Quebec newspaper / Thursday November 2, 2006

Roger Hodgson was welcomed like a living legend, last night, in a

Grand Théâtre filled with intense emotions.

An evening of intense emotions and warm vibrations, yesterday, at the Grand Théâtre, where Roger Hodgson provoked multiples ovations through a trip in time which transcended the magic of Supertramp.

Five years after his show at the Capitole and a few months after his appearance at Woodstock in Because, the legendary persona inspired a super… memorable show, which gave place to very warm meeting. 

What a charming, delightful man! Those who had the chance of being in his presence during the day are still touched by his adorable simplicity which makes him so engaging in private as well as in public. And it is the same authentic guy that we saw again on the stage of the Grand Théâtre, irresistibly charming… without even trying to.  As soon as he got on stage, he will get a standing ovation… which be regularly repeated between two beautiful moments of emotions.

GIVE A LITTLE BIT

The crowd that filled the room will be showing their first moment of joy on the first notes of  "Take The Long Way Home." Following that, a second moment of pure happiness, when the singer, who kept his look of the 70's, sang "Give A Little Bit" with the crowd as a choir.

"It is a great pleasure to be here" said Roger, making an effort to say a few words in French.

Alone on stage, with sometimes one - solid - multi-instrumentalist, Hodgson moves easily from the guitar to the keyboard or to the piano mixing Supertramp classics to his solo songs of the last 20 years. His voice being very strong, even if the sound system does not render his exotic vocal voice, the ex-leader of Supertramp does not give the impression to give a tribute to anybody, but instead retrace, from yesterday to today, the musical path that is his.

He also shared with us his sad time in boarding school from where he learned to play guitar and to write his first songs… which lead him to write a key song like "The Logical Song" which his interpretation gave him an another well felt ovation.

Later, he will tell, as a teenager, he transposed his dreams into songs, "One of these dreams was to be in California with the beautiful girls" which he shared, laughing. We finally discovered the source of "Breakfast in America," which the interpretation done in piano and clarinet, will of course light up the room, likewise with the inevitable "Dreamer" and the masterful "School" served for the dessert.  The spectators, representing two generations, will gladly let themselves go trough a marvellous trip filled with nostalgic treasures while tasting the musical cream of another era.

Continuing his Canadian tour, Roger Hodgson will be in Chicoutimi Saturday.

Take note that the same show, recorded in Montreal, is already on sale on DVD.