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Two Hit microstar John Otway appears at South Parade Pier with his Big Band this week, as a warm up for his projected 2006 World Tour. Way back in 1977, John Otway had a hit with "Cor Baby That´s Really Free", and it was 25 years after his first hit when he finally got back into the Top Ten, and on "Top Of The Pops" with "Bunsen Burner". Otway was very, very good at being a failure and slowly, and as he promoted himself in this role, he started to become a success. The audience for his live show steadily grew and by 1998 he was able to boast that ticket touts were doing a roaring trade for his show at the Royal Albert Hall. But even stranger things have happened... As a run up to the Millennium, the BBC ran a poll to find the nation´s favourite song lyric over the past 2000 years, "Beware Of The Flowers Cause I´m Sure They´re Going To Get You Yeah" (the b side to his first hit)was voted No 7 - above artists like Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and even Bob Dylan. Ever the optimist, John Otway has planned a World Tour for the Spring of 2006. The proposed World Tour has been meticulously planned and is costed to allow for all plane charter costs, hotels, transfers, and concert tickets - on the basis of a maximum of 300 people applying for tickets. They're selling so well it seems a foregone conclusion that the World Tour will go ahead. On 17th March 2006 The Otway entourage will take off in a privately chartered Boeing 767 jet with "OTWAY WORLD TOUR" emblazoned on it's fuselage and "OT-AIR" upon the tail fin. A a well-stocked bar will be on hand operated by "OT-AIR" stewardesses. The first gig of the tour will be in the 600 capacity recital room of New York's world famous Carnegie Hall. John is proud to be able to perform here this gig - when he learned to play violin at school, his tutor told him he had "..a cat in hell´s chance of ever playing the Carnagie Hall." Otway says he is looking forward to sounding like a cat in hell. The plane will next head for Las Vegas. Having his own plane means that it is possible to transport the huge set and magnificent costumes that are needed for a full- on glitzy Vegas show.. Before his disco hit "Bunsen Burner", John had not bothered much with choreography, but he has come a long way since then. After Las Vegas, the entourage will fly to Tahiti for a bit of rest and relaxation, then the following day it's off to Sydney, for Otway's Australian debut at Sydney Opera House, where there's a suitable sized room for him, his friends and his legion of Australian fans. After a no doubt triumphant gig, it's off to Bangkok for a re-fuelling stop. (Bangkok is a wonderful place in the heart of the exotic far east, not a description of what happened to Otway when he tried to jump on an amp while appearing on the "Old Grey Whistle Test"). The OT-AIR jet will then fly on to Dubai, and the band will play at the local English pub The Red Lion, the smallest venue on the tour, allowing them to bang out some proper pub rock at last. The following day they'll be up early to fly to Turkey and catch a total eclipse of the sun, before heading off to Switzerland. What can I say - Otway will be singing "Geneve" in Geneve, it's sure to be very moving. From Geneve, the jet flies back to blighty, for the final gig of the World Tour - where else but The Royal Albert Hall? It will be worth it for the the tour t-shirt alone.... If you can't make the World Tour, you can catch John Otway's Big Band World Tour Warm up at South Parade Pier on Wednesday 9th March. Doors open at 8 p.m. Support is from Murray Torkildsen. Tickets available from (023) 9286 3911 or on the door.