John Otway Announces Debut New Zealand Tour

UK rock 'n' roll songwriter John Otway is wending his way to Aotearoa for his first ever nationwide tour this coming February. A cult hero who scored a chart hit 'Really Free' in 1977 with Wild Willy Barrett and later performed in the summer holiday episode of The Young Ones, Otway's incomparable career was documented in Steve Barker's 2013 feature film Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure: Otway the Movie. Beloved by legions of fans who literally gifted Otway his long-awaited second hit 'Bunsen Burner' as a 50th birthday present (which made it to number nine on the UK charts), Otway's oeuvre encompasses seventeen long players and counting, including 1991's Cheryl, a Rock Opera (with Attila the Stockbroker), 1995's Premature Adulation and 2014's festive A John Otway Christma5 EP, plus he's penned two books — Cor Baby, That's Really Me! (1990) and I Did it Otway: Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure (2010). Attendance is mandatory for these sure to be triumphant events, grab tickets while you can...

John Otway says on the eve of his first NZ visit (while finishing his third beer of the evening): "I’d given up hope — for the last 40 years I’d been hoping that just for one year I’d somehow escape the miserable winters of Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham and perform somewhere warm and exotic like Auckland, Christchurch or Adelaide in summer. It’s taken longer than I expected — but it’s happening now and I can’t wait!"

UPDATE: "Due to the extraordinary weather Auckland is facing at the moment, tonite’s John Otway show at the Wine Cellar is postponed until Sunday 19th February 2023 at the same venue with the slightly earlier time of 7pm. The opening act will be The Tegal Chicken. All tickets purchased for tonite’s show are valid for the re scheduled show. Should ticket holders require a refund, please contact Undertheradar asap."

UnderTheRadar proudly presents...

John Otway

Tuesday 14th February - Valhalla, Wellington [cancelled]
Wednesday 15th February - Space Academy, Christchurch [cancelled]
Friday 17th February - Daddy Long Legs store, Titirangi, Auckland
Saturday 18th February - 605 Morningside, Auckland w/ Ratso
Sunday 19th February - The Wine Cellar, Auckland w/ The Tegal Chicken

Tickets available HERE via UTR

Here's John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett performing their hit 'Really Free' on Top Of The Pops...

In 1977 John Otway shot to nationwide attention in the UK after this "testicular damaging move" that was aired live on the Old Grey Whistle Test...

Here's John Otway performing 'Body Talk' on The Young Ones...

Smash play on Otway's 1981 classic with Wild Willy Barrett 'Headbutts'...

Check out the official trailer for Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure: Otway the Movie...

Press release:

CLEAN DiRT & under the radar present .... JOHN OTWAY (Rock & Roll's greatest failure ?)

John Otway is an English singer songwriter who has built a cult following with extensive touring. He has also achieved two hit singles in the UK. For his 2000th gig he sold out the London Astoria sold out the Royal Albert Hall , he followed that up by selling out the Royal Albert Hall (only twice as big) with the (then) current incarnation of his first band THe Aylesbury Youth Orchestra, and last year he celebrated his 5000th gig with a sell out show at the Shepherds Bush Empire.

John Otway maybe difficult to pigeonhole but can best be summed up in a fascinating movie of his life. In 2013 to celebrate his 60th Birthday he premiered Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure: Otway The Movie to a sold out crowd at London's Odeon.