Francis Rossi has hinted that Status Quo's current tour may be their last, 40 years after 1984's official End Of The Road tour ended with a climactic final show at the 50,000-capacity Milton Keynes Bowl.
"I don’t think we will go again,” Rossi tells the Daily Mirror. “And as far as the rest of the band are concerned it’s the last tour too. I just can’t see us doing it one more time. I didn’t want to put this current tour out, saying it’s the last one ever. I did it once and was then coerced into coming back, but that’s another whole other fucking story."
Quo returned to the stage a year after the End Of The Road show at Live Aid, famously kicking off proceedings with their cover of the John Fogerty classic Rockin' All Over The World. They've played more than 2000 shows in the years since, and are currently playing festival shows in Europe. Full dates below.
“Who knows?" says Rossi. "They might offer a huge amount of money to do the Quo again but I don’t think so. I am hesitant to call it the last ever but I just can’t see it continuing to be honest. It’s fucking hurting this time, physically. We were at rehearsals before this tour and it occurred to me that we started 50 fucking years ago. Thinking about it brought it home my age."
The news of Quo's possible second retirement comes as Rossi, perhaps counter-intuitively, has announced an extensive solo tour for 2025. The run of 34 shows kicks off at the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne on April 10, and promises, "An Evening of Francis Rossi’s Songs from the Status Quo Songbook and more." Tickets will go on sale at 10am this Friday from AEG.
"This is a brand new show," advises Rossi. "I have been experimenting with the catalogue and I know what works best. It’s been fascinating and I have been amazed how well some songs work in a lower key, or with a different arrangement. In 2025 there will be plenty of songs included that I haven’t done before: Army, Dirty Water, Don’t Waste My Time, Roll Over Lay Down; even Down Down’ - which I was very surprised to find worked this way, but it’s fantastic.
"These shows are a real treat for me, they suit my voice really well, and I don’t have to yell. Plus I know people enjoy the likes of Caroline, Paper Plane, Break The Rules, What You’re Proposin’ and Rockin’ All Over The World so I’ll be putting those in again too! This show lays out the story of Quo – some of the things that have happened I can barely believe myself - and it tells my own story too."
Francis Rossi solo tour 2025
Apr 10: Wimborne Tivoli Theatre
Apr 11: Cornwall Truro Truro Hall
Apr 12: Bridgwater Mcmillan Theatre
Apr 14: Lytham St Annes Lowther Pavilion
Apr 16: Llandudno Venue Cymru
Apr 17: Shrewsbury Theatre Severn
Apr 19: Warrington Parr Hall
Apr 20: 20Th Bury St Edmonds Apex
Apr 22: Stamford Corn Exchange
Apr 23: Hull City Hall
Apr 25: Harrogate Royal Theatre
Apr 26: Stevenage Gordon Craig Theatre
Apr 28: Milton Keynes Stables
Apr 29: Buxton Opera House
May 01: Eastleigh Thornden
May 02: Epsom Playhouse
May 10: Aylesbury Waterside
May 11: Whitley Bay Playhouse
May 13: Oban Corran Halls
May 14: Inverness Eden Court
May 16: Aberdeen Tivoli Theatre
May 17: Edinburgh Queens Theatre
May 19: Perth Concert Hall
May 21: Lincoln New Theatre Royal
May 22: Loughborough Town Hall
May 24: Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
May 25: Cheltenham Town Hall
May 28: Guildford G-Live
May 30: Neath Gwyn Hall
May 31: Newbury Corn Exchange
Jun 01: Dartford Orchard Theatre
Jun 03: Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
Jun 04: Yeovil Westlands
Jun 06: Stratford-Upon-Avon Playhouse
Status Quo: European Tour 2024
Jun 27: Hadamar 700 Jahre Festwoche, Germany
Jun 28: Wolfsburg Sommerfestival Autostadt. Germany
Jun 30: Rostock IGA Park, Germany
Jul 02: Chemnitz Stadthalle, Germany
Jul 03: Leipzig Parkbuhne, Germany
Jul 05: Klam Clam Rock Festival, Austria
Jul 06: Eisenstadt, Lovely Days Festival, Austria
Jul 08: Munich Tollwood, Germany
Jul 12: Locarno Moon & Stars, Switzerland
Jul 13: Nuremberg Stadionpark, Germany
Jul 15: Festival de Carcassonne, Jean-Deschamps Theater, France
Jul 18: St Julien En Genervois, Guitare En Scène Festival, France
Jul 20, Zwart Cross Festival, Netherlands
Jul 21: Belvaux Rockhal, Luxembourg
Jul 26: Ludwigsburg Barock Schloss, Germany
Jul 27: Oranienburg Schloss, Germany
Jul 28: Tussling Raiffaesen Kultursommer, Germany
Jul 31: Hemmet, Bork Festival, Denmark
Aug 01: Ringsted Festival, Denmark
Aug 03: Arvika Hamnfest, Sweden
Aug 04: Motala Lokverstad, Sweden
Aug 07: Zofingen Heitere, Switzerland
Aug 08: Schaffhausen Old Town, Stars in Town festival, Switzerland
Aug 11: Elgin Cooper Park MacMoray Festival, UK
Aug 13: Halifax The Piece Hall, UK
Aug 15: Margate Dreamland, UK
Aug 16: Liverpool Salt and Tar, UK
Aug 23: Taunton Vivary Park, UK
