Yesterday we were at the Concert in the Opera House. It was such a wonderful evening and we enjoyed it very much. Thank you for the great music. Andrea and Jürgen What a magnificent final of the tour! Thanks Roger, thanks Aaron for giving us the opportunity to attend another wonderful and magical show! I had two mates with me who didn't know anything about your music and your career - after the show both of them were totally enthusiastic! As we were, too! What a show... Thanks Roger, thanks Aaron, thanks Linda & Shakti! Hope to see you soon again here in Germany! Best regards, Stefan & Luis THE SHOW
The last concert of the year, that was all folks ;-) 31 concerts this year !!! And more is coming for the next year as the Roger's management confirmed to me.
This show in Frankfurt was absolutely great, and different from the rest of the tour. The venue, the Alte Oper, an excellent auditorium. The audience was VIP (and hardie fans) due to a kind of charity event and party. A funky band played before Roger, and some of the musicians and also a strings section joined Roger in the last part of the show. So, all together made the difference. This was a nice end of tour !
The audience was really enthusiastic from the beginning of the show and Roger was also very inspired and feeling good from the very beginning also (some times the artist needs time for feeling wrapped up by the audience, but in this case the connection was very quick. Even my dear friend Uwe from Stuttgart didn't expect this enthusiastic reaction, because two years ago was near the opposite in the same place. Well, good point :o) We enjoyed a lot the show and the atmosphere.
After the first song, "Take the long way home", Roger took his 12 strings guitar "Guild" and went to the microphone and spoke: "Well, I'm very happy to be here again, this is like a gathering of old friends..." just like if he was in the living room at home :o) Very nice connection....
The set list was similar to the previous shows. Just "Rosie" was included and "The meaning" and "Along came Mary" fall out from the list. But in the last songs a band accompanied Roger (bass player, drums, keyboards, electric guitar) and also a strings section. Nothing to do with "Night of the Proms" but nice anyway. Lots of musicians in the stage ! No intermission this time, near two hours show.
I realized Roger was having fun in the stage, even he said some jokes about the camera man next to the piano... I don't remember the words, but the first time Roger said something like "what's this shadow next to the piano ? " (cause the camera man was on the floor almost under the piano ahahaha....) During the whole show the audience was clapping and having fun. I was seating in the back (last rows) and everybody there was stand up during the last half an hour or so.
For me there's a very special moment in all the Roger's shows, just when he plays "Even in the quietest moments". Before starting playing Roger introduce the song saying "Some times when you are in the mountain, camping or wherever in the nature, and you see the stars, the sky, you don't feel alone at all. There's something that you can feel and you feel good, call it God or Life Energy or whatever.... and once I had my guitar with me and then this notes came to me... and ...... that's wonderful, I love this song..."
Well, I'm hiking all the weekends, I do it myself, alone most of the times, so I understand him very well. As some of you maybe don't know, this song is on "Om tune" (mantra), so this is very relaxing and connects your mind and physical body. Every time I listen this song, when I hear the first notes, I have to stop and then automatically I switch on a "hypnotic" or relaxing mode, and I can not do anything but listening and meditating during the song.
I remember once in the gym, this song was sounding on the radio and I had to stop for few minutes lied on the floor, close my eyes until the end. And later I opened my eyes and think myself "Where I am ?" Amazing... This song must touch a hidden key on my body and I can not do anything..... I should go to the doctor :o)
And it's unbelievable how Roger with the only help of his guitar and some reverb and echoes effects can fill the whole atmosphere, the whole room with this song, and this is one of the songs where you don't miss a band.
As all the songs that Roger plays are hits, it's impossible to get bored during the show, and for me the whole show is a kind of magic experience every night. All songs are great, and you can see the happy faces of the people.
The last part of the show was a party: "The logical song", "Dreamer", "School", It's raining again", "Give a little bit". Nobody wanted to go home .... Roger too :o)
THE SETLIST
Roger prepared a set list for this tour, very meditated. Roger loves to think about the running order in the albums and concerts. He thinks thousands times about it before be sure about it. I do know that and, what a coincidence, I always had the same craze (passion) or habit. Since child I always had the habit to think thousands times before making my own compilation in a cassette tape, and I still do it with my own CDs, and years later, I discovered that Roger got crazy about it too.
