Celebrating 60 years of Status Quo with John Coghlan's Quo at The Wedgewood Rooms | Interview

Their original drummer is bringing his band, John Coghlan’s Quo, to The Wedgewood Rooms in Southsea for what could be their penultimate show.

John drummed on the rockers’ first 14 albums plus their Live! album before calling it a day in 1981. He’s played in various other projects but since the late ’90s has been thrilling fans with JCQ – playing songs purely from his era in the Quo, including hits like Down Down, Caroline and Paper Plane.

After The Wedge, JCQ have one more gig on the books later this month, at the Status Quo Fan Convention at Butlins in Minehead. It is billed as a farewell show, but John bristles at the suggestion this is it.

‘One thing I'm certainly not doing is retiring! What else am I going to do? Musicians don't retire they just fall off their perch.

‘I'm doing another project in October, and Rick Chase, the bassist, has another project he's working on.

‘I've no intention of cancelling the band out forever, we might do something else... I just want to play something different.’

Fans know what to expect from a JCQ set, and as John puts it: ‘We don't do (‘80s hits) Marguerita Time or In The Army Now – I didn't play on them and it would be horrible. Why would I want to do that? Nothing against the songs, it's just a thing I wouldn't do, and I don't think the fans would like it.’

He recalls joining the band in 1962 with singer/guitarist Francis Rossi and bassist Alan Lancaster ‘when we were all in school and there wasn't even a name for the band.’

Rick Parfitt joined on guitars and vocals in 1967, creating the Frantic Four classic line-up. At the suggestion of then-roadie Bob Young, the band ditched the frilly shirts of their early psychedelic era and took on the T-shirts and denim look which defined them in the 1970s as they took a harder rocking sound.

John looks back fondly on the time: ‘The ’70s were great for everybody – there was lots of great music about and life wasn't full of problems like it is now – it was really good fun.’

But by the start of the ’80s John wasn’t happy and left the band while they were recording in Switzerland.

‘We got to a point where I just felt we were working too much. If we weren't touring we were recording, and if we weren't recording we were touring – I think we just fell out, and I said I needed a break. I flew home to the Isle of Man the next day. Then my wife and I took a year off.’

John went on to play in various bands including own Diesel Band; with Partners In Crime; and supergroup, Rockers featuring Phil Lynott, Roy Wood and Chas Hodges. Other collaborations have included with Noel Redding (ex-Jimi Hendrix) and Eric Bell (ex-Thin Lizzy).

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Lancaster had also left the band in 1985, but in 2013 the original quartet reunited for a pair of sell-out tours.

John recalls the tour buses were ‘absolute luxury’ compared to the way they travelled in the ’70s and that the tours were ‘great – it was just good fun

‘When we did the London gigs – I think it was three or four – there was a family who had flow in from Australia to catch all of them, then flew back home, then they flew back again for the last ever show in Dublin.

‘We met loads of fans who were so dedicated.’

He adds: ‘Rick Parfitt wanted to carry on, but Francis didn't want to. It was ridiculous – Francis said to Rick, why don't you go out as Status Quo PLC – Parfitt, Lancaster, Coghlan? I heard that and I thought I don't mind if Alan's up for it, but it didn't happen. I think Rick loved playing all the old stuff – it was more rock and roll.

‘We're pleased we did the reunion tour because then dear Rick died in 2016 and Alan died in 2021.’

Looking to the future, Alan says: ‘The 24th at Butlins is the last JCQ gig – for now – that doesn't mean to say we're calling it a day.’

But he does have a new project on the horizon which could be a curveball for his fans.

Inspired by the monthly jazz nights at Warwick Hall in Burford, Oxfordshire, near where he lives, John spoke with double-bass player Paul Jefferies about putting something together with a view to putting on some gigs.

‘I've always liked jazz, and I was speaking with Paul and said: “I love what you do”, and we decided to get together with a keyboard player, an acoustic guitar, violin or sax, and doing a lot of instrumental jazz. I just fancied doing something different – I can get the brushes out and play like that.

‘People I've spoken to about it seem very interested.

‘When I've watched them before, they all read music, and I can't read music to save my life, I just play drums as I feel it. We'll see… It will work well, I know it will, but we want to make sure it's right before we release the tickets.

‘I would mind recording something – even if it's just CDs to sell at concerts.’

JCQ are at The Wedge on Saturday. Tickets £17.50. Go to wedgewood-rooms.co.uk.