Quo play Glastonbury

[Gerbil]

FOR most rock bands, playing the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury is a dream.



This Sunday, Status Quo will be up there – but Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi, both 60, are underwhelmed.



Here, they tell KATE JACKSON why finally playing Glasto WON’T be the highlight of their 42-year career.


FRANCIS says: “When we were younger, Glastonbury was a kind of second-rate festival for the country folk, maybe with a weird band like Hawkwind.


“The music industry does this. It fascinates me how that gig has become groovy — it’s the same with the Brit Awards.”


And Rick’s attitude to his forthcoming appearance is equally casual.


“It’s got this stigma attached to it where people say, ‘Once you’ve done Glastonbury your cred will go up,’ ” he says. “I don’t see that it will. Quo is Quo. We do what we do and I don’t think our cred will ever go up.





“It’s another gig, another festival. I’m sure it’ll be great, I’m looking forward to seeing the other bands. I don’t know who’s on but I’m sure it’ll be fun.”


Francis adds: “When I was growing up I had a huge ambition to play the Paris Olympia, because I had read about the Stones playing there.But when I first played there years ago it was a dirty hole, I was so p***** off. Then there was Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles — what a let-down. Nothing lives up to expectations.”


Rick reckons it would be even worse if they were at Glastonbury as fans. He says: “I’d hate to be in the middle of a field of 50,000 people when it takes half an hour to get to the loos and half an hour to get back. I would not be down there for a million quid.”


Why did they agree to play, then?


“The money’s always nice, I’m not knocking it,” says Rick.


“But truly it’s the satisfaction of going out there and getting a reaction. It’s your ultimate reward.”


Francis adds: “When there’s a collective consciousness of 160,000 people there with this ‘Wow, Glastonbury’ feeling, there must be something.”

[kmart]

I'm sure the diversity of the Glastonbury Festival will match the diversity of Status Quo's vast musical range.

[Gerbil]

You only have to learn 3 chords to play any Quo song