Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
Looking good, for the press
Gucci or Prada? Let me guess
The champion is a wonder horse,
favourite to make it round the course
Is this the beginning of the end
or the end of the beginning?
‘Beginning of the End’ – Status Quo
Dare we mention this? Hushed whispers are beginning to echo about hallowed halls. Murmurings and conjecture; is the beginning of Quo’s farewell? It’s theorising of a sort however there’s a degree of foundation.
Whilst nothing has been formally mentioned from the Quo camp there’s a school of thought, amongst the rank and file, that’s gathering momentum. One that gives a sense that the final chapters of the incredible tale of one of the longest-lived rock n’ roll bands are being written.
Find ‘Longevity’ in the dictionary and you’ll, unsurprisingly, discover Quo nestling (or cwtching as they say in these parts) with the likes of Rolling Stones, The Who and Deep Purple. From bubble-gum psychedelia to national treasures via their hard rocking 12 bar pinnacle Quo can tell a tale or five.
I gotta get along ‘cos it’s a long, long ride now
I’ve been away too long, I gotta get on home now
I’m getting far too old to know my dream of fortune
But the time is flowing now, I know what I must do
‘Is It Really Me’ / ‘Gotta Go Home’ – Status Quo
It’s a mixed bag of squally showers and evening sunshine as we await the doors opening at Swansea’s shiny new arena that has landed on the city’s waterfront. Looking at this evening’s hosting building my mind wanders back to the summer of ’84 and my first live encounter with ‘The Quo’ at the much-missed Cornwall Coliseum. Was that night of two and a half hours of mayhem Quo style really, all bar the shouting, four decades ago?
Like that gloriously sunny afternoon, all those years ago, we’re by the waterside once more. However, we’ve exchanged the sandy beach, that virtually knocked on the front door of The Coliseum, for the former industrial wharves of Wales’s second largest city.
Sat on the northern side of what was once Swansea’s South Dock the Arena’s huge golden gleaming spaceship-like structure certainly stands proud having opened just a couple of years ago. Inside the arena is cavernous in one sense yet has a relatively intimate impression even with 2,700 fans packed in for this evening’s sold-out show. A pleasantly curious sort of anti-Tardis feeling given the building’s sizeable stance from the exterior.
When I get old and find the time
I’ll paint a picture about my life
I’ll paint it blue for you, I’ll paint it blue for you.
You gave me love, a love so strong.
‘Blue For You’ – Status Quo
Aptly themed lighting swamps the Arena’s stage as the house lights fade as a blues-drenched intro bursts forth. Special guest Laurence Jones cuts an assured presence as he dons his trusty Stratocaster whilst drummer Alan Taylor thunders in a heraldic percussive initial onslaught, coupled up with cool-shaded bassist James Alexander Timmis, for the freight trucking tones of set-opening track ‘What’s It Gonna Be’. Shimmering mellifluous waves crash upon the shoreline of the arena.
Well into his second decade of writing and performing Laurence Jones is a well-respected and cherished figure on the blues rock scene and is well received by the Quo faithful this evening. This isn’t his first rodeo with tonight’s headliners having toured with the 12 bar boogie merchants on the UK leg of their ‘Out Out Quoing’ tour in Spring ’22.
Headlining the Upton Blues Festival a couple of months later it was clearly evident that those dozen dates had impacted upon Jones in a truly positive manner. A transformative process had indeed begun. Check out tracks like ‘Foolin’ Me’ and ‘Can’t Keep From Loving You’ and how they’re ripe for rockin’ right up.
Like fellow six-stringers Kris Barras, Jack J. Hutchinson amongst others, a sharp bend in the blues highway was being steered around. A harder raw edge sees Jones continue to a rockier destination but without totally eschewing from his blues nucleus.
Partnered with a lightning strike of a rhythm section Jones, bending his strings into new dimensions, is swiftly into action, engaging with the Swansea crowd from the off. He smiles broadly as the ‘false ending’ of ‘What’s It Gonna Be’ is cheered voluminously before the extended 10-minute spectacular is outro’d with a howling blues-laden solo.
