Status Quo : original line-up back rocking all over the world

It was bound to happen eventually. The only surprise is how long it’s taken for the wounds to heal.

Rock veterans Status Quo are to reunite their classic original line-up for a series of shows next year.

They’ll play a short five-date tour and see how it goes. Hopefully they’ll manage that without falling out again.

But don’t hold your breath.

Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan will play live together for the first time in three decades.

Rossi and Parfitt have carried on under the name, of course, but Lancaster and Coghlan left in acrimonious circumstances.

Coghlan left the band late in 1981 after rowing with Parfitt and Rossi, who publicly claimed that they wanted a better drummer.

Bassist Lancaster was next to go, ousted after sessions for the 1983 album Back To Back, and later sued his former bandmates in a bid to stop them using the Status Quo brand name.

He accepted an out of court settlement which enabled the Quo to record and tour again, but now with a poppier sound.

The reunion is being staged because 2013 marks marks 50 years since Rossi and Lancaster first formed the group.

The band became known for hits such as Rocking All Over The World – actually written by Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty – Down Down and Caroline.

Quo manager Simon Porter says: “People have wanted this announcement to be made for years, and here it is.

“This is a real moment in the chequered history of Status Quo and it comes after almost 30 years of acrimony, and 10 years of lawsuits and court battles.

“Just two years ago the thought of the Frantic Four performing again was unthinkable.

“Now, 50 years on from when Francis and Alan first performed together as schoolboys, it is fitting that everything has come full circle for these unique one-off shows.”

Tickets for the shows, taking place in Glasgow 02 Academy (March 10) , Manchester 02 Apollo (March 12), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (March 13) and London Hammersmith Apollo (March 15 and 16) will go on sale on November 16.