Another magic night for a bunch of lonely hearts :o) joined in a big family.
Roger Hodgson (voice, keyboard, grand piano, 12 strings guitar) performed a show in Castellón, together with Aaron McDonnald from Canada (saxophone, clarinet, back vocals, harmonica and keyboard)
After dozens concerts I’ve attended along the years, for me the most important is the special connection between Roger and the audience, everybody sharing their passion and enjoying every minute. It’s not only music and you can realize it watching the long long applause before Roger came to the stage, and after the show he had to do two encores …… amazing !
Well, Roger could stay on stage just doing anything, just smailing and looking at the people, and I’m sure the audience (and me too….) would continue clapping and enjoying his presence next to us for hours. And he knows that and he really appreciate that, he feels the love from the audience and feels good. His wonderful melodies are the soundtrack of our lives, and for all of us, Roger can be a kind of brother, or son, or daddy. And everybody feel really good and happy when someone from your family come back home after a long trip, but he was all the time in your heart :o)
The voice was pretty good during the show despite the throat pain, even better in the second half. And Roger did an extraordinary effort because his voice sounded pretty powerful some times and the people was not able to stand seated while Dreamer or Give a little bit or It’s raining again were sounding. For me it was a nice surprise the song «Teach me love again«, really relaxing song.
Roger spoke to the audience after every song, some times in spanish, always joking and sharing his natural sense of humour.
The show finished after the encore (Roger performed Give a little bit in order to give good vibrations and positive energy to the audience for the way back home, he said) but a long long long applause forced Roger to a second encore, and he did it happily :o) and after Two of us he asked for audience’s request. Unfortunatelly the syntethizer sound for «The Fool’s overture» was not pre-programmed in the keyboard and so he was not able to perform that. Finally he decided to play «Child of Vision«, (not played for three years he said) with the little help from Aaron with the saxophone (jaming) and the song was really brillant !!! I tell you the truth this song was not planned before the show……
What a nice ending for a magic show !!!
The sound was spectacular, really clear and powerfull, as good as the best. Obviously thanks to the good acoustics in the venue, the good equipment, and the great job of Roger and the sound engineer.
I was looking at the faces of the friends and audience along the show and in the backstage while Roger was signing autographs,….. the only word is «happiness», so simple.
Thanks again Roger !
Miguel Angel Candela (MAC)
Photo: Aaron, MAC, Roger and The Logical Group
SETLIST
Take the long way home
Give a little bit
Hide in your shell
Teach me to love again
Easy does it
Sister moonshine
Along came Mary
The logical song
Intermission
Rosie had everything planned
Breakfast in America
Lovers in the wind
Even in the quietest moments
Don’t leave me now
Dreamer
It’s raining again
ENCORE
School
Give a little bit
ENCORE
Two of us
Child of vision
Otra noche mágica para unos corazones solitarios :o) unidos en una gran familia.
Concierto acústico de Roger Hodgson (voz, teclado, gran piano, guitarra 12 cuerdas) junto con el canadiense Aaron McDonnald (saxophone, clarinete, voces, teclado)
Tras disfrutar docenas de conciertos de Roger en estos últimos años, lo más importante para mi es la especial conexión entre Roger y el público, siempre entregado y compartiendo esta pasión cada minuto del show. No es solo música, se nota un cariño especial en el ambiente y te das cuenta de ello desde el primer largo aplauso antes de que Roger salga a escena, que le impide siquiera comenzar a tocar durante unos minutos, agradeciendo el recibimiento del público.
Y al final, tuvo que realizar dos bises !!! e improvisar algún tema que no estaba planeado, lo puedo corroborar pues tenía en mis manos el setist antes del concierto gracias a colaborar con el staff organizativo en algunos asuntos….. increible !
Bueno, visto el ambiente puedo asegurar que Roger podría estar en el escenario sin hacer nada, solo mirando a la gente y sonriendo, y todos continuaríamos aplaudiendo durante largo rato agradeciendo su presencia junto a nosotros.
Y Roger lo sabe y lo aprecia realmente, se siente a gusto en el escenario, pero lo suyo es tocar y cantar, entregarse en cada show.
Sus maravillosas melodías y atmósferas son la banda sonora de nuestras vidas, y para cada uno de nosotros Roger puede ser una especie de hermano o hijo o padre. Y todo el muno se siente feliz cuando alguien de la familia regresa a casa tras un largo viaje, no ? Siempre estuvo en nuestros corazones a pesar de la distancia :o)
Su voz estuvo a gran nivel durante el show a pesar del resfriado que arrastra desde hace más de una semana, incluso mejor en la segunda parte del show. Pidió disculpas por el resfriado y realizó un gran esfuerzo pues su voz sonó bastante potente la mayor parte del tiempo, excepto en las notas altas.
Roger, como es habitual en sus conciertos, se dirigió en muchas ocasiones al público entre canción y canción, algunas veces en castellano, y siempre bromeando, demostrando mucha cercanía y complicidad.
