Rock legend heads to Corran Halls

At 76 there is no stopping this man of many words - spoken and sung. To hear him for yourself, get your tickets booked quick as gigs on this whirlstop road tour of the UK are running low on seats.

This is a chance to listen to just some of the ’crazy stuff’ and secrets firsthand from his rock n roll years - from backstage tales to stories about being on the road, revealing what life is really like in one of Britain’s biggest and best-loved bands.

Francis will also be performing many of his signature hits that made the Quo name, plus some personal favourites and deeper cuts - and there will be songs that he has never played before in that way. Think you know him - not yet you don’t.

Rossi is a witty man with a fast-thinking chatty humour that charms. He started our interview with a cheery rendition of Good Morning, Good Morning - before I could get a word in...then eased in a gentle reprimand for being 22 seconds late. The show promoter had also urged me to stick to time on the call and not to over-run the allotted 30 minutes to get the low-down on what the Oban audience can look forward to in the spring when the frontman comes to our west coast town.

You might spot him out on the esplanade when he is here, taking one of his 12-minute walks he embarks on after eating, all part of the disciplined regime that keeps him ticking on tour, which includes being served up his evening meal at 2.30pm.

Quinoa might be a daily dish but Francis is a man with a huge and healthy appetite for life and enjoying himself, he hopes his audiences will enjoy themselves too. He says he is not needy for ego-massages but admits to being a closet show-off, like lots of other folk if they can be honest with themselves, and does get a kick out of being centre-stage - so seeing as it is a one-man gig that won’t be too hard to achieve.

"There is no script" Francis told me. "I don’t really no what I’m going to say on the night until I go on but there’s lots of it, so many stories. Tell them don’t be late, there’s lots to go through!" he added - and yes, there is lots, from appearing over 100 times on Top Of The Pops to Live Aid, life with Rick Parfitt, the big hits and the fellow stars. Of course there have been misadventures too.

With extra dates added to this tour, Rossi, who will mostly be playing his Acoustasonic guitar on the night, which has the ring and sound of a Telecaster, is looking forward to seeing and entertaining Oban again - his last show at the Corran Halls was in 2023.

"There are so many places and so may halls when you are on the road. Oban was one of the pleasant ones as I recall - although I think I’d remember it in lots more detail if it had been horrendous!" he said.

What else comes to mind when he thinks of coming to Oban - well he likes a bit of Tweed and some seafood would be good, he says hoping Oban’s appetite for him will be just as great.