BLOG 86 1st Sept 2013

This is possibly the longest I’ve been between Blogs. Yep you guessed it…the usual excuse of being far too busy doing far too many different things but this time I’m really not sure where to start. Maybe I’ll just tell you whats been happening in any old order since Blog 85. Thanks by the way as this site is now almost up to 180,000 visitors.
New grandson Alfie Barnes is now almost three months old and get bigger by the day. His brother Leo has really taken to him. He’s already a Liverpool fan (according to his Dad Barney who has started putting his LFC strip on him and sitting him in front of the matches on TV .

Two weeks ago I went over to Northern Ireland for a long weekend. Ciaran (INXS) and his wife Donna and two year old son James had flown in from Australia for ten days for his brother Aidan’s wedding. It was also a good opportunity for the grandparents of James to see him as skype is fine but nothing like the real thing…. It was first Irish wedding Sue and I had ever been to and they certainly know how to sing and dance and enjoy themselves.
The following day with our rented car we drove up to the coast and spent several hours all along the Antrim coast and were blown away by the beauty of the whole area. The Giants Causeway is something very special and nobody could be disappointed by a visit. Check it out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant's_Causeway

Ciaran has a new EP just released with five great new songs. The single is a co-write with Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol and is called ‘My Killer My King’. Its available on iTunes and all online stores and picking up a lot of airplay and good reviews www.ciarangribbin.com In September I’m meeting Ciaran in Rio de Janeiro where he’s performing two shows at the famous ‘Rock In Rio’ Festival. We then fly up to Los Angeles for a week of meetings with film and TV people and various other music people. Ciaran has co-written the big song in Al Pacino’s new movie which is currently in production in Hollywood. Al Pacino actually sings the song and, who knows, maybe we might even get to meet this legend of the silver screen. That’d be nice.

Last week over the August Bank Holiday I went up to Liverpool as it was the Annual Beatles Week and my old mates at Cavern City tours who have been running it for many years invited me up for a hangover…. How could I refuse and it was good to meet up with a lot of old friends www.cavernclub.org/beatle-week-events/item/beatle-week-events

Sue and I spent five days up at the Edinburgh Festival with our old buddies Arthur and Dorothy. We’ve been several times over the years and it’s always been great. We saw some excellent things balanced up with one or two shite shows too but it’s the overall atmosphere that makes it so special. Everyone should try it at least once and Edinburgh is a beautiful city www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk/ I’ve seen Francis a few times over the past two months in between his almost constant touring and my own silly schedule and travels. Alan Lancaster and I speak regularly on skype and spend a lot of time chatting away. It’s always good. We’re looking forward to the release of all the Frantic Four Re-union stuff that’s released soon, especially the earbook which I think will be quite special ... more I wonder what 2014 will bring?

Oh yes… Mrs Young and I went over to Tuscany for a week and stayed with the Wicksons in a stunning villa overlooking the Tuscany hills. Italy is beautiful and we did day trips to both Florence and Siena. And Italian food being my favourite was a bonus…

September 16th sees the release of the updated Quo coffee table book ‘Still Doin It’ which is now in paperback with an extra 32 pages full of stuff to update the past five years of the band since the original hardback book ‘ Just Doin It’ came out and did very well. I think you’ll like it with a lot of Frantic Four tour pics in it amongst a lot of other unseen before pics and things ...click here

My good friend Maksim, the superstar Croatian classical pianist, is going on tour again to South Korea this month and China in November & December and has asked if I’m available to go with him again as he’s done for over five years now. Unfortunately I have so much going on for the rest of the year and I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to go with him this time. We’ve had a lot of good times together over the past five or six years since I first got to know him so well and tour together so many times and in so many interesting places in the world like Japan, China, Korea and Croatia.

Recently BBC Radio asked John Coghlan if he would be interested in recording a music and chat pilot programme and if it worked possibly extend it into a series. He asked me to help him jog a few memories of touring with Quo over his twenty odd years with the band which I was happy to do. The pilot was recorded a few weeks ago with his wife Gillie co-hosting and their first two guests were myself and the Pretty Things Phil May. It was broadcast two weeks ago and the response has been really good and hopefully there will be a link available for people to listen to again soon. It was good fun to do and a great format where he can bring on different and interesting guests from all who he’s been associated with throughout his career. More please…..

For the past decade or so I’ve attended what is known as The Marquee Club Christmas Dinner. Basically it’s various friends who were associated with the legendary Marquee Club in the sixties and seventies. Just a dozen or so of us including the original the long time club manager Jack Barrie, David and Jo Chester (David managed Rory Gallagher and was a part of Quarry, Quo’s managers), Andy Heath (Adele amongst others, music publisher), Gail Colson (long time manager of Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders)….the dinners are a way of old friends not losing touch and our 2012 Christmas Dinner was held….in August this year :-)

Just as the Old Boys (and girls) twice yearly lunches that is packed every time with thirty-five music business legends is all about. Not losing touch which I believe is important as the years roll on.

My new book of poems, thoughts and various other combinations of words ‘This Raging Storm’ will be finished soon and I’m hoping in time for Christmas. I really do need to take a few solid days out from everything else and just totally concentrate on it. It’s that close….

I often look at Danny Cliffords great photos he’s taken over his career including Quo from back to when he first started out to Quo on the first Frantic Four Re-union Tour earlier this year. A great photographer as is another favourite of mine Christie Goodwin. She and her partner Patrick Cusse are a great team and keep going from strength to strength. Check out her excellent work on www.christiegoodwin.com

The Coles ‘Down Down’ ads get sillier and funnier all the time. They’re now in their fourth year of association with Coles and I’m sure there’s a few more years to go yet. Quo has always been about an underlying humour and devil may care attitude to their many critics over the past fifty years. I’ve often said they’re so uncool they’re really cool. The bands success and longetivity is proof that whatever it is they do they’re doing it right….and I’m very happy to be have been a part of the Quo family for forty-five years.

Think I’d better finish this Blog here and get it off to Jurgen to put up before he starts chasing me again. Thanks as always J.

Love to all
Bob x