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(from scrapbook 1, page 55)

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Status Quo
HAMMERSMITH

STATUS QUO appeared to blow a few minds at Hammersmith last Friday. What did that audience get off on?

Judging by the denim uniforms and the crowd's own expression of violent solidarity through stomping and chanting, a major factor was Quo's representation of their life style, fictional or otherwise.

Quo certainly achieve an image of basic, man-of-the-people straightforwardness, and idealise the virility and rebellion inherent in yer average guy. But the way they do it is by using the political techniques and shallow showbiz gimmicks that their creation, S. Quo, reviles.

One of these "political" techniques is to polarise the punters. Better to have the adulation of half the people than the respect of 'em all. Thus they recently blew out an interview (rumour has it) leaving the paper concerned to run an embarrassingly lame little piece after promising its readers a major feature.

Wouldn't be right to be seen in Roller territory: an example of obsessive image-consciousness worthy of Tam Paton himself.

Another object of contempt for the Quo everyman is, of course, "Top Of The Pops", that bastion of pop plasticity. When Quo performed "Rain" on TOTP they took the extraordinary step of miming their backing track in front of huge banks of speaker cabinets - ultimate plastic, but a sure-fire image booster for any viewers who might think it live.

They then proceeded to put their TV appearance to even better use by sneering at the programme from the stage. Talk about having your cake and eating it...

So much for the "political" ploys - let's get sat down at the Odeon and admire the showbiz gimmicks. The crowd has already been swaying, chanting, stamping and whistling by turns, as well as regaling us with the national anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone," culled from the Gerry and the Pacemakers songbook. An inappropriate choice, maybe, but they sing it well. However, before they get started on "How Do You Do What You Do To Me"...

Some guy comes on and informs us in stentorian tones that "one of the boys says they're gonna play all fucking night!" This communicates several things: Quo's flouting of conversational etiquette, Quo's disregard for the Establishment (the management), and Quo's value for money. In fact, they finished at normal time, so only the swear word was not token.

The next move is to wander onstage after a suitably lengthy

Continued page 44

Pic: CHALKIE DAVIES

Image caption: ...this one is old and beat-up and has an extra pick-up