As Status Quo launches into that John Fogerty song but they somehow have made their own over the years, something happens. And it is something that rather explains the magic of Quo.
In front of me, there is a row of people about six strong, they appear to be a mother and daughter, grandparents, plus an uncle and auntie. All of them are stood up dancing in unison.
There are not many things that can bind together families in this way, much less bands. And if you want to talk about why Status Quo still does it, that is your answer.
It is in this almost partisan atmosphere, that Laurence Jones and his band arrive a couple of hours before.
Almost part of the family himself these days, given how many times he has opened for Rossi and the boys, he delivers his customary confident, classy and increasingly raw set. Heavier than he used to be, he starts with an extended version of “What’s It Gonna Be?” And likewise, there is more power in the power trio when they do “In Too Deep” than there used to be. Still capable of ripping the Blues solos out like the old days, Jones also gives “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” another makeover, seeming to enjoy it as he plays with his teeth. A short half-hour set ends with “Woman”. They had played Cream before the band had arrived on stage, and more than ever these days there are strands of that classic-sounding thread running through Jones’ work.
And look, let’s be blunt about this. You know what you are going to get from Status Quo. They do it time and time again, not just here, but every time.
So you know that they’ll start with “Caroline” – and you know that mostly they are going to knock a lot of the hits out for 90 minutes or so.
But along the way, they dust off a few things you haven’t heard for ages, so for every “Rain” (sung by John “Rhino” Edwards) there’s a “Little Lady” (sung by Richie Malone), but mostly if you’ve seen Status Quo over the last decade or so, you’ve seen this. “Beginning of the End” one of the few from this millennium is a favourite though, and the wonderful medley they do, includes “Wild Side Of Life” and “Rollin’ Home” so gets huge bonus points around here.
That always seems to mark half time, if you will, with the second half kicking off with “The Oriental” (which could do with retiring if we’re honest) and “In My Chair” which has moved back in.
This is an arena rock style show – albeit one that relies on fantastic songs and not bombast – given that it builds to a crescendo with “In The Army Now”, “Roll Over Lay Down”, an extended “Down Down” and “Whatever You Want” – and the latter has an impressive array of air guitar in the balconies – before “Rockin’ All Over The World” gets them (literally) dancing in the seats.
There’s an encore of “Burning Bridges (On And Off And On Again)” before a simple “thanks, bye” and an exit tape of “….World” again, and that’d be that until the next time.
And there will be a next time, and we’ll all be there, because Status Quo are one of the few bands that always, always guarantee you a good time, always leave smiles on faces, and have people in the lift whistling the songs they’ve just heard.
Status Quo can afford to keep it simple because they are simply superb.
