Status Quo – Hammersmith Apollo – 16^th March 2013

View: rear balcony

Twenty-five years ago there appeared to be little prospect of the classic line-up of Status Quo ever sharing a stage again, but here they are again on a UK tour. If that wasn’t enough cause for celebration, they’re basing their set on the classic 1977 “Live” album.

As the lights go down we get Jackie Lynton’s introduction from the aforementioned “Live” album and the band crash into “Junior’s Wailing”. Lancaster and Coghlan look in fine fettle, whilst Rossi and Parfitt seem to be more energised than they have been for years. Rossi’s playing in particular seems to have gone up a couple of levels.

They follow the “Live” album tracklisting for the first five songs before they play “Blue-Eyed Lady” from the “Hello!” album. Then after “Little Lady” and “Most Of The Time” they go well and truly off-piste with “(April) Spring Summer and Wednesdays” from “Ma Kelly’s Greasy Spoon” and “Railroad” from “Dog Of Two Head”! Outstanding stuff!

“4500 Times” is a highlight, but seems truncated in comparison with the version from the “Live” album. The main set closes with “Down Down” and “Roadhouse Blues”, and the encores of “Don’t Waste My Time” and “Bye Bye Johnny” bring proceedings to a close after one hour and thirty-five minutes.

Tonight emphasises the superiority of the classic line-up of Quo compared to the cabaret line-up that’s been operating for the last quarter-century. This line-up looks hungry and has teeth. I hope they do more. Bring on the Frantic Four!!! 

The Pretty Things – Brighton Komedia – 6^th March 2013

View: Front. Stage right.

Mercifully the ticket prices for The Pretty Things’ 50^th anniversary tour do not reach the stratospheric heights of those for the equivalent gigs of their Dartford cousins The Rolling Stones. However, that is in no way any reflection of the quality of the music on offer as we get a comprehensive tour of the Pretties’ illustrious back catalogue.

They begin with a four song celebration of their early r’n’b days featuring “Honey I Need”, “Buzz The Jerk”, “Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut”, and “Big City”. They clearly haven’t lost their youthful muscle as much of this is pretty brutal.

We then enter the Pretties’ psychedelic era with “Alexandra” from Electric Banana, and a selection of songs from “S.F Sorrow”. This particular album seems to grow in stature with each passing year, although the band considered it to be a failure at the time of its release. The songs now seem so fresh as to be almost timeless. The harmonies in the title song are commendably precise, and Phil May reading out the list of missing in “Private Sorrow” is surprisingly moving. Dick Taylor takes gruff lead vocals for “Baron Saturday”.

The band execute another gear change and present a blues set. Some of this is performed just by Phil May and a seated Dick Taylor who alternates between acoustic slide and an electric three-stringed banjo. They cover “Little Red Rooster”, a song apparently made famous by another Dartford group.

A return is made to the band’s mid-sixties heyday with “Get The Picture” and “Come See Me” before a version of “Mona” extended in a manner reminiscent of The Who’s “Live At Leeds”. “Midnight To Six Man” and LSD conclude the main set which is followed by encores of “Roadrunner”, “Don’t Bring Me Down” and (what else?) “Rosalyn”.

Tonight The Pretty Things not only demonstrate the breadth of their back catalogue but play with an energy that would credit a band a third of their age. In fact age is irrelevant. This is rock and roll, and that’s ageless.