With Christmas fast approaching, it was time for a double denim and, one costume change later, leather onesie wearing Suzi to fire up the Quatro and deliver her sixty years of a seemingly seasonal rock’n’roll, with more than a touch of glam, show to her faithful fans. With fellow bassist Glen Matlock and The Shadows’ Bruce Welch amongst others in attendance and, following a smooth as-ever introduction by Whisperin’ Bob Harris, Suzi Q hit The London Palladium stage, bass slung low, diving straight into Johnny O’Keefe’s ‘ effervescent ‘58 tune, Wild One. A couple of deeper cuts, I Might Be Too Young and Daytona Demon, leaned into another, Tear Me Apart, before she revealed her first big hit of the night, Stumblin’ In from her ‘79 album, If You Knew Suzi.
This set up this irrepressible rock & roll trooper to deliver her big bangers with 48 Crash finding Suzi letting her powerful voice loose as the audience sang along with her.
Then came the heavy glam stomp of The Devil In Me, an impressive dark and moody song written with her son that took her music into a fresher quasi metal direction In tonight’s wistful show of Suzi’s greatest musical showbiz moments, she interspersed her set with anecdotal recollections of her life in music aided by a stage screen of film snippets visually detailing her onstage commentary.
Further number one hits Can The Can and Devil Gate Drive had the crowd again stomping on their feet. Yanking out covers of Neil Young’s sardonic Keep On Rockin’ In The Free World and CCR’s uplifting cautionary tale, Bad Moon Rising, both revealing her personal musical faves, it was final tune, Chuck Berry’s Sweet Little Rock & Roller, that defined this 74 year old’s timeless passion for music in this evening’s shared life journey in which she wiggled her ass with a cheeky wink and smile throughout like it was still the early 70s.
Paul Davies
