Hello Quo

According to Francis Rossi’s brilliantly tongue-in-cheek 2012 quote, ‘Quo fans know to expect the unexpected.’ But this biographical documentary – edited down from a frankly unwieldy two-and-a-half hour cinematic version, presumably on the grounds that we all have lives to lead – tells the band’s story in a suitably no-nonsense fashion. The residency at Butlin’s, Minehead, the accidental psychedelia, the Live Aid revival, the quadruple heart bypass; the whole shebang.

Expert marshalling of three chords can lead to a surprisingly storied life, it seems. It’s a very easy watch, mainly because the Quo seem like thoroughly amiable guys – although there are hints of unexpected ruthlessness in the sackings of John Coghlan and Alan Lancaster. Still, the cheerful hedonism outweighs the steel: whether it’s Francis putting two spoonfuls of speed in Rick Parfitt’s tea, or Rick’s holiday on Jersey with ‘a bit of Niki Lauda and a lot of Bob Hope’, the tales keep coming. Somewhat appropriately, limited but likeable.