Breakfast In Spain - Roger Hodgson and Supertramp website

En español a continuación

Interlaken 27th August 2005, Move To Rugenrock Festival

SWITZERLAND: Rivers overflow, flooding, festivals, music, friendship and others natural disasters..... Part II

At 1:30 pm afternoon the festival started with a local band, so no soundcheck.
The stage was placed in the land of the beer factory "Rugen", a wooded hill next to the city, a nice and calm place for the festival, just a walk from the downtown.
The show of Roger started around 9 pm. Some beatiful plants and candelabrums on the stage, as a living room, as Roger like it.
He started playing the first notes of "Take the long way" on the keyboard and after half a minute he stopped suddenly....... and spoke to the audience "the sound from the keyboard is not the rigth one" with a big smile from ear to ear. Roger was pressing some buttons and asking something to the sound engineer, but the problem was not fixed.
He asked apologies, and loaded the sounds and settings again, in the meanwhile he said "no soundcheck today, so you are attending the soundcheck rigth now" again whit a big smile........ He seemed very very happy despite the problem, even pretty joker and he said " Who was playing my keyboard ?" looking at the audience and crew ......... so funny.

I haven't a clue what Roger was doing that day, but he was really happy.
I know him well and I was surprised about his good mood despite the technical problems ;-)
He's very professional and he doesn't likes the problems on stage, I still guess something was boiling in some hidden place inside him :o)
Anyway, we had fun, and a couple of minutes later Roger started playing again, the rigth sound this time, and surprising ...... his voice was simply perfect !!!
It was raining consistently during the evening until just some minutes before the show, thanks ......
Roger said hello after the first song, looked at the sky and said "I won't play -It's raining again- until the end of the show", I already said it, joker Roger .....
This time he weared a jacket, just in case, but he took off after the first song ;-) the temperature was better than the previous day.
I was in the fence in front of Roger, really near to him, and so he saw me quickly and I felt happy when I felt his look towards me :o).

The setlist was the same (just two changes), his voice was absolutely nice and the audience surrended again, singing and clapping during the whole show.
I always pay attention to the audience and I saw a lot of happy faces enjoying deeply the presence of Roger in front of them.
Again, I had fun and enjoyed a lot. it was a good idea going to Switzerland, Thanks Uwe, thanks Fabrice !
There was two big screens next to the stage and I turned my face to see it sometimes and I saw my face on the screen several times !!! Close-up !!!
Well , I felt shy, bashfulness, but figured out myself " well, nobody knows me around here fortunately ......" (but not true, some internet-friends from Zurich recognized me ........and contacted me after the show)
When Roger started playing "It's raining again" I opened my blue umbrella for some seconds, knowing that Roger couldn't avoid an smile, so yes...... he couldn't ........ :o)
This song and also "Dreamer" were a real party, everybody singing it. Fun, fun, fun !!!!
After that Roger said goodbye (he said "I can't believe it but this is the last song ....") but he came back again for the encore.
The audience was really happy to see Roger on stage. A warm welcome.

Encore:
He said Thanks to the audience again and again, his hand on his heart, as usual, he sighed, and taking adventage of that "quiet moment" I screamed with all my energy "Schooooooooooool".
Roger was pleasantly surprised, so he looked at the audience and said "Everybody else would like I play" School" ? " And everybody said " Yesssssssssssssss".
Well, he pointed at me with his hand and said by the microphone "Oooooooh Miguel" as saying -you win- :o)
and the people around me looked at me with rare but happy faces ......
Roger asked help to the audience in order to play school with the guitar only and he played it !!!!

Oh boy, it was really funny, everybody singing with Roger .... the piano solo, the kids is the school, clapping, Rick's part, etc..... wow !!!
From my experience in other shows everyboy enjoy a lot this song, and again it was magic.
After that song I screamed "thanks !!! " and some people after me too and Roger played the encore planned "Two of us" and "Give a little bit".
Again a long goodbye, what a lovely nigth.
His voice was superb during all the show.

One minute after the show, the speaker made an interview to Roger in the backstage and aired on the big screens (they did the same with all the artists) and Roger answered all questions and said he had a lot of fan.
He said he loves playing with a band and a orchestra, but he also enjoy the solo shows like this, because the connection with the audience is closer, mainly in the song School !!! ( I felt proud ..... )
And he pointed he enjoy playing some old songs, "I've enjoyed playing Breakfast in America tonigth as it was the first time and I wouldn't do it if I wouldn't enjoy it".
Roger said he can see the happy faces in the audience, and he's like a mirror, reflexing this happyness towards the audience again, and starting again and again in a spiral stream going up and up (doing the movement with his hand) and that's a fantastic experience.

After a while when we met in the backstage Roger said me first:
"Miguel, thank you for suggesting me School " !!!!! It was great !!!!
Well, I can not put in words that moment ......
Great memories...... Thanks again Roger !!!!

Hasta la vista.
Next show: Canada, Casino Rama 23th September, with orchestra. Don't miss it !!!

