Quatro strode out with the confidence of someone who’s earned every decibel of applause, launching straight into ‘The Wild One’ before rolling effortlessly into ‘Tired of Waiting’ and ‘Tear Me Apart’. Three songs in, the Forum was already hers - a room full of fans reliving the soundtrack of their youth, and younger gig-goers witnessing a masterclass in rock.
What made the night even more electric was how alive she was on that stage. Suzi’s personality shone through every moment; cracking jokes, firing off cheeky one-liners, moving her hips, winking at the crowd, and clearly revelling in the thrill of performing again. You could feel how much she was enjoying herself, and the audience fed off of it.
Introducing ‘Mama’s Boy’, she grinned and announced, “I need a man to sing this to”. Instantly, wives across the audience started pointing at their husbands and giggling, a ripple of playful teasing that mirrored Suzi’s own humour and the mischievous, magnetic stage presence she’s honed over six decades.
From there, the hits kept coming: ‘I Bit Off More Than I Could Chew’, a crowd-pleasing ‘Stumblin’ In’, and a ferocious ‘48 Crash’, which she cheekily reminded us is “about the male menopause”. The leg-kicks were plentiful - and impressively high - proving that at 75, Quatro still performs with physicality than artists half her age.
Between songs, she slipped into a story time, reflecting on a life steeped in music. All four Quatro siblings, she told us, played three instruments each. She and her sisters formed an all-girl band, The Pleasure Seekers, long before the industry was ready for them. She spoke proudly of her son, who told her at 14 that he wanted to make music - and later made an album with her. And with a wink, she recalled her husband’s “second good idea” in 2016: creating an album alongside rock legends Andy Scott (The Sweet) and Don Powell (Slade) called ‘QSP’ (Quatro, Scott and Powell).
After the interval, Quatro returned in a full leather suit - a sharp switch from her diamond-studded denim and cowboy boots - and opened with a punchy, freedom-soaked rendition of ‘Freedom’. One of the night’s most touching moments came when she spoke about ‘Ain’t Ya Somethin’ Honey’, the track she once recorded onto a cassette for Mickey, the label scout who discovered her back when she was in The Pleasure Seekers. It was a small, intimate window into a career that has shaped generations of rock musicians, especially women musicians.
As the night drew to a close, she asked the crowd to raise their phones for ‘Shine a Light’. The Forum glowed, hundreds of tiny lights held up for a woman who has spent her life blazing her own. Suzi Quatro didn’t just perform in Bath; she claimed it. She reminded us why she’s still here, still touring, still kicking higher than physics should allow. And she proved, once again, that rock and roll isn’t an era…it’s an energy. One she still carries in full force.