Review: Accurate tribute band offers large dose of Status Quo hits

Horsham, Thursday, May 9

It’s almost a cliché to say that tribute bands can be hit and miss.

Musicians with a passion for a certain group can have the desire to celebrate their favourite band but lack the talent to back it up.

This isn’t the case with Quo-caine, a Status Quo tribute band who have more than enough talent to offer a night of non-stop boogie-rock.

The opening song Caroline set the mood for Thursday’s show – fun, exciting and filled with Status Quo’s immensely catchy brand of music.

Throughout the evening the band played more than 20 Status Quo numbers, including classics such as Down Down, The Wanderer and, of course, Rockin’ All Over The World.

The band played some lesser-known songs too, but it was the old ones that were the real crowd pleasers with some audience members literally dancing in the aisles and drumming on the railings.

The band members are all skilled musicians and brought an accurate Status Quo sound to the Horsham stage.

Rhythm guitarist Robbie Holder and keyboardist James Batchelar did a great job of sharing the singing duties, while lead guitarist Andy (Hozey) Hosegood played his melodies with impressive ease.

James Batchelar gave a lively performance on the keys too, switching effortlessly betweenhis two instruments and giving the gig a defiantly old-school flavour.

Colin Eccles on bass guitar also put in a good performance, keeping the show moving forward with a satisfying rumble.

The sound was very crisp and clear, allowing the audience to hear every instrument fully instead of highlighting one performance at the expense of another.

However, this didn’t stop Carl Sigward from showing what he can do on his own, as the rest of the band left the stage and gave him time to perform a thunderous drum solo that made the chairs vibrate.

A huge round of applause signaled that was time for the rest of the band to come back and finish the gig with a blend of the Anniversary Waltz and Bye Bye Johnny.

Overall, it was a fun evening full of pounding rhythms, great tunes and accomplished rock performances from five guys who clearly love Status Quo’s music.

Quo-caine is available for hire and can be contacted via

www.quo-caine.com or by leaving a message

on 07804 747319.

Review by Lawrence Smith