![\"Parfitt](\"https:\/\/www.diaryofanadi.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/quo_1.jpg\" "\\"Parfitt")
<\/p>\nI\u2019m late with this one, too. I took my first trip to the Leeds Arena on 17 December 2013 to see Status Quo on their annual tour (as I\u2019ve explained before, my best mate who lives in Leeds is a huge fan).<\/p>\n
The Arena (full current title: The First Direct Arena) is quite impressive and it already seems to be developing a reputation among artists who are asking to play there. It is unique in the UK by virtue of its shape \u2013 it\u2019s like a huge fan, and the hype says that no seat is any more than 60m away from the stage. Bruce Springsteen played there first in July 2013, though the official first act was Elton John in September 2013. Pearl Jam are schedule to play there in July 2014, so the venue isn\u2019t short on big names wanting to go there.<\/p>\n
Francis Rossi certainly commented on it during this show (he\u2019s apparently commented on his dislike of Sheffield\u2019s Arena before according to my mate), saying that it was a good venue. We were seated to the right of the stage at floor level, which wasn\u2019t bad \u2013 but it\u2019s worth pointing out that the stage is very wide, and half of block D (where we were) is somewhat off to one side (mental note to self: in future aim to get tickets in block C, high seat numbers in block B, or low seat numbers in block D. Don\u2019t touch blocks A and E with a bargepole).<\/p>\n
The support act was 10cc. Now, I never liked 10cc back in the 70s \u2013 I didn\u2019t specifically hate them, but they just weren\u2019t my cup of tea. And they still aren\u2019t. But that mustn’t detract from their innate musicianship, and certainly, large sections of the audience were obviously huge fans (though the typical Quo gig-goer these days would probably have behaved the same way if it had been Miley Cyrus or Lady GaGa up there).<\/p>\n
Status Quo were as impressive as ever. They played many of their classics such as Caroline, Roll Over Lay Down, Whatever You Want, and Rockin\u2019 All Over The World. I can\u2019t remember them playing anything off Quid Pro Quo, their 2011 album, which was a shame because I like Two Way Traffic. However, they played a few songs from Bula Quo, their 2013 album.<\/p>\n
I picked my mate up from his house outside Leeds and we parked in a municipal car park with a ticket machine that required an IQ greater than 140 to operate (something that was obviously lacking in the people who were using it in front of me). Like most cities with music venues, Leeds\u2019 car parks are run by people with previous criminal records for fraud, and it cost \u00a38.50 (if memory serves) for less than 4 hours of parking.<\/p>\n
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