Status Quo interviews and international press reviews
Taken from different newspapers, magzines & web sites and compiled by Patrick Specht.
Something to add ? send me a mail : quofrance@yahoo.fr
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SWEDEN ROCK FESTIVAL
I happened to bump into Status Quo singer
Francis Rossi in the backstage of the Sweden Rock Festival just
before they played their gig there. Even though it was quite
close to their turn he had a few minutes to spare. So here’s
what we had time for.
I noticed that you have had some weights etc. in your locker
room. Is that a regular part of your touring?
- Yeah, we like to keep ourselves in shape. You know, lifting
weights and abs, stuff like that. It’s good to be in shape
when you’re performing.
I had a friend from Finland who came to Sweden just to see you
guys play. He lives in Finland but he’s seen you over 20
times. Do you have a lot of fans like that?
- We have great fans, many of them come to see us in every town
we play in their country, for example in England and in Germany.
Some of them also travel abroad to see us and we really
appreciate that.
Status Quo has been around for ages. Let’s look into future,
what do you see?
- Well I’m thinking that I’ll live until I’m 90,
but I can’t promise you that Status Quo will be around for
that long (laughs). I think that in five years we’ll be
doing this, maybe in ten years too, who knows. I mean this is
what I have always been doing. Some start as a carpenter when
they are twenty and they stay as a carpenter because they like
what they are doing. It’s the same way with me.
I guess the most important thing is that you find something you
love to do?
- Yes, but I also think that there are so many bad things
happening in the world because people haven’t found anything
they like or they hate their jobs. Then they have to go and do
crazy stuff because they are not comfortable with themselves.
Is it still fun to play live after all these years?
- Yes, as I said this is something I’ve always wanted to do.
And the most important thing is that you really play live. I mean
many of the kids today have not seen a live show. Some of the
bands mime through their whole set. You’re charging the
people for a live show but you don’t give them a live show.
To me that’s wrong, there is just so much out there that
isn’t live. In England we have bands like Steps and S Club
7. Do you know them?
Yeah, I’ve heard of them.
- So all these kids go to see live show and it’s fantastic!
There’s nothing any different than they’ve heard at
home. There’s no mistakes, it doesn’t slow down it
doesn’t speed up, it doesn’t get quieter it is just a
record. So all these kids have not seen a live show. You’ve
seen a live show. A lot of kids in Europe and America have not
seen a live show. They don’t know. I think one of the joys
in a live show is that you hear all the little things like,
"oops, he played wrong there" and so on. When it’s
like a record at home you can’t take part in it.
If you look at the line-up in Sweden Rock Festival, what kind of
reception are you waiting for?
- I don’t know, I mean I’m not sure if we fit in this.
It often depends on other bands. In some places we sound rocky
but compared with these we sound like ti-di-di-di… but we do
what we do and hopefully someone will like us. [his worries were
useless, they rocked big time and the crowd was really with
them]. I don’t know, we could die in our ass tonight it
could be the worst show we’ve ever done, I have no idea. But
that’s another thing that keeps you going. You’re not
sure whether you’re gonna be as good as last night. Last
night was good but you can’t be sure if tonight will be. And
usually when there’s a lot of pressure that it’s gonna
be a good show tonight, it doesn’t work. Sometimes then
there are show that you don’t wanna play but when you play
the show it turns out great. It would be great if you could play
your best shows in front of the biggest audiences. It
doesn’t work like that.
Does it make any difference if there’s a hundred people or
if there’s 50 000 people?
- It does make a difference, but then sometimes when there’s
only a few people you go WOW, that was good! And then it’s
frustrating that there weren’t any more people to see you be
that good. And then sometimes when there’s a 100 000 people
you go "we’re gonna be good" but no. I don’t
know what it is. I think if we knew what it is, and I think
that’s why there are so many mimed bands around these days,
that people don’t know what it actually is that makes it
work. Some nights good and some bad. Same show, same band, same
crew, what happened!? You don’t know and that’s what
makes you try it again and again. But then there are these mimes.
How was it? The same as last night. How is it going to be
tomorrow? The same as the day before…
Yeah, maybe some dance steps were different…
- But it doesn’t sound any different. I know, the dance
steps… they rehearse them for months! That would really piss
me off! To be told that I’d had to dance in a particular
way…
Can’t imagine you doing that… and you are doing your
own thing, but they are doing something they were told to do.
- Which is sad really. But that’s the way music industry is
at the moment and we all keep thinking that there’s gonna be
a change, there’ll be a backlash. But I don’t know. And
if those kids have never seen a live show how can they tell the
difference. If you’ve seen a live show you can tell it. Even
if the lip sync is really good you can see something is wrong
there.
Francis then headed to continue his exercise. He is nice,
friendly man and as I said they did a great show. And they played
LIVE!
Status symbol Liverpool Echo 25-07-2003
FRANCIS ROSSI says he is looking forward to coming back to 'the
tent' as Status Quo affectionately call the Summer pops venue.
