Electric guitar player Francis Rossi has announced that he is to tour as a solo act for the first time in his career.
The Status Quo frontman has notched up more than 60 hit singles with fellow Fender Telecaster player Rick Parfitt, including Pictures of Matchstick Men, Down Down, Caroline and Mean Girl.
He is now gearing up to release a new solo album, which will be supported by a series of dates in the UK in May 2010.
This will include appearances in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester and London, as well as Cardiff and Sheffield.
According to Rossi, he has decided to go solo in order to air tracks that he deemed were not right for Quo.
"These songs have been gathering dust in my mind for too long and now seems the right time to showcase them," he commented.
Rossi added that going on a solo tour is a "big step" for him to take.
The announcement comes amid Status Quo's annual UK tour, which calls at Newcastle tonight.
