Rock legends Status Quo are in Blackburn tomorrow for another huge gig as part of their UK tour. JEMMA DOBSON spoke to Rick Parfitt about the life on tour, his secret dislike of Radio One - and a new game. . .

WITH a 35-year career and more hit singles than any other band, Status Quo will be rocking East Lancashire in style tomorrow, like only they now how.

And now fans can now not only watch them live -- they can buy their album, their new single Thinking of You, read their autobiography . . . and also play their new game.

Husky-voiced Rick Parfitt -- with Francis Rossi, one of the band's original members -- said he was looking forward to entertaining the crowds in Blackburn, where he expected the usual "fantastic atmosphere."

The guitar player and vocalist calls himself The Womorr -- The Wild Man Of Rock And Roll -- but he has recently shown the instincts of a canny businessman by launching Name Game. Produced by board game company Upstairs, the band will be relying on it to entertain them on the tour as they travel round 40 venues across the country until Christmas Eve.

Rick, 56, said: "I kind of invented it by accident. We were just bored on the bus, as ever, and I was just sort of playing the game in my head and got the others to join in and then it turned into a bit of a habit. You have to take two initials and think of how many celebrities you can name with them until you can think of no more.

"We've spent many happy and hilarious hours playing the game, even by ourselves. It will do your head in and you'll never stop thinking about it, even in your sleep and the next morning. The game will drive you mad I promise."

Status Quo's current XS All Areas Tour, which is drawing massive audiences all over the country, is proof to Rick of their lasting success -- and something he believes Radio One should have thought about when it announced a ban on airplay for the band.

Rick added: "I'm silently happy that after that their listening figures seem to have dropped and I don't think they have ever really picked back up again. Sweet justice."

After a career to be proud of, Rick said all the time away from home, the long hours on the road --and a quadruple heart by-pass in 1997 -- have all been worth it for the thrill of the performance.

He added: "Getting up on stage is what it's all about and even now we still get an amazing feeling when we are up there. So long as that feeling stays, so will we."

However, Rick shared his favourite embarrassing moment which will reassure all amateur vocalists out there that even the man himself falls on his face sometimes.

He said: "We were on a huge tour in Europe a couple of years ago and I was on stage in front of thousands of people. I was coming forward towards my microphone and went absolutely flying. I tried to make it back up again for my vocal but never did. The falling down is embarrassing enough but the getting up and having to carry on is the worst."