GIG NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY
Who
The main question mark was when proceedings would start, as the only time given on the ticket was 7:30pm, so I guessed this was when the doors opened. However, "old people" concerts follow a different logic, and indeed this was the time when the support band started. Fortunately we had arrived early after a super-quick tea and got inside quickly. The venue was excellent, large enough to be an arena but small enough to have good views all round and an almost intimate atmosphere. Also the crowd was impressively young, with at least as many youngsters as oldies. Status Quo are defined by their own unique style so their coolness is pretty independent of wider trends and fashions! Firstly we picked up some flyers and checked out the stylish merchandise before we went to our seats. Considering how early we'd purchased tickets it was very disappointing to be seated at the extreme left of the row but it was just about adequate and we were in place when Manfred Mann's Earth Band took to the stage. I spent most of the set trying to figure out which one was Manfred Mann, eventually learning that he wasn't the aged guitarist but the quiet keyboardist who looked impossibly young. His band had a black soulesque sound and bore no resemblance at all to his original group. Their name was obviously a blatant attempt to generate attention so they had some nerve to happily trade in on his name yet have little interest in playing their hit. After some overblown songs which were rarely engaging, a crowd sing-along rendition of the chorus of Do Wah Diddy Diddy was performed, but I found dismissing their only song of any fame as a mid-set joke to be downright arrogant, almost as bad as just not playing it! A few people behind us seemed to have knowledge of their songs and were going mad to them but I found it all too mediocre for my liking, and the excitement levels were reflected by the band as they all sat down for one tune!
After Manfred Mann's Earth Band finished their thing, the video screen went into Quo mode and showed stills from their greatest hits album artwork and, surprise surprise, they took to the stage before 9pm with an energetic Caroline! Immediately everyone stood up and, knowing that this would be a fast and furious show, I knew we wouldn't have much of a chance to sit down again, making me wonder why they'd bothered laying all the seats out in the first place! They utilised the video screen throughout but this was all about the simple and repetitive pleasures of their riffage! The Wanderer was an early highlight but perhaps isn't as good as the Dennis Wilson version, then the set settled down into mid-size hits which were catchy enough to keep our attention. I particularly loved the moments when Parfitt and Rossi stood together and rocked back and forth in classic Quo style and there was no sign of any friction between them. They effortlessly alternated lead vocals, harmonising on occasion, and exhibited so much energy that I couldn't believe that Rick Parfitt had undergone a quadruple heart bypass in 1997. It's a shame that this was a seated show with the family, as being able to join a moshpit would have made this perfect. Not being in a proper crowd made you spot the slight weaknesses in the sound quality and stopped me from properly losing myself in the songs. Francis Rossi in particular was in a mood for banter, politely asking that an inflatable flower being waved about be taken down as it was distracting, and getting the venue to shout and do Mexican waves in unison. What You're Proposing is one of my favourites but was cut cruelly short as part of a medley. I could say similar about Pictures Of Matchstick Men which was accompanied by nostalgic photos and animated matchstick men but, given the extreme age of this classic, I guess we were lucky that they were playing it at all.
Even better was the lovely Ice In The Sun but latter day hit In The Army Now was equally outstanding, featuring a military video and being hopelessly infectious. Indeed they played every hit you could have asked for, the worst omission being their hardly essential take on Fun, Fun, Fun. Due to their somewhat repetitive sound, the medleys went down a treat as the songs blended so well into each other and even the section introduced as the "slow songs" was too engrossing to give us a chance to sit down. Throughout the show there were pockets of moshing and rowdiness, contained by the duller nature of sit-down concerts, but all the true gold had been saved for the end. Firstly we had the simple pleasures of Down Down before a glorious romp through Whatever You Want. Just when I thought they'd exit the stage and give us time to catch a breath they then launched into Rockin' All Over The World, an immortal classic which ended the main set! This was now the point when everyone started shouting for an encore but I thought what possible gain there could be in their returning onstage. They surprised me by returning for Burning Bridges, a classic I barely knew at the time but which in fact is the catchiest song they've ever done, and it was greeted by a proper moshpit from those in the best seats! They then finished with a glorious medley which took in Bye Bye Johnny to much applause. Surprisingly, they then pumped new single It's Christmas Time over the P.A. and played its video as they bowed and waved us goodbye. It was an interesting alternative to simply playing it which I quite enjoyed! Status Quo will never win many awards for variety and, if I were to listen to their back catalogue in depth, no doubt I'd consider it patchy and inconsistent. However they proved to be a first rate live band and their unique style is loved by (almost) all. My Dad said it was the best birthday present ever and I enjoyed both the show and the general trip to Cardiff. This was a winner and, when Quo pulled out of the Stoke-on-Trent show I had tickets for in 2009, at least I knew I'd seen them at their best already, which cushioned that disappointment!
Mark: 8.5/10
Status Quo
Support
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Where
Cardiff International Arena
When
20th December 2008
Price
£31.50
Who with
Mum, Dad, Alex
Position
Seated, towards the left
Comments
I purchased tickets for this a hefty six months in advance as a 60th birthday present for my Dad. At the time I had no idea where I'd be or what I'd be doing in December so it was a bit of a commitment to make. We decided to travel to a city and see a band, other gigs suggested being Elton John, Jools Holland or Madness. However Status Quo were head and shoulders above the other options and Cardiff was a pretty appealing city to visit. Indeed the main element of risk was not knowing how bad the weather would be, but fortunately this was a few weeks before the cold British weather hit us! In fact it was dry and mild for most of the weekend. Status Quo seem to spend most of their time touring, stepping up from small venues to arena tours to celebrate Christmas. 2008 coincided with their 40th anniversary greatest hits album so any doubt about them "playing the hits" was minimal. Also everyone I mentioned the show to seemed supremely impressed that I was seeing the Quo. There's just something so appealing about their simple but great style! I made things hard on myself by not purchasing the greatest hits until a week or so beforehand, but I managed to assimilate it much quicker than usual and built up a reasonable working knowledge of their back catalogue. Indeed, the whole trip went beautifully, as I got the days off work without problems, planned my packing and a shortlist of attractions without a hitch and the hotel was excellent. The days before the Quo were busily spent, taking in the famous Brains Bridge, the National Museum Of Wales, Cardiff Castle, some shopping, the Doctor Who exhibition, the stunning Llandaff Cathedral (which was quite a walk!) and the futuristic Cardiff Bay area. This was where our hotel was and, as well as the Roald Dahl Norwegian Church and a groovy miniature map of Cardiff, it was blessed with a super-regular rail link to the centre, making gig transportation a non-issue.
