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Should any one be in any doubt, Status Quo still rock. Quite why anyone should be in any doubt is surely a mystery, this is a band that have never forgotten how to give their fans what the product says on the tin.

The set list for a Quo gig changes little. Like the style of the bandÂ’s music it evolves, but essentially retains those key characteristics: start with Caroline, mix in a few album tracks from the early 70s to keep the hard-core happy, chuck in four songs from the last album, do a medley of eight songs you would not have time to do in their entirety.

Take a breath during Gerdundula and then crack on with the classics, closing down the main part of the show with 'Whatever You Want' and 'RockinÂ’ All Over The World'. Then come back for more in the encore: drop in a couple more of the old 'uns, a bit of Chuck BerryÂ’s Carol for good measure and finish with another Berry track Bye Bye Johnny.

ItÂ’s a strong set list and it works, but changes - albeit subtle - have been made: Wanderer, In The Army Now and Anniversary Waltz have disappeared while Break The Rules, Big Fat Mama and Hold You Back have returned. The head-bangers are happy.

Those are the bare bones, but with any performance thereÂ’s more to it than that and GL1 was no exception.

Paul who?

Paul Camilleri is supporting Quo on the first half of the tour. Never heard of him? Well he can play a bit and loves his solos, arguably too much but is inoffensive enough. It is though always worth watching the support act just to really appreciate what Quo do.

Five minutes before Quo came on people were queuing in the isles to get past the stewards and in front of the front row of seats and as the lights went down it turned into a mini stampede, I even hurdled two rows of seats to get right down the front.

A proper gig

As QuoÂ’s rhythm guitarist Rick Parfitt thundered through the opening riffs of Caroline, the main hall of GL1 came alive what had been polite and reserved suddenly became a proper gig.

The old became middle aged, the middle aged became young and the young struggled to keep up as frontman Francis Rossi, Parfitt and co. set the pace to follow.

At one point Rossi stared straight at me from all of ten feet away, recognised me from interviewing him earlier in the day and with a surprised look on his face realised when I said I would be jumping up and down in the third row, I was not joking.

Yes the sound was bouncing around the sports hall, off the solid side walls and aluminium roof, but any echoes were fought back by what was coming out of QuoÂ’s sound system and so the sell-out crowd rocked on regardless.

Final score - a solid victory for the Quo team!

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