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MAINTAINING YOUR STATUS
A Quo guide to happiness, health and endless vitality

RIGHT GENTLEMEN could we please have your heads down, hair in your eyes. That's it, now after three could you shake your heads from side to side. One, two, three.

Fine, fine. Right now, if you start playing imaginary guitars like we rehearsed that'll be really nice. And close your eyes... excellent. Now then, if you up there in Tadcaster, yes you. If you could smash up a few chairs, that's it really wreck 'em.

Oh, that was very good. Now, anything we've forgotten? No, don't think so. No... good... right.

Ladies and gentlement, a Status Quo feature.

Quo drummer doesn't think much of groupies: "Most of the chicks that hang about are old dogs, and you just end up catching the pox anyway." Got you reading have we? Good 'cos that's the only naughty disclosure you're going to get. This feature don't go much on smutty talk, it is a clean, healthy vitamin E soaked piece, ozzing with Terry Woganisms and informative keep-fit tips. So all your forty-a-dayers start (or stop) here.

For a band like Quo who get through all that leaping about, both in the charts and on stage, fitness is a word not to be fooled with. So when you see the rugby scrum going down during a number, the band would like it known that such antics are not induced by drink or drugs.

"Nobody takes anything," explained Mr Coghlan, "nobody gets drunk out of their minds when they get on stage, it's just basically looking after ourselves.

"Basically I just have a couple of beers before I go on stage and I'm away", added John. "Francis doesn't drink at all, Rick might have a beer and that's about it really. There's nothing else, nothing we take, we're just an energetic band of boys.

"We might have fat bellies and things (?) you get that when you come off the road and go home for a couple of weeks, but you get back on the road and you've lost it all."

So while Francis Rossi parades a stomach flat enough to grace any page of the Sun, the rest of the band are soon back into their stride, but then the problems start. How to keep those sleek lines and that boundless energy when you're surrounded by mountains of food and drink most of the time, and a stodgy bacon sandwich is only a room service away.

"I think basically you've got to eat the right food," reckoned John. "Actually I'm a bit of a pig. I like steak and salads. They're good for you because they give you...which do help a bit, because a lot of American food is a bit duff.

"When we go to hot countries we usually end up in the pool if we've got a bit of time off for some swimming, then lay out in the sun. It does you good to relax instead of tearing about all the time."

It seems a shame that now the band have reached this level of fitness, that they still mutter "Brendan Foster" in their sleep instead of taking up some sort of recreation... like acrobatics?

"The only acrobatics we practice is falling over after we've had too much to drink after the gig, falling down the stairs or something."

Mr Coghlan would like it known, in the interests of disillusionment, that this sort of thing doesn't happen too often, in fact scarcely ever.

"I like drinking and most drummers do." Hold it, hold it! Look John you're going to destroy the purpose of this feature if you're not careful. "Too much of anything can do you in anyway. I know people who drink too much and do their liver in. I don't want to go that far. I get off on looking after myself." That's better, just remember who's signing the cheque kid.

"The reason we're still going I think is that basically we look after our health. We always eat well when we're at home and we've all got our heads together, we're all married."

Ah yes, marriage. Any rock n' roll widows about?

NO RIFTS

They're very understanding. We always thought about our wives while we were in the band, so they knew what they were letting themselves in for. They complain when we go away for a long time, but it hasn't caused any rifts in any of the marriages yet.

"We took them to Germany for a couple of days once, and Scandanavia. But they get fed up with a bit of touring, always getting in cars and planes. They only have to go a hundred miles and they complain.

"They have never asked us to pack it in, if my wife did I'd say it was too early, we haven't broken America yet, and playing is my life.

"If I had to make a choice between my wife and music I suppose you could always get another wife but you can't always get another successful band, though that's a terrible way to put it. I hope it would never come to that. But we've all got responsibilities at home so we've got to work. That's where the bread and butter comes from".

WELL FED

Not too much bread and butter though, it's very fattening you know. John's wife keeps him well fed from their freezer however with his favourite food like roast beef, a bit of pork and Indian curries.

"There's nothing I basically need to keep me healthy. If I feel tired I'll make sure I get an early night, I usually like to be up at eight or nine in the mornong which is the best part of the day really.

"I know we are a very energetic band. There was a time about two years ago when we were really straining to get into it, work hard to get where we are now, but I've relaxed back a lot now.

"Basically the secret... I suppose, that I've... totally relaxed... zzzzz."

John, JOHN!

Interview: Wendy Hodgson
Translation: Martin Thorpe