Quo are part of the furniture; they've been around that long that you see several generations in their audiences, from pensioners to poppets. Admittedly it is the older crowd that is the majority here, so much so that even I felt young at this gig! They play around 200 shows a year still, incredible when you consider that mainmen Rossi and Parfitt must be pushing 60 now, and have a history of rock 'n' roll excess that is up there with the likes of Ozzy! Nowadays totally clean and sober, they're probably playing better than ever. They should be, since they're getting enough practice!
The band came on stage at around 8:30, opening with perennial favourite 'Caroline'. They've changed their ways a lot since I first saw them in the 1980s; time was they would trot out the same set regardless of the album that they were meant to be promoting, now it encompasses almost their entire career. They even do 'Pictures of Matchstick Men' and 'Ice In The Sun'!! They tried to fit in as much as they could during their two hours, that did mean resorting to a lengthy medley of some of their classics but it was a real effort to please as many as possible. Some things don't change though; 'Frame' (Rossi) still has his silly ponytail (cut it before it goes completely, Frame!!) and his onstage banter between songs rambles as wildly as ever! He still can play that Telecaster, though; he's not exactly Jani Liimatainen but is nevertheless very underrated as a guitarist.
It's Parfitt though, who is the heartbeat of the band (term used advisedly given his well-publicised health scares!) It's those hard-charging, driving riffs that make the band still sound surprisingly solid. He is joined on guitar occasionally by keyboard player Andrew Bown, a relative newcomer to the band having joined officially in 1976. When not tinkling the ivories or strumming another Telecaster, he plays harmonica (whatever did happen to Bob Young?
) Matthew Letley does seem to play well within himself though, it's as though he is holding back so as not to overshadow the main men. He does just enough to drive the band along, as though he were driving a classic car but never swamps the sound. Only when he played a short drum solo did he really open his shoulders and cut loose; I'd prefer a little more of that in the set itself personally but I do accept that too much can ruin the live sound. It's just a touch too polite for me!They finished the main set with 'Rocking All Over the World' (of course) and a short encore included 'Bye Bye Johnny', just as it did in Milton Keynes 25 years (gasp!) ago. All in all it was an entertaining evening, as you'd expect from a band who must be regarded as living legends. I still wish they'd played '4500 times' though!
Status Quo, not just a Great British Institution, but a bloody good live act!
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