Quireboys - Live At Rockpalast 2007 & 1990 (2025)

The Quireboys started their career in the mid-1980s at London's Marquee Club and quickly built up a steadily growing fan base in London and the surrounding area. It was only when the organizer of the prestigious Reading Festival announced in 1987 that the band would only be allowed to perform if they changed their name that The Queerboys finally became The Quireboys.

In 1989, they performed at the Hammersmith Odeon before Guns N' Roses and made a name for themselves beyond London with joint performances with Hanoi Rocks and Yngwie Malmsteen. Without having released a single album, the band soon played their own headlining shows.

When Sharon Osbourne took over management, The Quireboys were signed to EMI for their debut album "A Bit of What You Fancy." The record was a hit, especially in Japan, and the Quireboys' sleaze rock also struck a chord in the US. They toured there with L.A. Guns, Soundgarden, and Iggy Pop, among others, and rocked every big festival in their native England. With Spike (vocals), Guy Bailey (guitar), Guy Griffin (guitar), Nigel Mogg (bass), Rudy Richman (drums), and Chris Johnstone (keyboard), The Quireboys stormed the stage of the WDR Rockpalast in the Live Music Hall in Cologne for the first time on April 4, 1990. The evening's program naturally included songs from their formidable debut album.

Seventeen years later, on October 18, 2007, The Quireboys accepted WDR's second invitation to perform at Rockpalast as part of the popular Crossroads Festival at the Harmonie in Bonn. Apart from Spike, Guy Griffin was the only musician from the "A Bit of What You Fancy" line-up still on stage. Jimi Crutchley had taken over the bass from Nigel Mogg. Paul Guerin (guitar), Pip Mailing (drums), and Keith Weir (keyboard) completed the lineup. "We are The Quireboys ... and this is rock 'n' roll!" Spike announced at the beginning of the concert--and by now, it was clear to everyone where the musical journey would take them.