Suzi Quatro- Unzipped

The original rock chick, Suzi Quatro, completed a six-night run at the London Hippodrome Casino on Saturday night with her one-woman-show, Unzipped.

Named after her 2007 autobiography, Unzipped weaved the story of Quatro’s life, from the very beginning up to the modern day.

The show consisted of rare photographs, video clips, speech and of course, live performances of some of the fan’s favourite hits to round off the night.

Taking the stage at the piano, Quatro, 62, began to play a small piece of Beethoven. Turning to the audience with a cheeky smile, she announced “Didn’t expect that, did you?” That sentence set the tone for the whole night… for the next 75 minutes the show twisted and turned.

Performing Mack the Knife, she told the story of how herself and her little sister tried to cheer up a recently bereaved widow… which resulted in them getting a front door slammed in their face. As Suzi put it, it was her first professional rejection.

Walking over to the set of bongos in the centre, Suzi announced her talent as a bongo player. Performing a medley of three-chord songs ranging from Twist and Shout by The Beatles, she ended with Summer Nights.

True to her tale in the autobiography, Suzi explained that being a Gemini she is two different people: Little Susie from Detroit and Suzi Quatro- they are the same, they are different, and one cannot survive without the other.

Gasps could be heard throughout the room as Quatro told the now famous story of how she declined an invitation to Graceland to meet her hero, Elvis Presley, before launching into a cover of All Shook Up, the song which featured on her 1973 debut album and won her the invitation in the first place. Her band, consisting of drums, guitar, piano and saxophone all took turns to solo during this number before Suzi Q announced “My turn!” and played an electrifying bass solo… who else could make a bass solo so entertaining?

A somewhat reserved crowd was largely reluctant to stand up at the end of the night as Quatro briefly left the stage and returned wearing her trademark leather jumpsuit to perform full-band versions of Can the Can and Devil Gate Drive, before ending with the only encore song, If You Can’t Give Me Love.

Suzi commented: “(This is) a dream come true. At the age of 62, how lucky am I? Little Susie and Suzi Quatro are both very very happy.”

Quatro is still performing worldwide, and released a new studio album, In the Spotlight, last year.

It can be purchased here. 

Suzi and I before the show, photo by Harri Asikainen.