ShareStatus Quo performing their Last Night Of The Electrics Tour with special guests REO Speedwagon at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Thursday 8th December 2016
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Francis Rossi has been with Status Quo since it changed its name from Traffic Jam in 1967, and Rick Parfitt has been with him for most of that time. But it was the Dublin musician Richie Malone that graced the stage of The Motorpoint Arena last night after Parfitt announced that he was taking a break from touring to recuperate after suffering another heart attack earlier this year.
Starting the evening off with a raucous bang was American rock band REO Speedwagon, who is no stranger to success after notching up over 40 million record sales. Delighting this crowd with the likes of Keep Pushin’ and Time For Me To Fly, it was their massive hits Can’t Fight This Feeling and Keep On Loving You that showcased Cronin’s excellent vocals and had the crowd singing along.
Next up were the veterans, and whilst not wanting to kick a dog whilst it is down, Status Quo is simply not the same without the duo fronting the stage as they have done for so many years. With Malone bringing excellent guitar playing skills to the set, and John ‘Rhino’ Edwards having more responsibility on the vocals, Parfitt’s white trainers were huge to fill.
Still managing to entertain, they walked on stage and flew straight into classic Quo tracks, Caroline, The Wanderer and Something ‘Bout You Baby I Like, and this crowd were immediately on their feet. There was a great medley of What You’re Proposing, Down The Dustpipe, Wild Side Of Life, Railroad and Again And Again which showcased brilliant team work as well as expected tracks Down Down, Whatever You Want and Rockin’ All Over The World.
Missing Parfitt’s harmonising and closeness with Rossi on stage, they had made the best of a bad job and if truth be told, it wasn’t a bad job at all.
