Review – Quo Festive at Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle

With 80’s New Wave sensation Kim Wilde, British music genius Roy Wood and of course, the stars themselves, the mighty Status Quo, this Christmas extravaganza Quo Festive promised to be a night to celebrate and relive the classic sounds of years gone by. Which is exactly what it proved to be from the word go as Kim Wilde burst on to the stage to the sound of Chequered Love.

Her set list continued with a mix of some of her greatest hits such as You Keep Me Hangin’ On and Kids in America, along with iconic festive sing-a-long, Rockin Around The Christmas Tree. Her voice may not be as flawless as it was in the height of her fame, but she still provided an energetic performance and acted as the perfect crowd warmer for the night ahead.

Roy Wood, mastermind behind bands like The Move and Wizzard, maintained the lively atmosphere with music that encompassed a vast period of his career. His performance included renditions of popular tracks like See My Baby Jive and Fire Brigade, as well as a sample off his latest album, before finishing off his set with the festive crowd pleaser, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. Despite his years, Roy’s vocals remain unchanged and are just as good as they were on the original recordings of his hits.

Status Quo were welcomed on stage with deafening applause, showing they still have a dedicated fan base after all these years. The audience were instantly on their feet, dancing and singing along to Quo classics such as Wanderer and Paper Plane, as well as showing support for tracks off the band’s latest album Quid Pro Quo. Whilst those who aren’t die-hard Quo fans may have began to find the long medleys of less well-known tracks slightly tedious, it cannot be argued that fans didn’t get their money’s worth.

The night was finished off with a spectacularly festive finale with all three acts performing rock-style versions of definitive Christmas hits. Combining some of the greatest music artists of all time with some of the greatest Christmas hits, this concert certainly didn’t disappoint.