Music for the people

You've been touring in competition with your old band. How does that work?
 

Supertramp had two writers: Rick Davies and myself. We wrote separately. He owns the brand name. But Dreamer, The Logical Song, Breakfast in America, etc: they are my songs. So when I left the band, I took my songs with me.
 

Do you enjoy being back on the road now?
 

Yes, I'm older, wiser and doing it the way I want to do it. I've got a great band. It's much simpler. I'm enjoying it more – and it shows. That's what people tell me.

You were absent from music during the late 1980s and 1990s. Why?
 

I was disillusioned with the industry. I needed a break. At the time, I had two small children, so I made my family a priority for the next 17 years. The family's in good shape. They benefited from me being around.
 

What is a typical Roger Hodgson gig like these days?
 

I mix it up: I play songs from my solo albums, plus I throw in a couple of new ones. I'm happy to play my old stuff: people have such a deep relationship with it. They're great songs. My job as an entertainer is to give the audience the best experience they can have.
 

What's it like hearing Breakfast in America now?
 

I very rarely put it on. Obviously, I hear it all over the place, and I play the songs live. I'm very happy the songs have stood the test of time. But I don't look backwards.
 

You're a very spiritual person. Why?
 

It's part of the fabric of life. My spiritual compass, if you like, keeps my feet on the ground. I really believe music is a path of service. I try to use the gift I've been given: to bring people relief, enjoyment, to uplift them for two hours.
 

Roger Hodgson is touring as part of Bluesfest. He plays the Palais Theatre, Melbourne, on March 28 and the State Theatre in Sydney on April 3 and 4.

Details: ticketmaster.com.au
 

For the original article: smh.com.au