Status Quo Reunion Tour Manchester Apollo March 12th 2013
When I was growing up with rock music in the early 70s, there was a band who played great rock and boogies, put on amazing concerts, and released a sequence of great albums. They toured constantly up and down the country, and played at all the festivals. They were championed by John Peel, and wherever and whenever they played a loyal group of denim clad fans turned out and gave them the best reception that you could wish for. Sadlt somewhere over the years the members fell out, which resulted in acrimony and legal wranglings. The band reformed reformed with a couple of original members and started to tour again. They managed to regain some of their former glory, and many of us stayed with them, or in my case regained the faith and started to go and see them again. Over time the band lost the respect of the media and in the public consciousness the band became something from the past, and often the subject of some mockery. That band was (and is) called Status Quo.
Last night I saw that band again. I didn’t quite realise how important the event, or indeed the event was, until I got into Manchester Apollo last night. You could just feel the anticipation. This was the reunion we had all hoped for but we thought would never happen. The Apollo was packed to the rafters; these reunion gigs sold out quickly and more dates were added. The support band The Treatment put on a good show; they are a your rock band from the AC/DC mould with hints of glam. The crowd gave them a warm reception, but we were all there for one thing. To see the Frantic Four, the Mighty Quo reunited and ready to rock us like the old days. We had our doubts; would it still be the same? Was it really that good anyway? Could they still do it? After all these are older guys, and time must have taken its toll. The stage was set with a backdrop of the Hello album, the lights went down.
8.35pm. On the dot. As advertised. Jackie Lynott’s recorded introduction from the Live album roars out over the PA: “Is there anybody out there who wants to rock? Is there anybody out there who wants to roll? Is there anybody out there who wants to boogie? Tonight! We have the number one rock’n’roll band in the land! Will you welcome? The magnificent! STATUS! QUO!” And the curtain drops and it starts. The four are there and ready, standing in front of lines of AC30s and Marshall stacks. The first thing I noticed was the volume. And the clarity of the sound. And looking down from the slipper at the left side of the circle, the crowd are going crazy downstairs (all standing). The band all look well and they seem genuinely pleased to be together, old wounds have been healed, and they seem to be mates again. So it has finally happened. I got to see the original line-up again: cheeky Francis (didn’t he used to Mike in the days when I first got into this band?) Rossi, human rock rhythm machine Rick Parfitt, pure hard rocker bassist Alan Lancaster and solid powerhouse drummer John Coghlan. Much has been written about Alan’s ill health; well last night he seemed just fine and the fist few songs featured his vocals. I’d forgotten how important he was to the band. Important for his vocals, for his solid bass, and for maintaining the heavier and rockier side of the band. The opener was Juniors Wailing just as it was when I first saw Status Quo. Is it really 42 years ago since I first saw them? Where have all the years gone? Francis was on great form. Not as much cheeky chat as usual, but there was some, but great guitar playing. Slick, fluid and very loud. Rick looks slim and healthy with a new short hair cut and sporting a leather jacket. He kept the pace and the rhythm up throughout, sometimes it looked like he might explode. John Coghlan sat on a raised drumstool, twirling his sticks as he did in the old days. It felt right to have him and Alan back there, and I realised just how important John’s drumming was to the Quo sound. The set was drawn from the Live album, and the early 70s period, with a lack of the hits. No Caroline or Rocking All Over the World. Instead we got In My Chair, Backwater, Don’t Waste My Time, Big Fat Mama. This was a lean, loud, heavy rock n roll machine. It made me realise just how great the old band were in the 70s. Their old mate Bob Young joined them on mouth harp on Railroad and closing song (the Doors) Roadhouse Blues. The guy a couple of seats away told me that he had flown over from New York for the gig. I can’t express how good it was. Amazing; breath taking, emotional, and just good honest simple rock.
Setlist: Junior’s Wailing; Backwater; Just Take Me; Is There a Better Way; In My Chair; Blue Eyed Lady; Little Lady; Most of the Time; (April), Spring, Summer and Wednesdays; Railroad; Oh Baby; Forty-Five Hundred Times;Rain; Big Fat Mama; Down Down; Roadhouse Blues. Encore: Don’t Waste My Time; Bye Bye Johnny
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