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In Botha's Army Now
Quo play Sun City but others fight on against apartheid

ANTI-APARTHEID rock stars are furious that Status Quo have broken the cultural boycott of South Africa by playing Sun City.

Quo played four concerts last month, following Black Sabbath who played there in the summer. They haven't divulged their fee but promoters have previously offered a million dollars a night.

Jerry Dammers, co-ordinator of Artists Against Apartheid, said: "I hope every DJ that plays a Status Quo record and every paper that runs a Black Sabbath advert will remember how they have stupidly allowed themselves to be used by the apartheid propaganda machine."

And Mark Shaw from Then Jerico added a personal touch: "When I was 13 Status Quo were one of my favourite bands and probably one of the reasons I got into rock music. I cannot believe that people can fall so low and so far in my estimation. 'In The Army Now'? They should join the Gestapo."

But Quo remain unrepentant about breaking the boycott. They refused to make any personal comment but their spokesman said: "The band themselves don't feel that refusing to play Sun City will help the coloureds' cause in any way. They do not believe in sanctions which are going to affect people's jobs, both black and white."

He added that the band had been taken wherever they wanted, both officially and unofficially.

"They were extremely impressed and encouraged by what they saw," he said.

Furthermore, the band had purchased a mini-bus for the Temogo School for the mentally handicapped while they were over there and had arranged for all their South African royalties to be donated to a childrens' charity.

Francis Rossi had taken his Asian girlfriend over with him to Sun City and she had encountered no problems while there. And the band estimated that nearly 40 per cent of the audience at their concerts was black, a figure the anti-apartheid lobby finds difficult to believe.

And the number of British acts who break the boycott continues to grow.

At the beginning of the year The Tremeloes, The Equals and The Fortunes went over for the Second festival Of British Rock (sic). The first festival last year featured The Troggs, Marmalade and The Swinging Blue Jeans. And the parade of ageing has-beens has continued through the year with Wishbone Ash and Nazareth.

Their names will be added to the UN "blacklist" register and if they are members of the Musicians Union (which Quo are) then they could face disciplinary proceedings.

However, the stigma can be a continuing inconvenience and is thought to be one reason why acts like Elton John and Queen finally apologised for their actions to the UN and were taken off the blacklist.

Image caption: JERRY DAMMERS claims Quo have been "used by the apartheid propaganda machine".