Suzi Quatro live review: The Queen of Rock and Roll reigns supreme

Watford Colosseum 11th April 2026

You don’t mess with the Queen of Rock and Roll. And at Watford Colosseum, Suzi Quatro proved exactly why that crown still fits.

From the moment she stalked onstage, bass slung low, attitude dialled to eleven, this wasn’t a nostalgia trip, despite the hit-heavy set. Suzi makes this show a full-throttle celebration of a career that’s still accelerating, with a new album out and no signs of slowing. After more than 60 years in the business as a performer, radio host, and writer, she’s still delivering. That’s not a legacy act, that’s bona fide legend status.

It all began in Detroit, playing drums in her father’s jazz band, before forming the all-girl group The Pleasure Seekers. A solo career was inevitable. Crossing the Atlantic, she teamed up with producer Mickie Most and promptly rewrote the rulebook for women in rock, pedal to the metal, never once checking the rear-view mirror.

Kicking off with “The Wild One,” the gig roared into life, quickly shifting gears through “I May Be Too Young” and the punchy, groove-heavy “Daytona Demon.” The rhythm section - Suzi’s beloved “engine” - kept everything rumbling as classics like “Tear Me Apart” and “Mama’s Boy” landed with real sass and bite.

There’s something special about hearing these songs live: they don’t feel dated, they feel dangerous, incendiary. Delivered with glam, rock, and a proto-punk, devil-may-care attitude. And Suzi? She’s still the coolest person in the room.

Slowing things down just enough to breathe, “Stumblin’ In” had the crowd swaying before the energy surged again through “48 Crash” and “I Sold My Soul Today.” A gritty cover of “Slow Down” and a storming take on “Rockin’ in the Free World” showed her influences still burn bright—though she never performs a cover she hasn’t made her own.

Set two opened with “Freedom,” the title track from her latest album and proof she’s not just coasting on legacy. And frankly, there aren’t many female performers in their 70s still touring, making new music, and commanding a stage like this, without compromise or concession.

New material sat comfortably alongside the hits, especially the shimmering “Shine a Light,” her collaboration with KT Tunstall. Ever the trailblazer, she urged the audience to look within, find their own light, and never let anyone extinguish it. A beautiful moment with phone lights held aloft swaying along to those empowering lyrics.

From there, it was a victory lap of pure rock ‘n’ roll joy: “She’s in Love With You,” “Too Big,” a thunderous bass solo and drum duet, and then the moment everyone had been waiting for “Can the Can.” Fifty years on from that first No.1, the place erupted, with the previously seated audience, on their feet, dancing in the isles, making their way to the foot of the stage in awe and excitement.

“Devil Gate Drive,” “If You Can’t Give Me Love,” and a riotous “Sweet Little Rock & Roller” felt like a party that refused to end, before the emotional “Singing With Angels” brought things to a close.

There’s a famous line from Suzi: asked in her 30s when she’d retire, she said she’d stop when she could “shake my ass and the audience is silent.” Decades later, that silence, thankfully, hasn’t arrived, and judging by this crowd, it’s not coming anytime soon.

This wasn’t just a gig. It was a masterclass in longevity, swagger, and sheer rock and roll joy. Suzi Quatro doesn’t just perform, she owns the stage. Because some things don’t fade. Some things don’t slow down. And you really, really don’t mess with the Queen of Rock and Roll.