La audiencia del Auditori de Castellón no pudo permanecer sentada mientras sonaban exitos como Dreamer, Give a little bit o It’s raining again. Para mi fué una sorpresa el tema inédito «Teach me love again«, muy relajante, casi una nana, interpretado por primera vez en Europa (el estreno mundial fué la semana pasada en Wisconsin).
El show acabó tras el primer bis (con el tema Give a little bit, que Roger dedicó a la audiencia para darles energía positiva y buenas vibraciones en su viaje de vuelta a casa, dijo) pero un larguísimo aplauso y vítores obligaron a Roger a salir de nuevo, y lo hizo feliz y contento dispuesto a satisfacer a la audiencia y tras el tema Two of us preguntó qué tema tocar.
Muchos le pedimos Fool’s overture pero desgraciadamente nos dijo ( y demostró tocando el teclado) que no tenía el sonido de sintetizador programado. Finalmente decidió de improviso tocar «Child of Vision«, que comentó que hace tres años que no tocaba, con la ayuda de Aaron improvisando con el saxo en lugar del solo de piano. Fué increible, sonó como si la hubieran ensayado, pero no era así, simplemente son grandes !!
Que gran final para un gran show !!!
El sonido fué espectacular, realmente claro y potente como pocos conciertos en mi vida. De lo mejor.
Obviamente el resultado de una gran acústica del Auditori, un buen equipo de sonido y el gran trabajo de Roger y su Ingeniero de sonido.
Estuve mirando las caras de la gente y amigos durante el show y backstage mientras Roger firmaba autógrafos y se hacía fotos con los fans….. y la única palabra para describir eso es «felicidad», así de simple.
Gracias de nuevo Roger !
Miguel Angel Candela
Pedro Calvache, Barcelona (Roger’s role within The Logical Group band)
Well, I have no words to describe how great experience it was. What a nice weekened.
Since I’m in the role of Roger Hodgson within the Logical Group and I want to catch and study every single small detail from the Roger playing and singing I’ve learned a lot in both aspects, and also I got good vibrations from Roger in person.
I was really happy to meet him again, we love him and we are really grateful forever. I was impressed about the clear sound from the Roger’s voice and guitar, and the wonderful harmonic sounds. Performing alone (without a band) you can realize every little detail, sound, breath, cry, ….. but is great also when he performs with a band or orchestra.
I do can realize how great job Roger did in the seventies with his songs and even he was improving a lot of details along the years.
I also realize how great job Roger did whith the sounds from his keyboard (piano, wurlitzer, strings, etc….) in order to get the best and warms sounds.
I’ve attended a Elthon John show recently, and the quality of the sound was much better in the Roger ‘s show.
The music from Roger is magic, and you can realize it even more when you try to play and sing his songs.
We all the band enjoyed a lot and I’ll be in the next show in Spain for sure. We love you Roger.
The Logical Group and friends
Daniel Fernandez, Barcelona (bass player in The Logical Group)
«The concert was a big experience for me & The Logical Group. In my opinion the sound was perfect. You could hear a perfect clear guitar, piano and keyboard, and winds. Roger has a really good technique for playing his accoustic guitars,
and it’s incredible how he can musically fill the ambient alone on stage, with his guitar and his voice. He sung as good as always, even having voice problems, because he’d got a cold two days before. You could hear little very difficulties in the singing sometimes, but he was amazingly singing better at the end of the gig. The setlist was good. He played a precious new song, and the all-time hits, and at last… … Child of vision !! (I love you, Roger). I can’t say anything more.
Amazing voice, perfect sound, and marvellous person. He was so sweet when I met him in the backstage.
I just wanted to hug him again. Thanks to the «wind section player» Aaron too: he’s a funny and very good man.
He plays very sweet and powerfully. Best wishes for him. And thanks to the management and sound engineers.»
Julian (Alicante)
Hello,
my name is Julian and I’m one of the lucky people who enjoyed the Roger’s concert last Saturday in Castellón(Spain). It was just wonderful!
I’m fan of Roger from I was fourteen (Now I’m forty) and I’ve surprised myself about how I felt (as a teenager) during the show (I have to say that I was not the only one…) The public was completely devoted to such this great music.
What can I say about Roger? He was so kind and so close! It’s easy to guess that he’s even better person than musician.
It helped a lot also the good and nice venue, the auditorium: the sound was really good and the smart ambient was the right for the Roger’s music. I would like also to congratulate Aaron. His playing was the perfect complement to the Roger’s voice and he was leading man in some of the best moments of the night (not only because his Spanish words…)
In summary, again an unforgettable experience and waiting for the next (please, Roger, don’t take so long time to come back!)
Without doubt, Rogers gave a little(?) bit of his love for us! And we gave a little bit love to him !
Foto: Miguel Angel Candela
Believe it or not, Roger is in the middle of the group :o)
Carlos (Valencia)
I loved the new song (teach me love again) simple, emotional, sounds a bit «Supertramp», and I enjoyed too the song «Rosie», with the melodica (wow !!). I’d love to hear more songs from that album, still fresh and special, in this current style.
What a shame the problem of the Roger’s voice. What a great show. I still can’t belive I was next to him after the show,
it was a dream. I love him.