Quo-Vers Return

Status Quo are currently celebrating an amazing 40 years at the musical coal face and have never been busier. Not only do they have a new album in the shops – aptly titled The Party Ain’t Over Yet – but have just appeared as themselves in Coronation Street. They also star in their own career spanning 2-DVD set – that charts their history from psychedelic pop stars singing Pictures Of Matchstick Men (1968) to the hard rocking boogie band that laid down classic albums like Piledriver (1972), Quo (1973), Rocking All Over The World (1977) and a vast number of hit singles. Ian Shirley trades riffs with rhythm guitar king Rick Parfitt (above left) about their recent activity.

This 40th Anniversary year seems to be an action-packed one for you.

I’ve never known anything like it. At the moment we’re so busy, we’ve not stopped for the best part of the last two months, gigging and doing promo. I suppose it’s good. Let’s hope it carries on.

What was it like appearing in Coronation Street?

It’s been really great fun and we’ve enjoyed every minute of it. We’re not actors and when they told us that they had written us into the script we were somewhat taken aback. Bruce Evans who plays Les Battersby is a Quo fan on screen and in real life and we often joked in the dressing room that it would be nice if they could put us on as a couple of extras in the Rovers.

Were you nervous about acting?

We went into it a little bit frightened, not knowing what it was going to be like. But they were all so lovely; everyone up there was wonderful to us and nursed us through it. The story is very funny, and all a little bit tongue in cheek. It was great fun. I’m sorry it’s over, actually, as we’ve done five or six episodes. It was a new experience for us as we’ve never done anything like that before, and it’s really made a change, as opposed to going out or turning the telly off when you know that Quo …

by Ian Shirley
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