From Planet Rock.
Status Quo guitarist and vocalist Francis Rossi has marked the 35th anniversary of Live Aid today (13th July) by reflecting upon the momentous concert at Wembley Stadium.
After the Coldstream Guards band opened with the Royal Salute and a brief version of ‘God Save the Queen’, at one minute past midday on a gloriously sunny Saturday 13th July 1985, Status Quo were the first band to grace the Wembley stage.
Live Aid was Status Quo’s first concert since the conclusion of the End of the Road Tour in Milton Keynes in July 1984, which, in Francis Rossi’s own words, ended with everybody “coked-up and hating each other.”
Despite these fraught tensions within the band, Status Quo triumphed during their 14-minute set at Live Aid and had the 72,000 strong Wembley crowd bouncing as they performed ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’, ‘Caroline’ and ‘Don’t Waste My Time’.
Ultimately it proved to be Status Quo’s only show of 1985 and their final gig with bassist Alan Lancaster (except the reunion Frantic Four tour in 2013-2014) and drummer Peter Kircher in their ranks.
Reflecting upon Live Aid on the event’s 35th anniversary today, Francis Rossi said:
“Whenever Quo step onto a stage we strive to give it our best, no one audience or gig is more important than another to the band, but it is undeniable that the 13th of July 1985 was special. There were serious tensions in the band at the time, I arrived in some ways wondering how I’d been persuaded to turn up.
“Some of the other acts were interested in who was going to play last, to headline, whilst we decided to go on first so that we could be done and dusted. Turned out to be a great decision, it was Quo’s music that kicked things off as seemingly the whole world’s attention came to bear to on what Live Aid was trying to communicate.
“It was over in a flash and, whilst I’m not one for nostalgia or dwelling on past glories, at the time it felt important and thirty-five years later it still does.”
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- Status Quo - Piledriver - 1st - Complete - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £75.00, $92.25, €88.50 (New Item) (arrived 17-Jan-2025 18:00)on January 22, 2025 at 4:20 am
STATUS QUO Piledriver (1972 UK first issue 8-track vinyl LP on the 'swirl' label, the fifth studio album by the English rock band was also the first to be produced by the group themselves and first on the Vertigo label after their departure fromPye Records, including the single Paper Plane and a great cover of the Door's classic Roadhouse Blues. Housed in a matt gatefold picture sleeve printed with lyrics on the inside. The sleeve shows some light shelfwear and a little discolouration; the vinyl remains in excellent condition with just the odd light surface scuff)
- Status Quo - Just Supposin' - UK - vinyl LP - £10.00, $12.30, €11.80 (New Item) (arrived 02-Jan-2025 16:25)on January 22, 2025 at 4:20 am
STATUS QUO Just Supposin' (1980 UK 9-track LP including Run to Mummy & Name of the Game [both co-written by keyboard player Andy Bown] plus the hit single What You're Proposing. The glossy picture sleeve & vinyl appear in Excellent condition)
- Status Quo - Piledriver - 2nd - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £12.00, $14.76, €14.16 (Back In Stock) (arrived 23-Dec-2024 09:24)on January 22, 2025 at 4:20 am
STATUS QUO Piledriver (Mid 70s UK 'spaceship' label issue of the 1972 8-track vinyl LP, including the singles Paper Plane, Don't Waste My Time and Roadhouse Blues. The gatefold picture sleeve shows some light shelf wear with some foxing and the vinyl remains in excellent condition with few signs of play)
- Status Quo - From The Makers Of... - 2nd - UK - vinyl box set - £25.00, $30.75, €29.50 (New Item) (arrived 23-Dec-2024 11:36)on January 22, 2025 at 4:20 am
STATUS QUO From The Makers Of... (1982 UK second issue limited edition 36-track triple vinyl LP box set, including two best of LPs & one live, with four inserts, housed in the blue embossed circular metal tin with the name on the front also in blue, with a tracklisting sticker on the reverse. The tin shows just a little ageing and all three vinyl discs remain Excellent with very little evidence of play. A superb example PROBX1)
- Status Quo - From The Makers Of... - 2nd - UK - vinyl box set - £25.00, $30.75, €29.50 (New Item) (arrived 23-Dec-2024 18:00)on January 22, 2025 at 4:20 am
STATUS QUO From The Makers Of... (1982 UK second issue limited edition 36-track triple vinyl LP box set, including two best of LPs & one live, with four inserts, housed in the blue embossed circular metal tin with the name on the front also in blue, with a tracklisting sticker on the reverse. The tin shows just a little ageing and all three vinyl discs remain Excellent with very little evidence of play. A superb example PROBX1)
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