That may not be the case, for example , down at the local old folks home, in a geriatric ward or in the queue at the checkout of Lidl but in an old banana warehouse, converted into a live music venue in Hull on a saturday night where better to experience the characteristic madness that has been the style of John Otway since the early 1970's.
That name may sound a little bit familiar to those whose awareness of all things music was born in that decade.
Put him together with Wild Willy Barrett and you have a pop duo who were marked out by record company executives as the next best thing in the business. Unfortunately for them and for mankind the then current best thing kept going and they never really got a look in after their first and only hit of "Really Really Free" which featured on Top of the Pops in 1977.
The pair of performers went through a few break-ups and reunions in the disappointing years post 1977 but kept going with collaborative and solo albums and a dedication to appearing live in any venue that would take them.
They are an unlikely duo. Otway is an out and out self publicising extrovert singing and playing the guitar whilst Willy is far from wild, more mild in nature and a fantastically gifted and versatile musician of all things stringed and with an occasional use in the act of bagpipes.
Otway wears his M&S white shirt and black formal trousers with disrespect like a naughty schoolboy whilst Willy has a hat with a feather in it, well groomed pony tail, waistcoat and tie. He is more folky than anything else but dead pan and serious as the perfect foil to his hyperactive long time buddy.
They were among many good friends the Fruit, the venue in Hull.
Otway released his movie last year to critical acclaim and his loyal fan base raised the funds and participated in a few scenes in return for acknowledgement in the closing credits as Executive Producers.
The movie is about John Otway and his unenviable self proclamation as "Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure". If you judge success in rock and roll on the basis of money in the bank and all of the trappings that go with it then his ultimate self criticism is justified. However, he is still out on the road today and if fans were represented by a monetary value, even nominally then Otway is certainly the richest man on the planet by that measure.
The pair were milling around at the beginning of the night holding court but never too far away from the joiner built display unit that held all of the merchandise from plectrums to tour T shirts, books to Blu-Ray copies of The Movie. That line of goods must form a tangible income stream to supplement their share of the door proceeds from a capacity crowd of about 200.
I was a fan back in the early 1980's and surprisingly could remember enough lyrics to sing along with a few of the set.
I recall clearly "I think it must have been the best dream I ever had" from perhaps skulking about as a teenager after having been dumped by a girlfriend or something like that. I have blanked out purposely most of the trauma of such a situation for a young lad.
The performance was a trademark blend of tight guitar and witty conversation about their origins in Aylesbury where they grew up and joined forces, early struggles to get noticed, the rapid ascent to fame and fortune and then the slow realisation, in comparison, that they were just ordinary jobbing songwriters and musicians who would have to graft for the next few decades to make a living.
It was a great night out.
I am not sure that in order to make ends meet Mr Otway sought out those shirt buttons to be re-attached in readiness for the following day and a train journey to a venue in St Helens.
John Otway and Wild Willy at Fruit, Hull
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