Hodgson Bloody Well Good

By Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen September 4, 2011

Roger Hodgson

The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival Reviewed Fri., Sept. 2

Brimming with musicality and charm, Roger Hodgson, whose tenor voice once practically defined the sound of British rockers Supertramp, achieved instant liftoff as the headliner at the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival concert Friday night.

At 61, the personable Hodgson can still sing rings around plenty of guys half his age. In fact, he didn't sound a whole lot different - well, maybe on some high notes - from the fellow who co-founded Supertramp with Rick Davies four decades ago and before leaving in 1983 helped put the band on track to sell 60 million albums.

Hodgson has played Ottawa a couple of times recently while the remaining members of Supertramp performed at Scotiabank Place earlier this year.

From his opener Take the Long Way Home to the rarely played Lady, I Wish I Was in London and a crackerjack rendering of The Logical Song, Hodgson was in grand form on Friday, alternating between keyboards and guitar, leading his well oiled band, and enchanting his large audience. He won the hearts of the crowd early in the show by speaking French as best he could.

"Bonsoir tout le monde. Gatineau, Gatineau, c'est mon premier temps en Gatineau," he said, adding in English, "I'm very happy to be back home here in Quebec . you are my people (cue mammoth applause)."
"Bonsoir tout le monde.

"My favourite thing in life is to play music for people," he told us, and we believed him.

Between songs, Hodgson soldiered on in French as often as he could, jumping between the two languages as he dedicated the mammoth Supertramp hit Breakfast in America to the festival's volunteers. Someone had taken the trouble to discover the number of volunteers so he could mention it on stage.

It was a fine end-of-summer evening for the outdoor show, even though early-evening rain had forced organizers to cancel the launch of the balloons. The festival in Parc de la Baie bordering the Ottawa River has a carnival atmosphere: bright lights, cotton candy and burger and temporary tattoo stands, don't-do-this-if-you-sufferfrom-vertigo rides. It's a relaxed and festive event with an enviable joie de vivre.

Back at the show, Hodgson, who's got to be one of the most relaxed guys ever to play a rock 'n roll concert, strolled out on the thrust stage. Waving at his audience and smiling broadly, he snapped photos of his delighted audience before returning to the keyboard for a soaring rendition of the inspirational Lord Is It Mine and an expansive Child of Vision.

Hodgson also accompanied himself on acoustic guitar as he sang John Lennon's Across the Universe. Saying he'd played the song at a recent Liverpool concert, he dedicated that song to the Beatles. Too bad the yahoo component of the audience couldn't stop hollering even for three minutes.

He closed the show with the pure pop of It's Raining Again, prompting several audience members to unfurl their umbrellas and twirl them in time.

Heart-throb David Usher opened for Hodgson. He included Alone in the Universe, Some People Say and other favourites in his set. Like Hodgson, he earned appreciative applause for his valiant efforts to introduce his French tune Je Repars in his not-quite-perfected second language.

The festival continues through to Monday with main stage shows by Marc Dupré, Roch Voisine and others.

Information: www.montgolfieresgatineau.com