One of the country’s most unique and enduring musical acts will be appearing in the South West. John Otway tours a lot as a solo artist and with his ‘Big Band’, but appearances with his long standing multi-instrumentalist partner ‘Wild Willy Barrett’ are an extra sought after treat for his dedicated followers.

If that isn’t unusual enough, the fact that they will be taking the stage in the small Devon town of Modbury, rightly famed for its beautiful location in the South Hams and friendly inhabitants, is unlikely to say the least.

However, Modbury cannot be described as a sleepy town, with pubs, a social club, good food and plenty of local activities. The inhabitants are always keen to get out and support activities in the town when they happen.

But Otway is something of a cult act that has strangely remained below the attention of the wider media.

Think of how you could describe Otway for instance, Pythonesque, yes, Jasper Carrot, yes, Bill Bailey, definitely, but does this sum up Otway and Barrett?

Absolutely not.

There’s very few places that Otway hasn’t played after 50 years in the business and a reported 5000+ performances throughout the country, but perhaps that’s why he took this gig in a place he probably hasn’t come across previously, and by and large probably hasn’t come across him either.

Quite how Otway’s madcap antics and entirely individual persona might be received in Modbury is intriguing. The team responsible for putting this combination together is confident, however, that Otway and Barrett’s outrageous, yet inoffensive humour, is universal in nature and a perfect match for an audience largely unaware of his longevity in the business.

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett released their eponymous debut album in 1976. Released first on their own Extracked Records, the album was a collection of recordings made between 1971 and 1976.

Recording began with a series of sessions at Pete Townshend's Eel Pie Studios

Modbury and Otway are about to meet for the first time on Friday November 8 and whatever happens on the night is anybody’s guess.