Don't Remember Seeing This Photo

Who are they? Any good?

From the 1981 tour?

Photo taken 23 March 1981

January 1981. 'Quo British tour', 'Quo sold out', 'Quo add dates' headlines the English press. The color is announced. Finally, Status Quo is back! If there is a group that is making the headlines in rock news, at the start of this year, it is Quo! During this time, the training is intensely trained for almost three weeks, first at the Nomis studio in London and then at the Odeon theater in Kilburn, in the southern suburbs of the English capital. It is therefore on March 6, 1981 at the Coliseum in St Austell, that this tour entitled 'Never too late tour' is scheduled to begin. The set-list proposed and which will be the same throughout the tour is as follows: Caroline, Roll over lay down, Backwater, Little lady, Don't drive my car, Whatever you want, Hold you back, Something ' bout you baby I like, Rocking all over the world, Over the edge, What you're proposing, In my chair, Dirty water, Forty five hundred times, Big fat mama, Don't waste my time, Roadhouse blues, Rain, Down down and Bye bye Johnny. The British concerts in March will also be entitled to Rock'n'roll. This title does not meet an extraordinary success in concert and is excluded from the set-list, from the first continental concert in Rouen, March 24, 1981.



This impressive tour of sixty-six dates can be considered a special tour for several reasons. First of all, it marks the return of Status Quo to the stage after more than twenty-one months of absence, their last stage appearance dating from July 1, 1979 at the Dublin festival. Then, it is the first round of Rick Parfitt since the death of his small Heïdi in August 1980 and the last of John Coghlan. 'At first, everyone spoke to me with gloves. I had discussed it with Marietta and she felt that the best thing for me was to work again. She was right because this tour really saved me. ' Finally, because it is the first tour which aims to promote two albums, both: 'just supposin' and 'Never too late'


It is also the first tour organized by Iain Jones who replaces Bob Young here. Francis Rossi seems satisfied to see Jones directing the tours of Status Quo. Lancaster's explanation: 'It was Francis who chose Jones as his tour manager. I didn't really appreciate it. There was something about him that I didn't like without knowing how to say what. However, I thought I didn't have to judge him and that he was probably a good guy. It is obvious that Francis and Iain became great friends at the same time as the latter became our tour manager and that caused even more friction within the group '. In addition, the tour is announced as increasingly persistent separation rumors feed the most pessimistic fans. Rick Parfitt reassures all these little people at the dawn of starting the tour by declaring: 'We haven't worked for more than 18 months but we are all happy. It helps to have success and a new hit. I do not remember how many times, seriously, I said to myself, I have had enough, I stop, I leave the group. But the next day was forgotten. I would be lost without the group, this is my life. Not only the group but the fans too. And then our relationships within the group have never been so good. ' This extract taken from the English press has something to appease fans who already see themselves orphans of their favorite group. It helps to have success and a new hit. I do not remember how many times, seriously, I said to myself, I have had enough, I stop, I leave the group. But the next day was forgotten. I would be lost without the group, this is my life. Not only the group but the fans too. And then our relationships within the group have never been so good. ' This extract taken from the English press has something to appease fans who already see themselves orphans of their favorite group. It helps to have success and a new hit. I do not remember how many times, seriously, I said to myself, I have had enough, I stop, I leave the group. But the next day was forgotten. I would be lost without the group, this is my life. Not only the group but the fans too. And then our relationships within the group have never been so good. ' This extract taken from the English press has something to appease fans who already see themselves orphans of their favorite group. inside the group have never been better. ' This extract taken from the English press has something to appease fans who already see themselves orphans of their favorite group. inside the group have never been better. ' This extract taken from the English press has something to appease fans who already see themselves orphans of their favorite group.






In order to carry out its mission which is to give well being to the fans, the group repeats a lot because a year and a half without playing together brings its share of musical problems and inconsistency. 'We rehearsed for a few weeks, I'm not sure how long, but certainly not enough. In addition, it is very difficult to repeat as we do. I quickly had sore wrists and arms, 'says Rossi. On December 21, 1980, it is possible to reserve seats for the first two concerts of St Austell on March 6 and 7, 1981. Rentals for other concerts in Great Britain begin four days before, Wednesday December 17, and quickly the madness takes over the counters, and tickets costing between £ 5 and £ 6.50 are clearly insufficient in number. Faced with such a request, the management of the group is obliged to add a date, March 12, at the Hammersmith in Odeon where two concerts were already initially planned for March 13 and 14. Only six places per person are available only at the Odéon and nowhere else! But the requests are such that it is decided to give a fourth date on March 11. These four evenings are terrible, scorching. The Hammersmith of Odéon is a room where Status Quo feels at home. However, at the end of the last concert, Iain Jones decides to do without the services of practically half of the eighteen roadies that he judges incompetent. The Birmingham Nec concert on March 21 sees all of its seats sold out within a few days. A second concert is therefore planned the next day, where seats can only be reserved by correspondence. But these three additional concerts are clearly insufficient to meet a demand leaving the organizers amazed.



