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(from scrapbook 2, page 57)

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THEY DON'T COME CLOSE

STATUS QUO
Wembley Arena
By Robin Smith

NO ONE has even come close to invading these old tarts' special (sic) territory.

It was a show that's tattooed itself on my memory even with Rick Parfitt smitten by a throat infection and the rest of the line up still shakey from its after - effects - so that Lancaster wound up handling a great share of the vocals. Strange but true, the lad even began to sound like Rush's Geddy Lee on half screech.

Largely the show was a greatest hits package, starting with the crusty old standard 'Sweet Caroline.' Parfitt savaging his guitar and beginning to sweat like a bull with a red rag two inches in front of its eyes.

You might have seen the Quo style a dozen times before but it's still instantaneous. It isn't exactly mentally demanding but one listen and you're caught like a wriggling fish on the end of a large hook.

'Roll Over Lay Down' led to the first serious outbreak of community singing and Quo followed it up with a stealthily delivered 'Something 'Bout You Baby I Like' and 'Rockin' All Over The World. The sound was impeccable throughout although I reckon keyboards player Andy Bown got lost in the mix several times. Cavernous Wembley can usually reduce anyone to a resounding blurb of echo but Quo filled the place with power and balance.

But nothing's perfect and there were just a few niggling negative points like the band's glorified jam session which turned my ears inside out and a selection of nasty little notes that did bad things to my stomach. I was too much of a gross - out, but the crowd loved it warts and all.

I left happy with the notes of 'Down Down' blazing into the Wembley night, in a nutshell, the show was 90 percent bloody marvellous.