Status Quo’s classic lineup to reunite for 50th anniversary

The classic Status Quo lineup will reunite for five concerts in March 2013. Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt will be joined by bassist Alan Lancaster and drummer John Coghlan to perform together for the first time in almost 30 years. The returning pair, though, will play no part in Quo’s album and a forthcoming action movie.

The occasion is clear: as with the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones, Status Quo are celebrating their 50th anniversary. The concerts in Glasgow, Manchester, Wolverhampton and London will feature the lineup that recorded Quo classics such as On the Level and Blue for You, before arguments and litigation tore the band apart.

“People have wanted this announcement to be made for years, and here it is,” said their manager, Simon Porter. “This is a real moment in the chequered history of Status Quo and it comes after almost 30 years of acrimony, and 10 years of lawsuits and court battles. Just two years ago the thought of the Frantic Four performing again was unthinkable. Now, 50 years on from when Francis and Alan first performed together as schoolboys, it is fitting that everything has come full circle for these one-off shows.”

The band members have reconciled only over the past couple of years, Rossi told the Wexford Echo in April. “[Lancaster] apologised to me … saying some lawyers in England had got him,” Rossi said. “We talked through that … [and] I realised they were such an important part of my life, Alan Lancaster and his family … It’s really nice to have that again.”

Despite the classic Quo’s scheduled gigs, the modern Quo are still a going concern. Besides a new documentary, the band have their action flick Bula Quo due next spring. The rockers have more concert dates scheduled through to September 2013.

Source: The Guardian