By Paul Loader

It would appear that having a good laugh at somebody because they are going to see Status Quo is the accepted practice and an almost mandatory thing to do. I have to confess that I would say to people “I’m only going to see the Quo because my wife wants to see them”, and I wonder why that is. 

One of my very first albums was the Quo’s ‘On the Level’, which featured the legionary ‘Down down’ and a live version of ‘Bye bye Johnny’, which was obligatory learning for every school boy guitarist. 

And yet now, some 30 odd years later, the Quo are lumped in the same bag as artists like ‘Cliff Richard’ and ‘Cilla Black’. And for as far as I can see, for no other crime than being over 50 years old. 

Mind you, nobody takes the mick out of the ‘Rolling Stones’ (and they are positively ancient), and you couldn’t get a ticket for love nor money for ‘Led Zepplin’ in fact the reverence held for that band was positively reverential. And they are all well into their 60’s. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I would never put Status Quo in the same league as ‘The Zep’, but when we were kids Status Quo was cool, and no school disco or wedding party was complete until everybody got down and got with it to ‘Caroline’ or ‘Down down’. 

And you have to remember, it was Status Quo that opened the legionary ‘Live Aid’ a gig only eclipsed in myth by ‘Woodstock’ 

And yet now……a joke!! 

And to be honest I really can’t see why, as Status Quo does exactly what they say on the tin. 

Every year they return to The Colston Hall, and every year they sell out two nights at nearly forty quid a ticket. They must be doing something right. 

The use a tried and trusted formula that’s for sure. The lights go down; there is a rumble of a synth, that sort of stadium rumble that gets the hairs up on the back of your neck. Ricky Parfitt’s rhythm guitar kicks in before Francis Rossi cranks out the opening riffs of ‘Caroline’. The crowd erupts.  

Now this is the forth time I have see the Quo (yes my wife likes them), and they always open with ‘Caroline’. It could be that the audience is made up of people of a certain age that really does not respond well to ‘change’, I prefer to think that it is the Status Quo signature and it is their way of simply saying ‘evening’. 

The gig itself is nearly two hours long (not bad for gentlemen of their age) and they cram as many songs as they can into that time (thank the Lord they didn’t stick the dire ‘Margarita Time’ in there.) 

They often tag several classic Quo numbers onto the ends of songs in way of a medley, just so the audience doesn’t go home disappointed that they didn’t play their favourite song. Now since the band have been recording since the mid sixties, that’s a lot of songs to cram into a two hour set. However, I for one wasn’t disappointed. 

 There was one poignant moment when they played ‘You’re in the army now’. I always used to think that this was a bit of a throwaway pop song. However, in the light of world events, it suddenly had a clout I had not perceived before (blimey, the Quo making a political statement, who’d have thought it eh!) 

If he hadn’t been in a band Frances Rossi could easily have been a stand up comedian, and on the occasions that there was a break between the songs (probably giving Parfitt the opportunity to change the batteries in his pace maker) Rossi bantered with the crowd like as if he were holding court in his local as opposed to entertaining 1800 people. 

Mind you he did explain the strange smell of curry that kept on wafting around the hall. Apparently one of the road crew was cooking the bands supper down in the Green room….rock & roll boys! 

One thing that did make me chuckle was the sheer age range of the audience. Clearly there were people there who had brought along their grandchildren. 

In fact at one point, an elderly lady, who had probably decided that an hour was quite enough for her thank you so very much, staggered down the steps with her walking stick. I kid you not; she could have doubled for the Queen, only older. Perhaps that’s why people point the finger and laugh. There were people in that audience that were older than my parents (and I aint a teenager anymore, by a long shot!.......not that I can imagine my mum going to a Quo gig…mores the pity). 

So, Status Quo! Institution or joke? 

I had a think about this and I thought in order to express where I think they lie in the order of things, I would compare them to television comedy. (Bear with me), If bands like the ‘The Kaiser Chiefs’ and ‘Snow Patrol’ are like say ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’ and ‘Have I got News for You’, and bands like ‘Radio Head’ are ‘The Mighty Boosh’ and say ‘Baby Shambles’ is ‘Shameless’ then Status Quo is the ‘Only Fools & Horses Christmas Special’.

It aint cool, it aint cutting edge, buts lets be honest; it wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

So no! I don’t think they are a joke, and if the capacity crowd at the Colston Hall is anything to go by, Status Quo remain dear to many people’s hearts and a damn fine rock & roll band. 

And just as an aside, I tried to buy their new CD (the self effacing titled ‘In search of the forth chord) for my wife as a Christmas stocking filler. I couldn’t get it anywhere, everybody had sold out! 

So I guess that Status Quo has had the last laugh.