Booking a table for an evening of Status Quo songs, fits today’s conditions, but certainly not the repertoire of classic material ahead. John Coghlan’s Quo has found a niche market by choosing the classic era of Quo, including and lightly touching both sides of the 70’s. I for one appreciate the quality of songs he brings to the floor and not the poppy songs that followed John and Alan Lancaster’s departure.

First up, Fi Channon serenaded the building with her acoustic melodic folky catalogue (reminiscent of Stevie Nicks) and she joined JC and his band for the first of two sets. They opened up with ‘In My Chair’ (and I was ironically), followed by ‘Railroad’, linked with ‘Most of The Time’, to ‘Spinning Wheel Blues’, as Coghlan, Peter Mace (vocals/guitar), Mick Hughes (guitar/backing Vocal) and Rick Chase (vocals/bass), had already got the Half Moon faithful in the palm of their hands. ‘Lakky Lady’, ‘A Year’ and the folky-Blues of ‘Gerdundula’, perfectly closed out this semi-acoustic section.

It’s no secret that John is reaching his mid-70's, hence for some of the second set, he has recruited his long-time friend and drummer Russ Chadd. Russ is taking on the more demanding numbers and kicks off with new song ‘No Return’, that the band had written and released, along with ‘Lockdown’,that not only featured in the set, but also broke into the UK Charts at No.2 earlier this year. Now it was time for the band to Rock through the classics, namely ‘I Saw the Light’, ‘Roll Over Lay Down’, ‘Little Lady’, ‘Big Fat Mama’, ‘Paper Plane’ and the Tom Jones cover, ‘Something About You Baby I Like’.

Coghlan finally returned to his kit on his favourite Quo song, ‘April, Spring, Summer & Wednesdays’, plus ‘Don't Drive My Car’, an interesting take/edited version of ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’, along with the encore of ‘Rocking All Over the World’. Cue mass applause from the socially distanced crowd in the house, and even though we really tried to get them out for a second time, we humbly accepted the fact they had already played an afternoon show! Notable mention also goes to the two sound men from the Half Moon - top quality gentlemen!

Geoff C.