Is the rocking all over the world... all over?

They’ve been singing “here we are and here we are, and here we go” for nearly 40 years, but one day soon Status Quo’s mighty army of fans will be left to chant “and there they went”.

But imagine the world without the Quo.

To their fans, they are as fundamental a part of existence on Earth as gravity or the rising of the sun.

They’ve been going in various guises since 1962 – longer than Dr Who – so it’s been a long time since a Quo-less world.

Guitarist and singer Francis Rossi is pretty relaxed about putting his feet up.

“I want to retire quite soon,” he told the Messenger.

“When you’re younger, you’re kicking and screaming. But as you get older you get to a point when you just want to age gracefully.”

So, what will he do?

“Sit in the garden, I don’t know. When I was younger that seemed anathema to me but it’s just where you get,” he said.

The answer would suggest Rossi hasn’t given much serious thought to the reality of life after the band. But there’s no doubt it’s coming.

The heady days of Live Aid are a distant memory; the trademark pony tail disappeared years ago; and last year Rossi’s beloved 1957 Telecaster decided it had played that boogie rock‘n’roll riff a few thousand times too many – having deteriorated to state where it wouldn’t stay in tune.

His longtime Quo partner Rick Parfitt has shown signs of wear after years of success and excess, having suffered two heart attacks, and a recent interview with Parfitt revealed the two no longer speak, except to discuss the band.

Rossi confirms it.

“We haven’t talked in years,” he said, likening it to a long marriage. “Generally we’re fine. We don’t fall out, we don’t argue. We’ve just grown apart as we’ve got older. He’s flash and bling and I’m not.”

All of which makes for depressing reading for fans.

But don’t get too down down, deeper and down about it. This tour will not be the last, says Rossi, who admits to always being driven to find a success he knows might be impossible to find – “searching for that rainbow – like a carrot in front of your head”.

When it comes to music he’s as enthusiastic as ever, especially when talking about the Aquostic acoustic tour.

“When I was young I wanted to be the Everly Brothers – it was the American thing they had.

“That’s what I like about this. I strum a bit and sing a melody.

“When you play acoustic it’s all there – the bottom end, the top – and there’s no assault on the ears. You get to sing properly.”

But the band’s hard rocking fans need not despair.

Rossi has a new Telecaster for electric gigs and the Quo will be plugged in when they play at Rochester Castle on July 15.

It’s their fifth time there since 2005 and the rock legend confirmed it’s one of his favourite gigs.

“I normally say I don’t look forward to any gig more than any other gig, but I do with this one.

“It’s a nice setting. The funny thing about that gig is we get to stand there and look at that fantastic castle and they [the audience] have to look at us.”