Back in the 70’s and early 80’s any band’s UK tour itinerary usually included a night or two at Greens Playhouse, a venue which would later become the much feared and revered Glasgow Apollo. This was a venue that could make or break a band, with the Glasgow crowd taking no prisoners if they thought they were being shortchanged with a lacklustre performance.

One band that made many appearances at the venue were Status Quo. The Apollo became the bands spiritual home where hard working, hard drinking Glaswegians took the band to their hearts. Every Quo gig was an event, and the capacity crowds literally made the hall bounce (the balcony could move a couple of feet up and down when in full flight!)

The reason for reminiscing on venues lost is the fact that tonight’s show is directly across the street from where the Apollo stood and is the closest you can get now to playing that hallowed twelve foot high stage. This fact was not lost on Francis during the set and he spoke fondly of their Apollo shows and the fact that coming back to Glasgow feels like coming home.

The format of tonight’s show was the same as his last outing with Francis, and fellow guitarist Andy Brook, playing though a selection of choice Quo numbers on semi-acoustics. There was also plenty of chat and ramblings from Mr Rossi who had the crowd in stitches throughout the night.

The dynamic duo kicked things off with ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’ which was followed, aptly, by ‘In My Chair’ given the current stage set up with red wing backed provided for Francis and Andy.

Between songs Francis kept everyone entertained with his tales of rock n roll excess, the trials of growing old, bulky pee pants and dodgy prostrates. He also treated us to his favourite sandwich recipe which is vegan cheese with Marmite on sourdough bread, not a combo that went down well in the hall!

The first half continued with a great mix of older tracks, including a few of my personal favourites including ‘Dear John’ and ‘Hold You Back’ One song that always goes down well with the Glasgow crowd from back in the Apollo days is ‘Gerdundula’. Francis encouraged the crowd to shout out the song title as it sounds excellent in a Glaswegian accent. ‘Rock n Roll’ and ‘Burning Bridges’ then completed the first half of the evening the crowd singing along with every word.

After a quick interval (during which I had an ice cream, well it is an old school theatre!) the guys were back and opened the second half with ‘What You’re Proposing’. Another personal favourite ‘Dirty Water’ was a very welcome addition to the set for this round of shows. Again, this song gave the crowd a chance to sing along which they did willingly.

One song which has always split the Quo faithful is ‘Marguerita Time’, some love it, some saw it as a commercial step too far. Tonight, however, it was treated like an old friend with no dissenting voices.

Francis then explained that the set list was a chance for him to play songs he loves that perhaps aren’t in the usual Quo playlists. ‘Someone Show Me Home’ and ‘Tongue Tied’ were good to hear and provide an insight into Francis’s musical preferences away from the norm.

From there, it was the big ticket numbers all the way with memories of nights just across the road in the Apollo causing many a misty in the hall. ‘Roll Over Lay Down’ had the crowd clapping along in time to Francis’s bouncing leg t to ensure that everything was kept in time. Voices were again raised for ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’ before Francis went into an extended intro to ‘Down Down’. This track gave Francis and Andy a chance to have an extended jam in the mid-section which served as a reminder of how good a guitarist Francis is, a fact that is often overlooked outwith the Quo faithful.

The evening was rounded off with a great version of ‘Caroline’ which brought the crowd to their feet to sing and dance along.

Tonight was a celebration of the Quo back catalogue in a city where they have always been more than welcome. As Francis said, he considers a gig in Glasgow as a homecoming with old friends. and tonight he and Andy brought the party.

The Apollo may be gone, but the spirit is most certainly still alive and kicking.

Review by Dave Wilson

Pictures by Status Quo/ Dave Wilson

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

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Josh now hosts “Taerk’s Tracks” as part of the Singer Songwriter Sunday sequence on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.

This is the second show broadcast on 25 October Josh presents some of his inspirational artists and tracks.

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast 18 October 2026.

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Power Plays w/c 9 November 2026

ZETRA Adrena (Nuclear Blast Records)
THE HARBOURS Breathe (indie)
SUM SUN Worth The Wait (indie)
SKERRYVORE Second Chance (indie)
WASTED WIZARDS WTF (Dalapop)
BLACKTOP MOJO Time The Killer (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 9 November 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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