Ratly
Born To Be Wild
Posts: 8
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Post by Ratly on Dec 15, 2015 6:00:05 GMT
It was 39 years ago that my brother couldn't make a Quo gig with his mates and gave me his ticket and I got my first taste of a Status Quo gig.... I was just 14 years young... My brother is older than me and had seen Quo previously as far back as at the Toby Jug pub in Tolworth... But he never went again until Sunday night at the O2 Arena... So here's my brothers gig report 40 years since seeing them...
"I can’t even remember why I could not use the tickets back then?
Seeing the age of some of the other people there made me realise just how long ago it all was. At least half were older than us!
What seemed really weird was seeing some people being helped up and down the stairs with walking sticks – it was more like seeing grandparents being helped into a panto!
But it was a good night.
Being a Sunday there was the usual rail works over the weekend, so we drove to the O2.
That worked out better than going by train and we got there and back really easily.
With so many hits, we knew all the songs they played and it was a great atmosphere.
It was not a sell-out, but probably 90% full.
Its a shame they are not doing something April/May next year when you are over.
The support was somebody called Wilko Johnson – he wasn’t brilliant and had a really basic set – bit like a band from down the pub.
Apparently he is more famous now for beating cancer (they gave him 6 months to live 2 years ago) than as an artist."
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Post by snakelady on Dec 15, 2015 7:10:46 GMT
Why didn't he return any sooner (end of 70s/ early 80s ..) ? A few cute observations - the guys with walking sticks will have been the adults he met at the mid-70s gigs headbanging and jumping. It's mainly when we look at others that we tend to think 'how old he looks now'. - And Wilko, yep indeed .. I had never heard about the guy before he came to support Quo and whether he'd actually live to do the gigs with his cancer threat - but good for him he's still alive ..
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Ratly
Born To Be Wild
Posts: 8
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Post by Ratly on Dec 15, 2015 8:05:26 GMT
Why didn't he return any sooner (end of 70s/ early 80s ..) ? A few cute observations - the guys with walking sticks will have been the adults he met at the mid-70s gigs headbanging and jumping. It's mainly when we look at others that we tend to think 'how old he looks now'. - And Wilko, yep indeed .. I had never heard about the guy before he came to support Quo and whether he'd actually live to do the gigs with his cancer threat - but good for him he's still alive .. He says he can't remember... I can... He had recently met his now wife and gigging and stuff went right out the window.... Sitting in a bath of cold water with his Levi's on trying to shrink fit them to nice shirts and strides over night almost.... His wife booked the tickets for his birthday, otherwise I don't think he would have gone on Sunday...? But its funny how he used the term "Panto" even though he would have known nothing about the "Panto Quo" tag the band has had in recent years....
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Post by seagullpete on Dec 15, 2015 9:00:57 GMT
Interesting that Wilko isn't as well known as I would have thought amongst Quo fans. He has been one of my favourite guitarists since the 70s with his unusual guitar style and on stage persona. Look up his videos from the Dr Feelgood era and you'll see what I mean. To me seeing Wilko as support was right up there with Quo. Norman Watt Roy, formerly with the Blockheads is an amazing bass player, and I thought him and Dylan Howe on drums were really tight. As musicians I would say they both outrank Rhino and Leon. Anyway, if you haven't heard of Wilko and Dr Feelgood, give them a listen, I reckon you might just like them!
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Post by snakelady on Dec 15, 2015 15:19:29 GMT
Well, when he used the term panto he talked about the audience - so maybe it was the same age range ?From my perspective the term used in connection with music is wrong anyway. A pantomime here (and in most parts of the world) means that no sounds whatsoever are involved ..
@ seagullpete: I remember Dr. Feelgood had one single charting with Milk And Alcohol. Good song, but not that outstanding - and I'd not have known the members of what appeared to be a one-hit-wonder. Never heard of the other two musicians either .. Last time Quo played here we had Lou Gramm supporting. That was great indeed and I knew every single song he and his band played apart from the first.
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Post by seagullpete on Dec 15, 2015 18:42:40 GMT
Milk and Alcohol was actually after Wilko left. Back in the Night and Roxette are prob Dr Feelgoods best known songs. I guess if you find a band you like you assume that others know them too, but I haven't heard of Lou Gramm! Guess I need to look him up! One of the best gigs I ever saw was Wilko in a small hot sweaty club in Tunbridge Wells, just 150 people all standing and loving it.
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Post by snakelady on Dec 16, 2015 9:02:25 GMT
Milk and Alcohol was actually after Wilko left. Back in the Night and Roxette are prob Dr Feelgoods best known songs. I guess if you find a band you like you assume that others know them too, but I haven't heard of Lou Gramm! Guess I need to look him up! One of the best gigs I ever saw was Wilko in a small hot sweaty club in Tunbridge Wells, just 150 people all standing and loving it. Lou Gramm was the voice of Foreigner when they had all their hits in the 70s and 80s. I'm not such a big fan of the ballads, but they had a few good rock songs too. Best known are probably Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded and Juke Box Hero and from the ballads I Wanna Know What Love Is. Dr. Feelgood may well have been bigger in the UK than on the continent (or maybe they simply escaped me ..) - but I've never heard of those two songs.
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Post by seagullpete on Dec 16, 2015 18:48:53 GMT
Ah, now you say Foreigner I know who you mean! I don't think Dr Feelgood did much outside the UK. Try searching for Oil City Confidential on youtube to see mire of Canvey Islands finest.
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Post by snakelady on Dec 17, 2015 6:15:25 GMT
Ah, now you say Foreigner I know who you mean! I don't think Dr Feelgood did much outside the UK. Try searching for Oil City Confidential on youtube to see mire of Canvey Islands finest. Just checked out the trailer - looks very 60s/70s working class - not sure if their posing as super tough guys is to be taken serious Probably best described by the line 'they were punk before punk'. Might check out a few more songs ..
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