Weinheimer Nachrichten / Odenwälder Zeitung
Captions:
Aaron: Virtuoso and soulful: Aaron McDonald from Canada, Roger Hodgson’s friend and musical companion, not only his clarinet playing was impressive
Roger: Bright through the night: Roger Hodgson visibly enjoyed playing at the open air in Weinheim’s palace garden.
Photos: Schilling
Audience: About 3500 people filled the venue during Roger Hodgson’s open air concert at Weinheim’s palace garden. They experienced an authentic singer and enjoyed the unforgettable hits of Supertramp, which fueled his worldwide fame. Along with Canadian multi-instrumentalist Aaron McDonald they made a perfectly harmonizing duo.
Weinheim
The return of the inspired hit maker
Weinheim. Roger Hodgson advises his musical colleagues who are at the peak of their careers and who are the primary aim of music managers and promoters to take some time off. It takes some distance to come back to yourself and to follow your own path he says. Hodgson left Supertramp, started a family and moved them to the countryside, he survived a life crisis with two broken wrists and returned to the spotlight.
He comes strolling out on the stage in Weinheim’s palace garden, totally relaxed and with a smile on his face which comes from very deep within himself. He’s enchanted not only by the applause of the 3.500 music fans which starts to roar even before the piano resounds. He’s enchanted by the wonderful summer evening and starts to play the opener «Take the Long Way Home».
It’s the detours which give you a thrill in life and keep human beings in motion. It’s the uncomfortable questions which Hodgson has asked himself during his youth and which neither parents nor school could answer. And so he started to write and compose, he put his thoughts and feelings into the lyrics and notes and he had the privilege to experience that he can reach the hearts of his listeners through his music. The most beautiful job that he could imagine gets him into dialogue with himself and his fans over and over again. And the fans in Germany are particularly attentive, as he tells the audience later during the show.
Deep feelings
But that is mainly due to Hodgson’s voice which even at the age of 60 sounds fresh and warm, but also is due to the melodies and the distinctive rhythm of his clearly structured hits. Whether during «Give a Little Bit», «School» or «Breakfast in America»: The former head of Supertramp opens his songs in a way that the first measure and the first verse grab the listeners and take them for a ride.
He leads them through history and presents them with deep emotions and insights through
passages which are compositionally opening and soul-expanding.
Patina of the decades
Timeless is what the inspired man says. But the way in which he sings about the Love and personal growth becomes even more haunting through the patina of the decades which lies upon pieces like «Hide in Your Shell», more haunting and more authentic. Hodgson could have gathered a band to on tour. But even in this regard he remains true to himself. He got together with Aaron McDonald, his Canadian musical friend and thus chose the intimate alternative.
The multi-instrumentalist by his side forms a musical symbiosis with Hodgson’s guitar and grand piano by playing a wailing sax, fluent clarinet and flute passages as well as sharp synthesizer sequences.
The audience gives a different vibe to the second part of the evening; but not only the fans who have meanwhile flocked together in front of the stage have given up their restraint. Roger Hodgson and Aaron McDonald are turning into the home stretch with «Dreamer». During «Fools Ouvertüre» the times return during which bands like Queen or Genesis generated pop and rock songs, allowing themselves protruding, operatic sound and speech collages.
Night has fallen as the pop minstrel in white shirt and dark waistcoat and his ingenious companion return to the stage for two encores.
The park is buzzing with excitement during «School» and is dancing during «It’s Raining Again».
Even when Roger Hodgson sings about the rain, he does have a sunny vibe.
Article: 07-26-10