Heads turn as Andy Scott pushes through the saloon doors of The Barley Mow, a mane of long white hair trailing behind him. To commemorate the final album by Scott’s band Sweet, Classic Rock has brought the guitarist back to the pub in London’s Paddington frequented by the original group throughout the 70s. This is the watering hole in which Sweet came to relax over a pint or three following the recording of their biggest hits, including Hellraiser, Blockbuster! and The Ballroom Blitz. According to Sweet folklore, a section of Fox On The Run may even have been written within these walls.
Scott isn’t entirely sure whether he visited The Barley Mow since those heady days. “I may have done,” he says, grinning, “but that would be when I lived in London”, and the inference is clear. These days the Welsh guitarist – who in June 2024 celebrated his 75th birthday with an event in Portmeirion surrounded by fans who have adored him for decades – resides more peacefully in the West Country, with wife Jane and their dog Ted.
