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(from scrapbook 1, pages 50-51)

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QUO - THREE CHORD WONDERS (AND WE LOVE 'EM!)

The essence of Quo music is Simplicity. Raw, rough and basic. Three chord wonders and 12 bar blues boys. But make no mistake - their legions of fans love every repetitive riff of it.

BUT why are they so big... so huge? How come they didn't get knocked just a little bit by the New Wave? The answer is of course that the Quo contingent doesn't welcome change. And Quo certainly haven't done that - not one iota over their 16 year history.

But despite their carefully worked-out down-to-earth image - faded jeans, a drink with the lads, loonin' about - Quo are most definitely in the Superstar League. Like their more pretentious contemporaries they've gone through all the hassles that being a Rock Superstar entails.

All four Quo members are tax exiles.

At least one of their number has been through the compulsory messy divorce whilst Rick Parfitt's recent unspecified personal problems are rumoured to have stemmed from the fact that he only wears T-shirts and denims even in mid winter - even bionic bands get chronic arthritis.

Also it's no secret that off the road (which they were for eight months of last year) they hardly saw each other more than once or twice - not the best publicity for a band with an 'all great mates together' image.

But if divided they do tend to fall a little bit apart there's no doubt that united they stand - the formidable people's band - the one that the fans can really relate to. And of course really get off to.

And there's really no doubt that however hard you try to write this lot off you can't. They simply won't go away. Fully paid up members of The BOF's club they may be, but their British tour early this year was undoubtedly their most successful ever. So it grows and so it grows and where'll they'll grow to nobody knows.

So onto their second British appearance this year - Reading - Mecca of all festivals.

The audience a seething mass of Quo T-Shirts, badges, jeans (blue for you, Quo of course), loon pants (eh?) and all the other outdated trappings of a Quo crowd. All the poor unfortunates that preceded Quo on the bill were treated to the football chant for our headbanging heroes.

And as usual Quo came, played and conquered. It was as easy as that.

So you watch the band for half an hour just to see if there's any changes, any musical development and of course there isn't. They rocked and boogied their way through all the standards in the customary heads-down position. The crowd went wild in the customary manner and both band and fans went home happy.

The secret of Quo's magic is their instant identification With the crowd. They piston-pumped out all the riffs the fans wanted to hear playing on their loyalty and building up to frenetic climax of pure noise.

So how long can they carry on? Seemingly forever. Their new album If You Can't Stand The Heat will undoubtedly go platinum and so probably will their next.

Simple music - simple success.

You can't knock it.