The reason is easy or simple: he loves to feel himself under the skin of the listener and think about what kind of reactions you can feel from the different kind of sounds and songs. Music is a personal experience and music can touch deep parts of your mind, so running order in a album or concert is very important in order to get a climax, and having a nice experience from the beginning until the end. He (and me too) doesn't like to put a list of songs without sense. He meditated again and again about each Supertramp album before released. And you can realize that it's almost impossible to get a better running order on each Supertramp album. (except maybe "Famous last words".... he was not too happy with that)
About the running order on this tour, and from his own experience in the previous tours, Roger planned the same starting and ending every night, and only few changes in the middle depending on the country and the venue. He always likes starting with "Take the long way home" and "Give a little bit", in order to get a good vibes from the audience, very well-known and great songs. Everybody loves these songs and then the audience is entering in the atmosphere and feelings that Roger loves to get.
Then a little bit of relax with "Lovers in the wind", and later..... the first great heart attack for the audience: "Hide in your shell" !!!. Wow, such a great song ..... probably one of the all time favourites for most of the people. And that's my case. When Roger plays this song life, you can see the people saying "Oh man, I can die right now !!!! This is a dream". Obviously something magic is on these notes, chords and singing... This is the first song I've learned playing with my keyboard, and years later with drum kit, and still is always the first song I play every time I turned on my synthesizer.... I never want to forget the notes....
After this big climax he use to play a new song, "Oh Brother" (and some times "Teach me love again" for instance) Before playing "Oh Brother", Roger breathed deeply and said "this song has very high notes !!!" I should compose more easy singing songs, but, you know, when I'm seating in front of the piano and put my fingers on the keys, these high notes comes to me..... why I compose this kind of high notes songs ?" just laughing himself and getting laughs from the audience.
This year Roger included in the Set list "The more I look" and "Child of vision". I tell you a story: the first time Roger performed "Child of vision" this year was in Castellón (Spain). The audience was very enthusiastic and Roger had to do a second encore ..... He didn't have anything planned ( in the opposite of Rosie :o), so he was doubting for a while, and then he decided to play it " I'll try this song, I didn't play it for three years...." And he played it in an excellent way, no mistakes, sounding good, and Aaron just jamming with the saxophone at the end. It was an incredible experience, Roger and Aaron felt good, the audience had fun,.... brilliant. Finally he decided to include the song in the Set list in the OK tour, Aaron playing the piano solo at the end and also back vocals, good job.
Roger didn't play "The Fool's overture" in the acoustic shows this year. It seems he keeps this song for the shows with orchestra. He used to play this song with his keyboard in the previous tours and this is one of the songs that Roger's voice and keyboards sounds fill the room, and you don't miss a band.
Last songs of the show are always the more commercial hits "Dreamer", "School", "It's raining again" and "Give a little bit" as a happy end of the party. Everybody loves these songs, so I can not add more words about it. Just wonderful.
Take the long way home Give a little bit Lovers in the wind Hide in your shell Oh, brother Easy does it Sister moonshine Rosie had everything planned The more I look Child of vision Lord is it mine Even in the quietest moments Don't leave me now Breakfast in America Dreamer The logical song School It's raining again
ENCORE Two of us Give a little bit
THE TOUR 2007
31 concerts this year, (and also few private shows) the largest tour until now ! Good vibes, good audiences every show. It's hard to get a disappointed fan after the shows.... Well, I remember in Tenerife a crazy guy was a little bit upset because the noise from the people singing and clapping didn't allows him to listen the show as in the living room of his house..... It's hard to please everybody.
After few years with just few shows, It seems Roger finally found what he needs: a nice playmate on stage (Aaron) and the proper people around him managing the tour and taking good care of him, and nice audiences ready to enjoy together with him.
As in the previous tours, Roger performed several gigs with Orchestra. Some fans miss a band in the acoustic shows. I could agree but I'd like to point two things: In the acoustic shows you can realize all the details from the Roger's and Aaron's singing and playing that you cannot catch in a show with a band. And also, in this times is not too expensive "take a Jumbo" and go to see Roger in a show with Orchestra if you really loves that. No excuse :o) I know some of you loves to scream "Who I am...." in the shower, but for sure you will get more fun singing together with Roger and a bunch of crazy and lovely fans :o) I do recommend to you to attend a Roger's show once in your life. You won't regret !
And, more shows for 2008 ! Happy Xmas !
Miguel-Angel Candela |