Status Quo

RICHARD PARR

Holkham Hall

There was a predominance of grey hair and bald heads among the thousands in the audience but, then, they had come to see one of Britain's favourite and most enduring rock bands.

Status Quo have been playing for four decades - and they had the 7,000-plus audience at magnificent Holkham Hall on Saturday night rocking away as frontmen Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt and the rest of the band performed a rapid succession of the hit songs that have made them an institution in the world of rock.

After a warm-up appearance by the young musicians of Macara, from South London, a band to watch out for, the atmosphere became electric as, accompanied by a spectacular lighting show on stage, we heard the opening chords of their perennial show-opener Caroline and then there they were… the legendary lads burst on to the Holkham stage.

Quo appeared as fresh as ever as one hit followed another.

In fact, their play list ran to 15 numbers which was certainly value for money, which many of those attending agreed.

All the favourites were there, of course, including (one of my favourites) Paper Plane, Somethin' bout You Baby I Like, The Wanderer, Roll Over Lay Down, Whatever You Want and finally their signature tune Rockin' All Over the World.

It was a terrific evening, not just because of the great Quo performance which had power, pace and energy, but the wonderful atmosphere of the venue with the historic Holkham Hall becoming floodlit as the late summer evening light faded into darkness.