The John Otway Big Band

The John Otway Big Band

Tickets available

About the show

The world needs mavericks. One-offs. Bloody chuffed to bring John and his big band back to York again, always a packed night.


In a world dominated by music-by-committee, formulaic meaningless nonsense and fabricated beats, thank heaven for John Otway.


It’s Otway on steroids if you can imagine that. Otway with ROCK. All the hits and more but with other just-as-nutty musicians to bounce off. You’ll leave this show with an aching jaw from laughter and a sore throat from singing along. And joy in your heart that such a show can even exist in this day and age.


Massive turnout last year for the Aylesbury anarchist, expecting the same this time around.

Featuring

John Otway

John Otway appearing at this event

John first achieved notoriety with his eye-watering performance on Old Grey Whistle Test and subsequent hit single 'Really Free' in 1977. A heady mix of blind ambition and rank incompetence was to keep this microstar shining for almost two decades despite Otway's ability to turn any situation to his own disadvantage.

His autobiography 'Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure' out sold, by a factor of ten, all the records he had released since his hit, and now Otway is struggling to live up to this billing - selling out London Astoria for his 2000th gig in 1993, filling the Royal Albert Hall in 1998, and charting at number 9 with his 2002 single 'Bunsen Burner'. For John 'Two Hits' Otway, 'the future's bright; the future's Otway!

See John Otway tour dates

Find places to stay near The Crescent Community Venue

on Sunday 17 January 2027