Status Quo - Last Night of the Electrics Tour - SSE Hydro, Glasgow. Tues 20th Dec 2016

Two support acts tonight on a very wet and cold Glasgow evening: The Lounge Kittens and REO Speedwagon. The Christmas traffic was very heavy so I missed most of the opening act, a trio of ladies with unusually coloured hair, one of whom played keyboards. All three sang lounge tune versions of popular rock songs. The bit I saw came across like a RADA Edinburgh Fringe novelty act. A bit weird.

REO Speedwagon, like Quo, have been going a long time and they've a swagger that comes with constant touring. Even if the crowd were less than enthusiastic at first (the hardcore fans were noticeable in their vocalness and by virtue of the fact that they were alone in standing in a seated venue), the band still gave it their best. I'm not overly familiar with them, bar the hits in the Eighties. The lead singer reminded me of a Paul O'Grady lookalike, the bassist resembled a male Julie Goodyear with her hair down and the drummer was definitely a reincarnated Cozy Powell in black leather vest and gloves. Everything cried old school. But they rocked and kept on rolling. If they were an unknown support act, I would have been impressed. Thumbs up.

This was my first time seeing Status Quo live. The venue was about half full with the upper tiers curtained off and a few empty seats downstairs too, perhaps a sign that £62 was a bit steep. Nevertheless, the crowd was up for a party. On stage, Francis Rossi is very much a grandfather figure now, still full of cheeky charisma but very obviously missing his old mucker Rick Parfitt. The sound was still classic Quo but it could have been a tribute act (called SQ, according to the drum kit) which the old man had come along to assist. Quo have an amazing back catalogue of riffs, and a few fiddle-de-dee new ones to keep the crowd buzzing. From the first bars of 'Caroline' to 'Bye Bye Johnny Be Good', the crowd wo-wo-woed along as the band crammed in the hits. By the end, I had been won over and was still singing 'I like it, I like it, I like it' in the car home as 'Twelve Gold Bars' rocked me along the M8.

Quo are probably past their 'best before' date but I still enjoyed it.

Now for the less serious bit.

The security guard insisted I open my Barbour jacket (no denim jacket covered in rock album patches tonight - this is how much marriage changes a guy), only to apologise when she discovered the bump underneath was my stomach.

Not many photos came out tonight due to lots of big-eared, balloon-headed loons between me and the stage. The way their gangly arms waved reminded me we are all descended from apes, who are the original Status Quo fans, having seen them perform during their Stone Age tour (or 'Rock Age' tour perhaps). Time may have moved on but only the haircuts have changed.

Setlist

The Drone (intro tape)

Caroline

The Wanderer (Dion cover)

Something 'bout You Baby I Like

Rain

Softer Ride

Beginning of the End

Hold You Back

What You're Proposing / Down the Dustpipe / Wild Side of Life / Railroad / Again and Again

Paper Plane

The Oriental

Creepin' Up On You

Gerdundula

In the Army Now

Drum Solo (The Caveman)

Roll Over Lay Down

Down Down

Whatever You Want

Rockin' All Over the World (John Fogerty cover)

Encore:

Burning Bridges (On and Off and on Again)

Rock and Roll Music / Bye Bye Johnny

Rod Stewart, 'From Gasoline Alley to Another Country Hits 2016' arena tour, SSE Hydro, Glasgow. Tues 13th Dec 2016.

The support act was 'The Sisterhood', a country-folkish duo, half of which is Rod's daughter, Ruby Stewart. Both wore black, knee-length boots that sparkled like an old black and white TV with a fuzzy signal. The brunette played guitar and wore a wide-brimmed hat; the blonde (Ruby) banged a tambourine dangling with streamers. Both sang.

It was pretty dull (pretty and dull).

A chequered curtain descended to allow the stagehands to prepare the stage. I'm surprised Rod rejected the option of a Celtic green and white hoop design. Maybe that would have been too much, even for Glasgow.

As soon as the curtain raised and Rod stepped onto the stage, old bingo wings at the front stood up and waved her arms and marched her feet like she was stomping on a cross trainer, while clutching an e-cigarette in one hand and a large plastic Irn Bru cup in the other. The white-haired geriatric beside her, but not with her, was unamused but sat quietly not wanting to cause a fuss because she had even larger friends further along the row. I'm sure it wasn't Irn Bru in the cup. She danced and swayed for the whole concert. I'm not sure if it was deliberate or she just didn't know how to stop as it was a friend's hug that eventually wrestled her back to a seated position.

Rod's voice was not strong. His moves were started then aborted, unable to be sustained across the stage and back, a pale reminder of his glory days. He sat for a good thirty minutes, still doing the moves from his seat. He kicked footballs into the audience, showing he still has the foot for it. The band and backing singers were great.

The concert was carried on the strength of the material. The songs are still fantastic and the crowd lapped them up, singing for him, holding him in their hearts. It was a greatest hits package and there wasn't a dud among them. He gave a good two hours.

In years to come, I can imagine Rod entertaining the wrinklies in the care home, wearing his red suit, white shirt open to the chest, and silver shoes, giving it his best throaty rasp, throwing out his arms and legs like an epileptic mid-fit, then sinking back into his cosy chair to croon some more. Actually, that sounds remarkably like what I just saw. Let's just leave it at that.

Arise Sir Rod, before you need a zimmer.