Status Quo announce farewell tour - and this time they really mean it

The band, who have been Rockin’ All Over The World for more than 50 years, will embark on The Last Night Of The Electrics Tour in December.

It will begin in October with a high-profile stint across Europe, visiting the UK for a spectacular send-off in December, after which the Telecasters shall be unplugged and amps turned off.

Frontman Francis Rossi said: “We’ve talked about it for some time and have decided that it’s time for us to hang up the electrics.

“It’s getting harder and harder for us to play those shows. It’s 30 years since we last said we were stopping, but this is a final decision.

“It doesn’t mean we won’t do other things, perhaps the odd special, but we’re agreed that the moment has come.

“There’s more to come from us in the years ahead, but we won’t tour the electric set ever again.”

Guitarist Rick Parfitt added: “We always thought we’d see a red light when it was time to stop. The show hurts now, physically.

“It’s hard to maintain that level of energy and without that it’s not really a Quo show, so we don’t feel we should continue.

“This is definitely the end of our lives on the road with the electric set. Life won’t be the same for us – or many of the fans – but we can’t go on at this pace any more.”

Rossi, Parfitt, Andrew Bown, John ‘Rhino’ Edwards and Leon Cave will plug in and bring their thunderous electric live show back to the nation’s venues for the last time.

Quo will be joined on the run of dates by very special guests REO Speedwagon and The Lounge Kittens.

REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin said: “I remember hearing Pictures of Matchstick Men on underground radio and being totally blown away.

“All our early influences were British rock groups, so we are psyched to be going on a tour of England with Status Quo.

“I have a feeling both our bands and our fans will find we all have a lot in common and that this tour will be big fun for everyone.”

Status Quo have sold more than 118 million records throughout their illustrious career and have had 43 hit albums in the UK Albums Chart - more than any other band apart from The Rolling Stones.

They have played more than 6,000 live shows in their 49-year career to a total audience in excess of 25 million people.

This tour will truly be the end of an era as Status Quo turn their back on constant touring.

The Last Night Of The Electrics UK tour dates in full:

DECEMBER 2016

8th Nottingham Motorpoint Arena

9th Bournemouth International Centre*

11th London The O2

13th Brighton Centre*

14th Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

16th Birmingham Barclaycard Arena

17th Leeds First Direct Arena

19th Manchester Arena

20th Glasgow The SSE Hydro

22nd Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

23rd Liverpool Echo Arena

*All shows are fully seated except Bournemouth & Brighton

Tickets will be on sale from 9am on Thursday, 24 March from aeglive.co.uk priced from £55/£46.

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