Old rockers never die, they simply sell their soul to Coles.

Coles is Australia's second biggest supermarket chain - with 741 stores across Australia. Not as hard-nosed as Tesco, nor as slick an operation as Sainsbury's in the UK and obviously tiny compared to a Walmart or Carreforre elsewhere, but still a giant in the Australian market.

Somewhere in the senior executive of Coles though works a denim clad old rocker. Probably he's balding now, but still with a pony tail at the back of his pate and tassles on the sleeves of his leather suit jacket. He went to the Reading festival sometime in the 70s when it was a 'proper' rock festival.

The only reason I can draw the conclusion that this guy exists (and carries signficant weight with advertising decisions) is Coles continued reliance on Status Quo and their songs to sell their wares (since 2010). Three years I've had to listen to 'Down, down, prices are down' as I wander supermarket isles. The first time I heard it, it brought a wry smile to my face. Now I'm just tortured by the tune. Unsurprisingly the song seems to have been originally written (in 1975) about depression rather than lower prices in a supermarket.

If that wasn't bad enough there's now life size pictures of Francis Rossi alongside giant vegemite jars. Personally I find it hard to believe Francis Rossi even knows what vegemite tastes like.

What's worse is that the ageing rockers have now re-recorded another of their songs 'Whatever you want' to blast out in Coles stores countrywide.

The soft rockers - once a symbol of rebelion now flog cornflakes in Australia.

I'm far from being Status Quo's biggest critic. Sadly I have to admit the first single I ever bought was Quo's "Living on an Island", a single somewhat less succesful compared to some of their other 3 chord classics. Never thought I'd be living on an island myself, while being seranaded by the Quo while I do my daily shop.

As they were

As they are now (how could it come to this?)

Francis with Audrey