My SQ story, yours?

I retrospectively discovered that I had unknowingly and innocently already harboured a curious liking for Quo around the age of 7 - in the fiskadelic years. That will be explained more clearly shortly.

But in essence, it was borrowing (for keeps as it turned out) the Hello album from my older sister where it properly began. My sister was listening to the album with her boyfriend at the time in her room. Liking what I was hearing, and being the brat sibling I was (aged about 13/14), I snooped in and continued listening with them (whether they wanted me there or not).

I then stole took the album and ended up playing and playing it again and again in total fascination. It was rhythmic, powerful and melodic all at the same time, with the added fascination of Francis vocals standing out. I founded this instant young teenage crush on him without, yet, knowing a thing about him. To try and find out more, I took some of my weekly pocket money to look for other albums with my sister as support. We found OTL on that first visit, which would have been the latest album at the time, and, splitting the cost, snapped it up immediately.

At this stage I still hadn't managed to see them on telly, which might seem a surprise - but I had the OTL album sleeve to put faces to voices etc etc.

So, at this stage, both my sister and I were getting hooked. Francis being my favourite, and my sister rather taken by the looks and voice of Alan. Rick was my Mums choice!  Dad was 'meh' and grumpy - and just around to tell us to turn the music down

I now had the extra bonus of having watched TOTP with them on, and actually able to see them playing and  look properly at them for the first time. Plus I had London's Capital Radio on 24/7, especially to listen to the weekly phone-in most requested song hit-line at 5pm. I remember the ROLD EP being in the chart and I made sure I was home from school to check what position it was each day.  

My sister lost interest quickly - aided by getting rather irritated by my obsession with Quo (and especially Francis) and then finally breaking away completely when she started to go out with a new older boyfriend who took her right away from Quo boogie towards prog rock snobbery.

I carried on buying album when I could afford them. Within a few months, I had also accumulated Piledriver, Quo and The Golden Years. And it was the Golden Years that re-awoke the retrospective curiosity of several years back. I suddenly realised that POMM and IITS were by the same band I was now totally hooked on.  So, this served to increase further my obsession with them.

I persuaded Mum to keep letting me grow my hair longer and longer over the next year or so  (on the proviso it was tidy and platted for school) and I sewed some old patches onto my jeans and school bag. I purloined my sisters denim jacket, which she bequeathed to me as it didn't fit her anymore, and this new Quo fan was properly born!

It was to be another two/three years at least before I got to see them Live though. By this time I was studying A levels at college, and had a good circle of music appreciation friends to tap into and persuade to come to a gig with me. This also helped persuade my parents to let me go - security in numbers etc. So, it was the RAOTW tour that was my first live experience. Just..wonderful...and wonderfully deaf afterwards also letsrock I never had to worry about being safe - the Quo army were always (in my experience) the friendliest crowd you could find. The unity of the occasion was as overwhelming as the band on stage and the vibes bouncing from stage to crowd and back to stage again. First night gig became getting tickets for another nights gig..and so it went on. Luckily I had a Saturday job by this time to fund ticket purchases. Lucky too that my Dad was the great guy he was when it came to getting us to and from gigs. Fortunately it wasn't for too long - I passed my driving test a year or so later.

The EOTR tour gigs came and went. I expected to feel sad, but somehow I didn't. I seem to remember being reassured about further albums to come, and somehow was sceptical they would never gig again. Seem to remember some other fans being quietly optimistic also at those final gigs. Of course this proved true, but not quite in the way that might have been expected. It was really weird seeing Rhino (and Jeff). But Rhino especially - just so different to Alan.

I had a lot going on with work, settling down, buying a house etc by then - so went out of the Quo loop for the first time since the mid 70's. I still bought the late 80's albums and tried to put the changes down to changing genres and the times in general.

And carried on pretty much to this day - always remembering the days as described above as the very best