Management is aware that, despite the addition of these dates, many fans will not be able to greet their stars in England but the continental dates have been planned since the beginning of the year and it is impossible to add dates again in March. In February, it was finally decided to give seven more dates in Britain in May. It is in this extraordinary euphoria that, on March 6 at the Coliseum in St Austell, Status Quo inaugurates its new light show specially acquired for this tour. 'And what a return!' headlines the English press. However, the group is grappling with some problems with its new stage material, notably its light show. And then, physically, Status Quo is affected by these twenty-one months of scenic inactivity, the group doesn’t is more prowled. John Coghlan ends the concert with light bulbs in his hands and plays the last three songs with energy. During the following night, Alan Lancaster is plagued by hearing problems while the following morning, Francis Rossi struggles to get up because of aches.




22,000 people attend the last two concerts at the NEC in Birmingham on March 21 and 22. Two days later, Status Quo begins the mainland of its tour in Rouen. The group visits various European countries, gives, among other things, thirteen dates in France and fifteen in Germany. Eight dates are given in Italy where Status Quo hopes to conquer this chilly market which has somewhat wriggled with 'Whatever you want' and 'What you're proposing'. The group gives its first concerts in Portugal and is victim of serious incidents at the time of the concert of Rome where a flaming torch reaches Parfitt of full force. The band, unanimous, decides to stop the performance after Lancaster was threatening with a photographer, using his bass. 'It was very dangerous to play there. There were 5. 000 people inside and 3,000 outside who wanted to enter without paying. 'We will not pay for music' they claimed. Some managed to enter and one of them set fire to a towel wrapped in paper. He threw it towards us and reached Rick. So we left the stage, 'says Rossi. The group ends the mainland of its tour with nine French dates before giving its seven additional British concerts.



Unfortunately, the voice of Parfitt, who gives himself without limit to each concert, did not resist all these concerts, evening after evening. It is Lancaster and Rossi who assist him in singing but on May 30, in Chester, his two companions are obliged to take charge of Rick's vocal repertoire, the latter having become voiceless. Despite these surges of solidarity, it is easy to see that the group has aged badly since 1979, the year of its last scenic exhibitions. Parfitt is diminished, mentally and physically. He has not fully recovered from his knee problems but to satisfy his many fans, the man draws on his last strength. Rossi no longer feels this joy of playing except he was however still two years earlier and does not show any jubilation to be with others as evidenced by the ceremony of presentation of the gold records, in Rouen, where he is surprisingly absent subscribers. The two guitarists are inside, undeniably. Coghlan feels less and less concerned. Alone, Lancaster is equal to itself but in its role of heavy bass player, it is not he who triggers the joy of living on stage. Despite the reassuring declarations of the group, the agreement is not in good shape and a certain discord is palpable in particular between John Coghlan and Francis Rossi. Not very confident in his drummer, it is not uncommon, during this tour, to see Rossi, after the soundcheck, stealthily infiltrate on stage in order to check if the skins of the drums are correctly stretched. The two hardly speak to each other anymore and John gives his last concert with Status Quo on June 3 at the Gaumont theater in Southampton. This tour will have brought together more than 250,000 people




Rick & Francis on stage at Glasgow's Apollo 1981

For some reason, someone in Quo quarters thought it would be jolly good fun to do an updated repeat of the band n' gear panoramic photo from a few years before.

Had been to the see the band at the NEC in '81. Can't remember now if it had been the Saturday or Sunday gig. I do remember though that I drove with my sister, some distance, to get to meet up with my brother who had just moved to Milton Keynes.

The 3 of us then had to catch a Quo coach with other Quo fans from MK to get to the NEC, possibly part of the ticket deal. Fairly sure the coach had been almost full by the time it reached us, so must have been picking up fans en route. I can still remember how quiet the streets had been as MK was a brand new town back then.   

Great Article. Just before my time, so I never saw it. I was going to ask to Those who Know ...

Who is that on the far right?
Who is the showoff in mirror shades?
Who turned his back just as the shutter clicked?
Why does it say 25 when 20 was the year after?
And
Where's Bob Young?

But the article answered a couple of these ...

I must say I totally agree with Alan. [Did he really say that? It sounds like him ... ]

Oh OK it's not the article! I thought it was a bit too long and interesting for the Mirror