"We were well pleased to hear that we were playing there
again. It's a big Liverpool gig for us and there's always a
fantastic crowd.
"The last time we played there we all agreed it was the best
date on that tour. We didn't know what to expect but soon got
into the atmosphere.
"Of course I have a lot of affinity with Liverpool with my
grannie coming from there, from Crosby. I was only talking today
about how gran used to give local train drivers half a crown tip
if they were good. They didn't get anything if she didn't' rate
them."
Quo will be playing material from their vast back-catalogue of 31
albums and 58 singles tomorrow night.
They are regarded as one of the hardest-working bands in the
business with a solid fan base across Europe.
"We do care about all our fans - that is why we go out so
much on the road to go and see them," says Francis.
"We all love the job. I remember playing to a stadium full
of 35,000 fans in a heavy metal line-up that included Metallica.
There was this great feeling of seeing so many people in one
place having a rocking, fun time. "I still get a tingle in
my stomach when I am ready to go on. I'll never lose that and I
know Rick feels the same."
Rick Parfitt is the other original member of the band. They are
joined by Andrew Bown, John Cerhino Edwards and Matt Letley.
"At Liverpool we will be doing a lot of stuff from our last
album, Heavy Traffic, which I believe is our best work to
date," adds Francis.
"I am genuinely amazed that we have all age groups who come
to see us. I look out some times and see people who have grown up
with us and who now bring their own kids."
Being in Quo he says is a labour of love. That is why they will
give themselves a two-week holiday later in the year and then get
back on the road with another trek, this time called The Riffs
which will be the title of their next album.
There will be a gig at Southport in November and the Philharmonic
in December.
Says Francis: "I was lying down the other day in between
gigs and I heard all these guitars and drums going on in the
background during a loud soundcheck. It was music to my ears. It
got me in the mood to get back on stage.
"Like I say, I know that tingle in my stomach will never go
away."
Band sought to go with the Quo
The search is on for a Jersey band to support Status Quo when
they perform in the island next month. The lucky group will have
the chance to warm up Quo fans for the show at Fort Regent. The
legendary rockers are one of the most successful and enduring
British bands. They are performing at Fort Regent on 23 July.
Address for demo tapes: On Stage Events, Unit 9, St Peters
Technical Park, St Peter, Jersey, JE3 7NZ.
And they have agreed to allow Jersey bands to support them.
Promoter Paul Couser says it is a great opportunity.
"They've agreed to let us use a local support band to
perform alongside them when they're playing over here in the
islands," said Mr Couser "It's so nice that some of
these legendary bands, the real big boys, are prepared to give
the local musicians a chance."
After bands have sent in a demo tape, a short list will be drawn
up which will be whittled down to find the support act following,
an audition on 5 July.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Status Quo confirm outdoor gig
Veteran rock band Status Quo will play their first ever outdoor
gig in Scotland next month. Guitarist Rick Parfitt said he
expected a "great gig" at the Knockhill racing circuit
in Fife on Saturday, 23 August. It will be the first time a music
concert has been held at the venue, which can hold up to 10,000
fans. Parfitt said he, lead singer Francis Rossi and the rest of
the band were looking forward to playing in front of a
"feisty" Scottish crowd.
'On the map'
He said: "This is the first time we have played outdoors in
Scotland in the summer and, weather permitting, it should be a
great gig. Generally, Scottish audiences have always been a very
feisty lot and Quo over the years have become very popular up
here. Hopefully people will like this venue and we can put it on
the map so that more people will come here in the future."
Status Quo will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2005.
The band have had 58 British hit singles, the first in 1968,
including Rockin' All Over The World, Whatever You Want and Down
Down.
Parfitt said: "We see ourselves as the people's band because
we always go to the people, out on tour. I certainly hope that we
will keep going, and as long as we are fit, we will do it."
Knockhill, which used to be a sheep farm, has been a race circuit
since 1974.
Owner Derek Butcher, 53, said: "We are very excited - it's a
great opportunity for us and it's the first music festival we've
ever had."
The opening act at the event will be a new rock band chosen from
a 'Battle of the Bands' competition running this weekend at
venues in Glasgow, Dundee, Dunfermline and Edinburgh.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Status Quo
Although Deep Purple are billed as headliner, Quo-shirts dominate
the crowd by far. Both in attendance and audience participation
Status Quo prove to be the main act of the festival. The choice
of songs in the set was very predictable. A true greatest hit
show with only two songs from the new album Heavy Traffic and two
medleys.
The new songs "All Stand Up" and "Creeping Up On
You" fit in very well and prove that Quo’s new
(re)found rock approach works. Especially "All Stand
Up" received a big cheer from the audience. To play a
hits-only set on a festival like this is understandable but the
two medleys were clearly less successful. Why play a medley of
older album tracks and less known singles, instead of playing one
entire song? I’m sure it would have been more appreciated.
The rock ‘n’ roll medley they played as an encore
caused people to walk away before the show even finished. But
apart from the lack of surprises it was a good show. Tighter than
most other bands of the festival and full of energy and drive.
(Review: Walter de Korver)
