WHEN they’ve been doing it for half a century, you might think it’d be hard to say something new about Status Quo.

That’s some going by Messrs Parfitt and Rossi, but their appeal endures for their legions of fans, despite the stick that they have had over the years from some quarters for being three-chord, one-trick ponies.

But that’s unfair, because if you listen to Quo properly, you’ll hear rock ‘n’ roll with a 50s influence, heavy rock, Blues, a tinge of folk and more besides.

And, despite their longevity, they proved earlier this year that they can still do something different, when they performed their first-ever acoustic show (called Aquostic, obviously). It went down a storm and proved that they are as versatile as the next band.

But, at their traditional pre-Christmas Bournemouth gig, this year part of the 11-date Live in Concert tour, the Quo were doing what they do best – playing a rip-roaring, flawless show.

The boys could do this in their sleep, of course, but they always give it their all, with a gigantic back catalogue to delve into.

From the slow build intro of Whatever You Want to tonight’s opener Caroline – which featured Rick Parfitt silhouetted against a curtain in a great visual start to the show – Live Aid-opener Rockin’ All Over the World, which was the closer of the main set here, or the dirty Blues of Roll Over Lay Down, Quo have a wider range than many give them credit for.

And there was a nod to the recent gigs that the original Quo line-up did earlier this year and last, with a good chunk of heavy Frantic Four rock.

Thanks to my father I’ve grown up with Status Quo and have seen them many times over the past 20 years.

Yes, there were many tour t-shirts on show and yes, there was an inflatable guitar in the crowd, but if anything, my appreciation for what they do and what they’ve achieved continues to grow.

And, talking of longevity, a mention for support act Chas and Dave – great fun and a much bigger sound than you’d ever imagine.