Miguel Angel Candela
Barcelona

SET LIST

Take The Long Way Home
Give A Little Bit
In Jeopardy
Lovers In The Wind
Hide In Your Shell
Keep The Pigeons Warm
The Logical Song
Easy Does It
Sister Moonshine
Breakfast In America
Lord Is It Mine
Even In The Quietest Moments
Don't Leave Me Now
Dreamer
It's Raining Again

ENCORE / BIS
School
Two Of Us
Give A Little Bit

SUIZA: Inundaciones, festivales, música, amistad y otros desastres naturales ..... Parte II

Interlaken 27 Agosto, festival Move To Rugenrock
La puerta del Jungfrau, tres "cuatromiles" con nieve perpetua y enormes glaciares, espectacular ........
Por desgracia las inundaciones de días antes en la zona habían estropeado grandes areas de la zona. La autopista cortada en Interlaken (llena de piedras y barro en algunas zonas) y las zonas bajas de las afueras devastadas, sobre todo el camino hacia Lauterbrunnen y Grindelwald.
Habían pasado unos días y se volvía poco a poco a la normalidad.
A la una y media del mediodia comenzó el festival con grupos locales, con lo que no hubo soundcheck.
El escenario en unos terrenos de la factoría de cerveza Rugen, en una colina boscosa junto a la ciudad, un buen y tranquilo lugar para el festival, a un paso de la ciudad.
El show de Roger comenzó cerca de las nueve de la noche. Se colocaron bastantes plantas y candelabros por el escenario a modo de salón, como le gusta a Roger.
Empezó a tocar las primeras notas de Take the long way home al teclado y al medio minuto paró de repente y dijo a la audiencia con una sonrisa que el sonido del sinte no era el correcto. Estuvo tocando unos botones y comentando con el técnico de sonido, pero nada.
Pidió disculpas, volvió a cargar los sonidos de nuevo desde los módulos que tiene a un lado y mientras comentó que no había habido soundcheck y por eso ahora nosotros estábamos asistiendo al soundcheck. Estaba muy contento a pesar del problema, se le veía bromista y dijo "¿ quien ha estado tocado mi teclado ?"....... en fin, todo muy distendido.

No se qué hizo durante ese día pero yo que le conzoco estaba sorprendido de su buen humor a pesar de los problemas técnicos ;-)
En un par de minutos volvió a empezar, esta vez con el sonido correcto, y sorprendentemente ...... su voz estaba simplemente perfecta !!!
Había estado lloviendo toda la tarde y paró minutos antes del show de Roger, menos mal ......
Roger saludó tras el primer tema y dijo que por si acaso no tocaría "It's raining again" hasta el final del show, ya digo, buen humor .....
Esta vez salió con una chaqueta por si acaso pero se la quitó a los pocos minutos ;-)
Yo estaba en la valla enfrente del micro de Roger a escasos tres metros de el, así que me vió enseguida y me saludó.
El setlist casi idéntico al de la noche anterior, pero esta vez la temperatura más agradable, la voz fantástica y el público de nuevo entregado y animando todo el rato.
La verdad es que disfruté como un enano.
Uno de los cámaras, que enfocaba bastante al publico, le caí en gracia, y cuando yo miraba a las pantallas gigante en los laterales veía mi cara ocupando todo !!! qué vergüenza....... pensé para mi " bueno, aquí no me conoce  nadie......" (pero no es verdad, unos amigos de un amigo de Zurich me localizaron tras el concierto).

Cuando Roger comenzó It's raining again abrí mi paraguas azul unos segundos, sabía que Roger no podría evitar una sonrisa, y así fué :o)
Esa canción y Dreamer fueron apoteósicas, todo el mundo entregado.
Se despidió pero volvió a salir para el bis.
Dió la gracias al público con su mano en el corazón, como suele hacer, suspiró, y en ese momento de "tranquilidad" aproveché para gritar con todas mis fuerzas "Schoooooool".
En seguida Roger pareció agradablemente sorprendido y preguntó a la audiencia "¿ Alguien más desa escuchar School ? " Y todo el mundo gritó " Siiiiiiiiiiiiii"
Así que me señaló y por el micro dijo "Oooooooh Miguel" señalándome y como diciendo "te has salido con la tuya......"  y la gente a mi alrededor mirándome con caras raras :o)
y Roger pide ayuda a la audiencia para hacer todas las partes que el no puede hacer y se pone a tocarla !!!!

Bueno, fué muy divertido, todo el mundo cantando con él .... el piano, los niños, palmas, efectos, etc..... una pasada !!!
Y luego hizo el bis que tenía previsto de Two of us y Give a little bit.
La despedida fué larga, todos acabamos con un buen sabor de boca.
Su voz estuvo fantástica toda la noche.

Al acabar, un tipo de la organización le entrevista en el backstage saliendo por las pantallas gigantes (lo hacían con todos los artistas) y Roger responde las preguntas que le hacen y comenta que se lo ha pasado en grande, que le gusta tocar con banda pero también disfruta de los conciertos en solitario como éste, donde la comunión con la audiencia es mayor y que ha habido mucha conexión con la gente, sobre todo en School !!!
Y que disfruta interpretando algunos viejos temas como si fuera la primera vez, pues si no no lo haría. Dice que ve las caras de felicidad de la gente, que se reflejan en el como en un espejo y se entra en una espiral de felicidad común que va creciendo (hace el gesto de espiral con la mano) y es fantástica.

Al cabo de un rato nos encontramos en el camerino y lo primero que me dice es:
"Miguel, gracias por sugerirme School " !!!!! Que buena idea !!!!
Bueno, yo no cabía en mi de orgullo :o)
No pude volver con mejor recuerdo....

Hasta la próxima.
Proximo concierto: Canada, Casino Rama 23 Septiembre.

Miguel Angel Candela
Barcelona