Status Quo frontman: ‘We saw Ian Paisley in Belfast… he seemed bigger than usual but it was because of bulletproof vest’

Even today, songs such as Pictures of Matchstick Men, Rockin All Over The World, Whatever You Want and What You’re Proposing are popular with a new generation of fans.

Ahead of their tour which kicks off with a performance in Belfast, founding member Francis Rossi looked back on the highs and lows of the band’s career.

He said while he may be an ebullient extrovert on stage, away from the lights he is a man who hates crowds but loves jigsaw puzzles and lapdogs.

Status Quo have performed in Belfast numerous times, and this year Rossi will be celebrating his 75th birthday the day before his May 28 gig at Botanic Gardens in the city.

In the early 1970s, when Northern Ireland’s live entertainment industry was pushed to the brink, Status Quo were among the bands who, despite the Troubles, continued to visit.

“I remember staying at the Europa, (the most bombed hotel in the world) and just taking it all in our stride,” Rossi recalled.

“On one occasion, we came down to breakfast to see (Ian) Paisley at another table. He seemed bigger than usual, but we learned he was wearing a bulletproof vest, and we just said, ‘Oh, so that’s the reason,’ as if it was no big deal.

“It’s funny how, in times of stress, we just accepted things. But then you think of our grandparents’ generation and the things they had to endure and compare them to some of the ‘woke’ youth of today.

“I read that some young people don’t want to do face-to-face exams because it would stress them out.

“I don’t want to harp back to other times, but it makes you wonder how they’d cope with going to bed at night and not knowing if they’d still have a house in the morning.”

Inspired by American duo the Everly Brothers, 15-year-old Rossi and a few friends founded the Scorpions, his first band. A few line-up changes and three rebrands later, Status Quo were born.

They found success in 1968 with the Rossi-penned Pictures of Matchstick Men, and in the same year he purchased a Fender Telecaster guitar, painted it green and established a Rossi trademark.

“When I sanded it down, I had an idea to paint it black, which was all the rage, but when it dried it looked grey and very far from the shiny, black image I’d had in mind,” he said.

“Back then, Ronseal made paints in three colours — blue, red and green — and you could see the grain (of the wood) through them, which was revolutionary at the time.

“Green guitars were unique, but now they’re everywhere. Looking back, it was all about image. I suppose you could say it was the kind of stupid thing that young blokes did, and I was a very stupid young bloke. Now I’m a very stupid old bloke.”

Status Quo have enjoyed international success down the decades, playing at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, including the Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House and Wembley. They have also appeared at the Glastonbury Festival.

Rossi has notched up more than a few personal achievements along the way, including an OBE and a Brit award for outstanding contribution to music.

But as well as the highlights, there have been darker threads, such as his relationship with drugs and alcohol and the death of bandmate and friend Rick Parfitt.

Clean and sober since the early 1990s, 74-year-old Rossi sticks to a healthy diet and exercises regularly.

Asked if he would make different choices if he had a time machine, he said: “Yes, of course. I’d do a lot of things differently.

“For a start, I wouldn’t have started drinking and I wouldn’t have done cocaine. There are many things I wouldn’t have done, but it doesn’t really work like that, does it?

“Somehow, we assume that if we could dodge those negative things, our life would be better, but it’s not true. All those things, good and bad, have brought us to where we are today.”

Easy-going and friendly, Rossi comes across as confident and charismatic. His reputation as a ‘talker’ with an inclination to wander off topic is well deserved. But who is the real person?

“There are definitely two sides to my Gemini character,” he said.

“I know I talk too much, which is why I did the book, aptly named I Talk Too Much. Yet, there is another, more insecure side which tends to be reclusive, doesn’t like parties or crowds.

“You know, when this interview is over, I’ll probably go for a walk and then do my jigsaw. I’ll be the complete opposite to that mouthy guy.”

Rossi, who was named after Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, lives in south London with his wife Eileen and has a soft spot for dogs.

“We have had two Pekinese, two great Danes, two wolfhounds, a golden retriever and a little westie,” he said.

“Now, we have two westies crossed with jack russells. They’re sisters, called Nancy and Maggie.

“Unfortunately, Maggie tends to pee on the floor, so she must stay in the kitchen which, luckily for her is a very big kitchen.”

While he is best known for fronting Status Quo, in recent years he has stepped out as a solo artist with his Tunes and Chat Tour.

“I’m used to playing in huge theatres as part of a band, but this time, the venues were small and more intimate,” Rossi said.

“I still don’t understand why I enjoyed the experience so much. I think there’s something about walking onstage and being able to strum the guitar more gently and to sing more gently. It’s such a contrast to the noise of the huge rock and roll arenas.

“I can just say things and I’m more in control. I mean, it wouldn’t be fair to the other band members (of Status Quo) if I were to just start waffling on.

“I wish I knew what it is about the tour, but something tells me I really like it.”

Rumours suggest this latest tour will be his last with Status Quo, and while Rossi believes this is “probably” the case, he is still non-committal.

“I’m obsessive about Status Quo, always have been,” he said.

“One of the reasons, is that I don’t know anything else.

“It’s a business, and, as such, you have to keep an eye on it.

“I can’t just put it down and forget about it. In fact, lockdowns were the first time I was off work.

“But to be honest, this is probably the last tour. I don’t want to commit and call it the last show or anything because people have been ripped off by that term before now.

“Still, I can’t really see it continuing. I’ll be 75 the day before we do Belfast. We just don’t know.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m really looking forward to performing in Northern Ireland. The fans are amazing.”

For more information, visit www.francisrossi.com. Tickets for Status Quo’s Live at Botanic Gardens concert are available from Ticketmaster