Francis Rossi talks ‘The Accidental’ at Union Chapel – Report by Dawn Osborne

Friends, colleagues, fans of Francis Rossi and press gathered in the gothic splendour of the Union Chapel taking advantage to wonderful acoustics to listen to Francis Rossi’s new solo album ‘The Accidental’. It’s streaked through with Status Quo DNA, while being more adventurous than Status Quo, replete with sixties and seventies influences and, at times, Rossi sounds in his twenties. After applause for the album there was a q and a in which Rossi told us how much doing this album had rejuvenated him. He looks in good health and very smart in a suit, a tie (which he tells us  comes from being a mod), and very, very shiny shoes.

At first Rossi recounted how he had said no to a solo album, but after writing some songs and then reluctantly going in the studio with guitarist Hiran Llangantilike who he had known “since he was about twelve”, Rossi found he was actually enjoying himself. So Rossi said this album was an accident “like my 8 children”, hence its title. He also had a “joyous experience” with long time producer Andy Brook. The artwork is based on a photo near where he lived.

The evening is full of comedy from the off. Rossi swears like the proverbial trooper and says exactly what he is thinking, including telling everyone he hates holding a microphone as it reminds him of when he has something similarly shaped in his hand which he never wants near his lips. So utterly British in a ‘Carry On .. ‘ sense the crowd burst out laughing and hang on every word. He also burst into song frequently, seemingly able to remember melodies much more easily than the names of tracks to illustrate what he was saying.

When explaining some of the youthful falsetto lyrics on the album Rossi said that bands usually take the piss out of each other, but working just on his own with Brook he felt liberated and braver. They tried new things and if they didn’t work they re-did them till they did. Each day he felt they tried something else and he lost his self consciousness. He appreciated how, unlike other talented producers, Brook was not trying to show how good he was above all else. He felt Brook had a common goal with him, not trying to show superiority or outdo everyone.

Rossi said that in a band environment he found himself giving way to others ideas and then wishing later he had stuck to his guns. As a solo project he felt he could assert his view more easily and, also, that musicians he had worked with in Quo who contributed to the record like John “Rhino” Edwards on bass were more willing to take direction, respecting this was a project under Rossi’s name. Rossi preferred this to the tension that can arise in band projects as he’s not good with confrontation.

Discussing what drives him on, he said doing the actual work of his job was the incentive, not the fruits of it. Rossi actually prefers when he has a full schedule and routine to follow every day: gig, shower, eat, walk, sleep, get up and do it over again. He also recognised how he wanted to be liked, arising from the popularity of the Beatles which he thought must be great to have. Having started doing his chat style show he said he was getting more confident in himself, but he is always trying to improve. When he started it was about world domination, now it was about improving the songs. He appears uncomfortable when he gets a compliment, but he confided that it’s not because he does not like compliments, it’s just that he never wants to seem to be the one who believes his own press and thinks the sun shines out of his proverbial. “There’s no one up my bottom, my bottom is vacant”.

On the famous trope that Status Quo consists of three chords, he said he likes Blues, Country, Italian Opera and Classical and there are utterly perfect classical pieces that are essentially three notes. “If it’s a good song, doesn’t matter how many chords”. But he doesn’t mind criticism as “it stopped me being a bit big headed”. He said he thought Quo did “some really great stuff and quite a lot of shit like everyone else”. He observed that “virtuoso is boring”, “doing something with passion is the rest of us – the Sex Pistols with their energy it meant something”, “if it’s just good I’ll go and do a crossword”. “Down Down Deeper and Down sounded good for pop music, primal really”.

Whilst he said that Rick Parfitt enjoyed a drink and liked hanging round with Queen and Rod Stewart, Rossi confessed that apart from the period where he was drinking, he’s not really into socializing. “I just like doing my thing and going home, but I did like writing with Andy Brook for this album”.

On the future of Quo he said if they did anything it would be in a couple of years when he would be 79 and the others would be older too, so we would have to wait and see. He did stop at one point to tell everyone that he did not expect them to go to his funeral which visibly endeared him to the audience. (If I said they’d be dying to go I’d be allowing Rossi’s humour to rub off on me.) Rossi may do another solo album and is doing a solo tour in March. At one point he says he will probably continue till he falls down dead, again taking a leaf out of Rossi’s book, thank f*ck for that!

Words:Dawn Osborne

Photo Credit: Clayton Smith Photography