ON TRACK: STATUS QUO'S RHINO ANSWERS OUR QUESTIONS

John 'Rhino' Edwards is taking a break from the day job as bassist with Status Quo and is currently touring the UK and Europe with his side-project, Rhino's Revenge.  

John has a new album coming too.  

Mind you there has been a gap of 15 years between the debut and this newbie.

Is that a record?

"By any standards, that's a long time between albums," Rhino admits, "But when you're fortunate enough to be in a band like Quo, you don't get too much spare time!"  

On Tuesday (March 10), Rhino's Revenge will park up in Wolverton for a date at The Craufurd Arms.

John tackled our On Track questions...

The song that first awakened your musical senses

I was into music from an early age, I used to play violin, in fact I was a bit of a prodigy, scholarship to the London College of Music at 11 years old.

Unfortunately, by then I'd already heard Love Me Do by the Beatles.

I was 10  when I heard it, at that moment I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life.

Turned out all right really...

Physical or digital - how do you take your music?

Physical without a doubt - I still buy CDs and never download music for free

The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me'

Again, Love Me Do - I just wanted to be the fifth Beatle, even though I was 10 years old!

Your best on stage memory

Nezza, a suburb of Mexico city.  Status Quo are gods there, we were playing in a massive outdoor car park and the ground beneath us was literally moving, the crowd were going so wild.  Unforgettable

DCN_5696 Credit Danny Clifford

And the worst gig you've ever done

Too many to mention, but that's what it's all about.

What made you take up the bass guitar?

Watching the band Free.  I went to see them as a guitarist and came out of there a bass player, a complete epiphany  

Which one song by another artist do you wish you had written

'And Your Bird Can Sing' by The Beatles.  As you may have noticed, I'm a bit of a fan

And one - by yourself - which holds special significance

Mine all mine...It's on my first album, Rhino's Revenge, and is about my wife Kathy.  It's the truth, isn't that what it's supposed to be?

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If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?

Probably Jimi Hendrix.  What would I do?  Not overdose!  

Are there any current musical influences you might look to

I'm loving the latest Red Hot Chilli Peppers album.  I haven't always been a fan, but they've really rediscovered themselves.  

It's very easy to lose your way after success, but even harder to get it back on track.  It isn't setting the world on fire sales wise, but it's a real artistic statement.  

If I were sporting a hat, I would be taking it off to them.  Of the new stuff, Arctic Monkeys are ok.  James Ray isn't too bad either

And any genre of music you simply can't stand?

I really don't like dub reggae.  In fact, most reggae leaves me cold and bored

Finally plug the Craufurd Arms gig, and your long-awaited album

I haven't played in Milton Keynes since 1983, I believe, when I supported Thin Lizzy at The Bowl.

It's about time I showed my face in town again!  I hear the Craufurd Arms is a rockin' venue.  

Many of my friends have played there ad they only have good things to say about the venue.  That'll do for me.  If you come along you are going to hear some Quo stuff you won't have heard before, some you will, and some songs off Rhino's Revenge 2, my first album in 14 years.

I'm hoping this will be the first of many visits to Milton Keynes.  Let's get to rockin'!  

Tickets for the date are on sale now, at £6.  Doors at 7.30pm.