowd puller – and subsequently a favourite with promoter Ron Watts.
Trying to remember where you were on the evening of this gig? Top of the Pops on 14th July 1977 played the video for Pretty Vacant and punk was well and truly entering the main stream of popular culture.
I went to a couple of Otway & Barrett gigs at the Nag’s Head, and also watched their TV appearance on Top of the Pops. I’ve got their album too, and remember a review piece – perhaps with a flyer for one of their gigs at Aylesbury (Friars)- describing Otway’s rather idiosyncratic pursuit of stardom.
Otway’s performances were physically and possibly psychologically manic and hilarious to watch – at one point he even somehow launched himself up onto the large wooden beam which ran just above head height across the front of the stage, before swinging in an ape-like manner from it.
Barrett, meanwhile, would tend to stand almost cowering at the back, away from the mayhem, holding the show together musically with his fuzz and effects-laden guitar. I also seem to remember his visible displeasure at one point when his amp got knocked over through some consequence of Otway’s stage antics.
A bizarre but truly entertaining duo.