Otway On Otway

John Otway, ‘rock’s greatest failure’, has had two hits since 1977. His breakthrough came after injuring himself on the Old Grey Whistle Test.

Nevertheless, the self-deprecating rocker has many devoted fans. They would surely be disappointed by this poorly constructed slideshow. The highlights are short clips from Otway’s stage shows, which brim with a manic humour largely absent here.

You wish you could see him perform, or at least tell his story better. Then again, maybe that’s the point: he is playing at the Festival, and ‘John Otway: The Movie’ is out next year. While Otway may not be a great musical talent, he is a virtuoso self-publicist.