Status Quo legend Francis Rossi can't wait to be back at Scarborough's Open Air Theatre - and have a "chip sandwich"

The frontman of Status Quo was talking to the Scarborough News about the show, which opens this summer’s season of live music (and comedy) at the iconic North Bay venue.

"I love Scarborough,” he said.

"I don't know what it is.

"It’s not a glamorous name, as opposed to Nice, but I like it there.

“I woke up there last autumn (when he’d performed at Scarborough Spa) to see that someone had written Quo in the sand.

“I had the best fish and chips. They’re so much better than what we have in the south.

"I’ve been to Whitby and had scampi there, so I’ll have to have that in Scarborough too."

He said he fancies a chip butty with thick bread and vinegar “dripping all over” as a treat while he’s in town.

This will be the rock n’ rollers’ fourth time at the Open Air Theatre, having previously performed in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

"We’re looking forward to the gig. We’ve done it a few times and it’s unique,” he said.

"There’s something about it and that’s why it’s stuck in my mind and has done for years.”

Fans needn’t expect any surprises though.

"We play who we are,” said Rossi, 74.

"People ask what the audience can expect – we’re going to do a Status Quo catalogue, so there’ll be In The Army Now, Rockin’ All Over the World, Down Down, Whatever You Want, Caroline and so on, and so on.

"I always find it funny to say ‘we’re going to do Chicory Tip’.

"You can’t have a career as long as ours and say ‘no we don’t want to play that one now’… we will do our best to make it a successful evening.

"We will try our damnedest to do that and if it’s a fabulous night, we’ll feel that vibe off the audience that it’s worked!”

Quo famously opened the Live Aid concert at Wembley in 1985 which was to raise money for famine relief in Africa.

They were reluctant to perform at first but Sir Bob Geldof kept pushing and pushing and said ‘if you commit, so and so will do it’ – the same thing he said to all the bands, said Rossi.

"There were all sorts of arguments about who wanted to go on first and we said ‘we’ll do it’ not thinking we would need to be there for the finale – and we hit every news reel around the world.

"No-one realised it was going to get that big.

"It was a great thing to do, the atmosphere in the audience was unique and it was filling up at 9.30am.

"I’ve never felt an audience like it or since.”

But he said fish and chips by the seaside will be a must when Quo are back to rock the coast – and if you want another chance to see them, they are also at The Piece Hall in Halifax on August 13.

“I’ve got to find a thick sliced loaf, some cheap malt vinegar, not that posh stuff, or do I have a bit of fish first?

"I’ll work it out and I will go to bed fat stomached.”

Status Quo kick off the Open Air Theatre season on Sunday June 2.

Other big names in this summer’s schedule include Paul Weller, Anne Marie and Madness.