Following a rocksteady yet hard driving ‘In Too Deep’ Jones comments “It’s great to be back in Wales” furthering by quipping “They let me in being a Jones!” If the crowd wasn’t onside before, they certainly are now as they loudly answer in the positive to the enquiry as to whether they are feeling the blues.
The darkened snarling blues currents of ‘Don’t You Leave Me This Way’ from a gritty basement chamber, low down and dirty they pervade the deepest corners of the arena. Ebbing and flowing there’s ambience twixt the torrent. “Swansea don’t leave me” urges Jones; nobody is going anywhere as Cream is alloyed with Hendrix.
Dedicated to his hero – the reason Jones explains as to why he plays guitar – ‘Voodoo Chile’ is given an expressive re-working but not before the Liverpool-born six-stringer responds, as quick as you like, with razor-sharp wit to a wag in the crowd. “You’re the second person to say that Rossi is my hero as well!”
What follows is, in my humble opinion, craftmanship of a lofty level with notes literally being picked off his fret leading to Jones, stepping away from his mic, to quietly exclaim a satisfied “Yeah!” Timiss’ bass rampages whilst Taylor’s drumming stampedes along with Jones literally setting his fretwork afire. A high-grade finale to a quickfire 30 minutes; job done and the Quo faithful won over.
If you like what I like come rock with me
If you like what I like
Oh, I’m rockin’ on
Oh, I’m rockin on
Rockin’ On – Status Quo
The fifth of six UK dates, which serve most ably as a tasty precursor to a further 36 gigs across three months, Swansea has been sold-out for a good while now. Evidently the lure of Status Quo is still there. In fact, this is just the third set of UK dates since those Covid-struck years; for a band that extensively touring on an annual basis was seemingly an addiction it’s an indication that logistical matters are beginning to hop on board the ‘Slow Train’.
On stage, however, the intensity shows no signs of abating whatsoever. At nine of the hours, precisely, the oh-so familiar ‘Quo-drone’ begins its descent. A triumphant fanfare, with a keyed nod to the first hit single ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’ tastefully included, ushers the quintet stagewards. Sole remaining original founding member Francis Rossi, after waving to the crowd, powers a familiar single chord whilst his six-string sidekick Richie Malone adjusts his mic before the pair convene afront the backline.
Close your eyes as Malone powers the introductory riffs of the evergreen ‘Caroline’ and it could well be the legendary Rick Parfitt up there. Malone has stepped into those sizeable shoes and with him brought a fresh, sharpened approach to all things Quo live.
Rossi points in appreciation whilst long-standing bassist John ‘Rhino’ Edwards – approaching 40 years ‘service’ – nods along with hands behind his back. Chiming in Rossi leads Edwards, drummer Leon Cave and his loyal ‘lieutenant’ Andy Bown (keyboards) as the detonation is completed.
Rossi is, as ever, masterful in his engagement and, prior to a ratcheted solo, leads Swansea in a chorus of “Yohs”; Quo are as strong as ever. What follows is an education of how to entertain and not fuss on how on earth you’re going to satiate the hardcore fans’ desires of the deepest of ‘cuts’ whilst keeping the ‘prosecco crowd’ on board.
With such a diverse and broad fanbase it’s a tricky balancing act. With just shy of a century of singles and 33 studio albums it’s, frankly, impossible! The raging torrent of ‘Rain’, with Rhino taking Parfitt’s vocals, sees Bown’s keys swirl in delight. Leading, seamlessly, into the rocking and rolling stone of ‘Little Lady’. Another number once sung by Parfitt it’s Malone that steps into the breach and powers on.
Swearing at his waistcoat as he removes, between tracks, said item of clothing Rossi soaks up the time-honoured Quo chant that has broken out. Having recently celebrated his three quarters of a century mark Quo’s frontman quips “I’m in my 50’s!” before a second album track, in the weighty form of ‘Softer Ride’, follows.
