'Each time I play Scarborough it has some profound effect on me’ - Rock legend Francis Rossi looks ahead to Spa show

Reporter Claudia Bowes recently interviewed rock legend Francis Rossi via Zoom and was understandably very star struck.

That is until the renowned musician started cracking jokes and swearing like a sailor.

The interview was full of little asides, raucous laughter, and interruptions by two very adorable pets, as is par for the course when on a Zoom call.

Francis spoke about his upcoming tour, reminisced about his previous shows on the Yorkshire coast, and named the artists he has most enjoyed working with, including Scarborough favourite Robert Palmer.

What makes this upcoming show different from the other shows you have done?

Well it's with an acoustic guitar and I sit down a lot, because I am getting old!

Initially the show started as a chat show - I released a book called I Talk Too Much (Francis laughed and said you will soon find out why).

The promoter asked me if I wanted to bring along a guitar and sing a song or two - initially I said no but I came round to the idea and I ended up really liking it.

It could be the sense of freedom, it could be that it feels fresh to do it after all this time in a band, and it achieves that sense of intimacy.

Because I like talking, I tell some stories and I try to make people laugh because it makes you feel secure if an audience laughs at you - or rather with you!

There is something about the insecure little show-off that needs those people. I tell the audience don’t ever let an artist kid you that they don’t need you.

Without you they wouldn't be on that stage.

I am very insecure really, but I am a show-off; it's a contradiction all the time.

And if you are not an insecure little show-off, you’re a big head; that is everyone in showbiz.

You have performed in Scarborough a few times- do you enjoy playing here?

I have never told this story before. I met a truly wonderful looking girl in Scarborough when I was younger.

The more I have thought about it afterwards, I was definitely what you call punching above my weight.

She was stunning - I saw her about three or four times, and she must have thought ‘Oh that’s enough of that thank you’ and I was somewhat devastated!

So I always remember Scarborough from that point of view!

We have played at the Open Air Theatre and now that outdoor venue is just a joy to play.

Each time I have played in Scarborough it has had some profound effect on me and I do very much like that sense of yesteryear.

Now I don’t mean that in a derogatory way, it is just lovely.

I love to walk around Scarborough, apart from that sheer uphill bit on the seafront.

I leave that or I would fall down, now that I am 51 (at which point Francis grins and winks).

I have been to Scarborough many times and I very much enjoy going there.

I’ve been to Bridlington Spa too - we had such a great show there last time.

Who has been your favourite artist to work with over the years?

I met Jeff Lynne (ELO) when I was about 15 or 16 and I've always been an extreme fan of his.

He is the closest thing to a hero that I have.

He must have been so fed up of hearing me say how wonderful he is by now, because he's quite a shy person.

I liked The Beatles, and I really always wanted to be like The Everly Brothers.

Robert Palmer, I loved working with him a lot, The Nolans too.

I worked with the Beach Boys, and I never thought I would like working with them, but they're such delightful people.

They’re some of the nicest people I ever met.

Do you have a favourite song that you're looking forward to performing at this more intimate setting?

I wrote a song called Tongue Tied, and I just think it's one of the best things I've ever written, and I love to do it.

When you're doing a gig, you want as many people as possible to like the songs you're doing, but I explain to the audience this song, Tongue Tied, is one that I love to sing.

After all of Status Quo’s incredible hits, can you tell when a song is going to be a hit?

Andrew Bown and I would be able to say, ‘Well, Top 20, Top 10 maybe, or Top 5,’ - back then you could tell.

Things really did change, so it's hard to do it now.

There are songs that I get really blinded and besotted by.

With some I've been so right, In the Army Now, I fought the record company because I wanted it released.

To me, it was either going to be a huge hit or a complete nothing.

The trouble is that some of the others that I've been blinded by were complete nothings.

You definitely can't tell so easily in this era.

We would sell an album and people would sit and listen to the album. But now, people just sample one song.

How does it feel doing solo work after being in a band for so long?

With my solo work there's a certain freedom that I've never had being in a band.

And it doesn't mean I didn't like being in a band.

With bands, you have four or five members, have their own personalities.

One of them was scared of everything and what his parents might say, another one had an ego: ‘I can't hear me, I can't hear my guitar’.

Having spent a lot of my career not being able to do what I want, just the joy of having that freedom is amazing.

People ask ‘Why are you still doing it?’ - I don't know what else to do, and if I stop, then what happens? You just vegetate.

So many people 20 years younger than me retire and fizzle out and die.

They had no reason to get up, and there is something about us that needs to have purpose.

♦ Francis Rossi will perform his new show Songbook: Quo – Past, Present, Future at Scarborough Spa on October 15.

Visit https://www.scarboroughspa.co.uk/whats-on/francis-rossi-2026 for more information.