FRANCIS ROSSI - TUNES AND CHAT THE KING’S HALL, HERNE BAY Friday 20th October 2023

There’s no Mick Wall to pose the questions this time, but it’s apparent that Rossi doesn’t really need any prompts. He talks freely and has seemingly gained confidence in this format, pacing the stage like a comedian and doing his best to pick out faces in the crowd. He laughs at himself and points out his tendency to ‘snort’ when he finds something particularly amusing; in fact, we’re encouraged to count the snorts as the evening progresses. He tells us he’s been asked to avoid overrunning, but does a terrible job, falling behind almost immediately! Not that there’ll be any complaints; as Francis rightly points out, who’s going to moan about the show going on for too long?! 

Rossi is joined on stage by guitarist (and current Quo guitar tech) Andy Brook, who also provides perfect vocal harmonies from Pictures of Matchstick Men to Caroline via Claudie and What You’re Proposing. It seems a bit odd to describe a man who is part of one of the most successful bands of all time as underrated, but there is a case for Rossi not really getting the recognition he deserves, both as a guitarist and a singer. It strikes me that his voice is still remarkably strong, unchanged by the passing of the years. He mentions the struggles of being in his ‘mid-50s’ (ha!), the confusion he feels when walking past a mirror and the sense that his ‘face is falling off’, but this 74 year old should rest easy knowing he puts many of his contemporaries to shame. 

Similarly, the criticism that it is thrown so freely at Status Quo tends to comes from those who don’t know the band particularly well. Rossi acknowledges the well-worn description of them as a ‘three-chord band’ but points out there are many others who are lauded for doing much the same thing. And, as the set-list highlights, there is more diversity in the catalogue than you might realise. Rossi admits that he loves a shuffle, an upbeat sound that brings people together, and there’s plenty of that, but Gerdundula is something of an anomaly with its quirky twin guitar, and the slow blues of In My Chair is quite unlike any of Quo’s better known hits. 

There are, of course, many opportunities to sing, but Francis makes a good point about the chorus of Burning Bridges… I feel sure I know the words to the chorus until I get there, and realise that beyond ‘on and off and on again’, I’m stumped! Turns out I’m not the only one. We all do a bit better with Nanana and Rockin’ All Over the World, and it’s truly a joy to hear these songs so stripped back. I can’t remember which song we’re encouraged to do our best ‘Marc Bolan’, but it’s a lot of fun; the warmth that Rossi exudes making it feel like he’s engaging with every person in the room.  

There’s a brief question and answer session towards the end, Brook reading questions from cards submitted by the audience. We find out that Rossi’s favourite Disney film is probably The Jungle Book (though he likes all of them), and that he feels his greatest achievement is to still be doing what he loves. He repeatedly references the ‘novelty’ of doing these shows and the enjoyment that he gets from them. A man gets up and pleads with Francis “I’ve loved you all my life, can I have your waistcoat?”, proceeding to remove his own, presumably to broker a trade. It’s a nice try, but Francis isn’t having it. Another audience member seizes their moment and shouts out, “I’ve loved you all my life, can I have your guitar?!” (In case you’re uncertain, he was also turned down!).

The self appointed GOMOR (that’s Grand Old Man of Rock) is never short of a story, but it wouldn’t be right to reveal them all here. With many dates still left on the tour, it’s not too late to catch Rossi when he hits your town. Tonight’s show in Herne Bay is, deservedly, a sell out - and it’s hard to imagine anyone leaving without feeling like they’ve experienced something truly special.