Malone powers in with, perhaps, an added degree of poignancy ‘Beginning of the End’. “Happy days are here again” sings Rossi unleashing an infectious hook. Quo are right on form and the crowd, though mainly remaining stubbornly seated, are lapping up each and every second.
Mercifully rising to their feet the crowd bounce along as Rossi and Malone, like a pair of felines upon a hot tin roof, quite literally jump into a resonant ‘Hold You Back’ craned in from 77’s ‘Rockin All Over The World’ long-player.
We came a long way, a slow way too
Up from the down way and back to you
Now that I’ve made it I don’t want to fade it
Now that I’ve made it with you
‘Forty-Five Hundred Times’ – Status Quo
The ‘aging process’ is continued as Rossi banters “Now I’m in my early sixties” before wryly observing upon his recent milestone birthday “50 years ago I was 25, that friggin’ hurt!” There’s plenty of observational wit remaining in the tank.
Splicing eight singles from the 70s and 80s together The Medley – a feature of most Quo tours since 84’s ‘End of the Road’ – is neatly bookended by ‘What You’re Proposing’ and a rumbustious ‘Mystery Song’. This is how you despatch a truckload of tunes and the accompanying memories! From a howling ‘Down The Dustpipe’ to the country-rocking ‘Wild Side Of Life’ it’s pure 100% Quo.
Full of flavours of the East ‘The Oriental’ has Rossi relishing the un-pc lyrics, licking his lips “I like it spicy!” he offers. Just the second visit into 21st century Status Quo it’s a clear fan favourite and it rolls headlong into a bluesy ‘In My Chair’. 32 years its senior the serial stone anthem shows no signs of aging. Bown’s mournful wailing harmonica rounds off the prowling low-down twelve bar stomp as “We ran along the rooftops.”
Dreaming away, never wishing to be anyone
Never a question or reason to find right or wrong
When I looked at the end, over and over again
Riding along on the words of a song
Thinking my time had all gone
‘And It’s Better Now’ – Status Quo
Duly obliging the Swansea Arena crowd echo “Quo-ohs” for the timeless smash hit ‘In the Army Now’ – who else recalls the statement “Quo’s back” motto? Ramping it further upwards we are treated with a cannonage of hit singles with a thumping and ballsy ‘Roll Over Lay Down’ – complete with Rossi’s “Cuckoo!” – being followed by a super-extended ‘Down Down’.
A solitary Rossi performs an engaging intro to the band’s sole chart-topping single – it replaced Mud’s ‘Lonely This Christmas’ in early 1975 – before the band tear into the main body. Rhino, Malone, and Rossi sway side to side in the added heads down boogie shuffle – a neat touch in my book – as Rossi makes light of being off-time. “I’ll keep on, no I won’t I’m not in time!” much to amusement of Malone.
The set closing brace of ‘Whatever You Want’ and ‘Rockin’ All Over the World’ provide a scintillating crescendo to the main set. The no-nonsense heads down rocking of the former gets the crowd on their feet before Bown’s sprinkling of piano keys brings in the latter with the arena providing a good percentage of the vocals as Rossi absorbs the moment. “You sing it!” he sagely notes.
Taking our time and trucking the line
Everybody knows where we’re going
Rolling away, ‘cos this is our day
And everybody’s feeling alright
‘Rockers Rollin’’ – Status Quo
Nearly an hour and a half after entering the stage the quintet step off the boards for a much-deserved breather before returning to encore with a bright coruscant ‘Burning Bridges (On and Off and on Again)’. It’s party time with the jig of the 1988 hit single providing the theme.
Is this the final hurrah for The Quo? Only Rossi knows, that’s a fact, but we’ll continue to savour every gloriously golden 12 bar moment without any debate. Once again it’s been fine, fine, fine and until the final curtain call we’ll be ‘Rockers Rollin’’.
When we oughtta be taking it easy
We’re getting ready for another show
And every day when you’re all a-sleeping
And in the night you see the sun
I’m just a face in a crowd of people
Who want to tell me I’m the only one
‘High Flyer’ – Status Quo
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
