Roger Hodgson & 10CC – The Palais Theatre
April 7, 2010 by Andrew Watt
Filed under Live Reviews
To some audiences the combination of 10CC and Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp) was a match made in heaven – two musically superior and unquestionably clever bands whose hits still enjoy extensive airplay. But I suspect this double bill was actually more a marriage of convenience – two acts thrown together by virtue of them being both in Australia for Bluesfest. It was interesting to note that neither acknowledged the other on the night.
Regardless the audience seemed very satisfied with both – as standing ovations and encores greeted both sets.
Both acts were short of personnel from their heyday. The 2010 10CC contained only Graham Gouldman from the original band. No Godley and Crème and no Eric Stewart. Roger Hodgson performed the material of Supertramp without Rick Davies.
10CC was the more problematic of the two. Joining Gouldman was another four members and to be fair they were all outstanding players, two of whom Rick Fenn and Paul Burgess had been playing these songs for a good many years. Most notable was Mick Wilson who managed to replicate the missing lead vocals in an almost uncanny way.
But somehow it felt like a tribute band a lot of the time – a very, very good tribute band, but a tribute band nonetheless.
Some of the songs were resounding successes, most obviously I’m Mandy, Fly Me where Wilsons vocal performance was just outstanding and Art For Arts Sake where the brilliance of the composition wasn’t dulled by the performance at all. Even the massed vocal arrangement of I’m Not In Love was well replicated when it could have been excused had it not been.
It was great to hear some gems like The Things We Do For Love, Good Morning Judge and the encore Rubber Bullets but somehow the performance just lacked a little heart and veered a little too close to “cruise ship” to be regarded as a triumph.
There was no lack of heart in Roger Hodgson’s performance. Here was a musician and a songwriter performing his songs for no other reason than there was nothing else he would rather be doing. He came across as a humble man and one who was genuinely appreciative of the fact that people had come out to see him after an absence of 34 years.
After selling 60 million albums around the world you could have expected him to exude a little more of a sense of entitlement to the adulation he received but he really seemed thankful and well adjusted to the combination of great talent and good fortune that bought him to this point in his life.
His performance was exemplary. Vocally he seems actually stronger and more assured than when he was a younger man making multi million selling albums. His guitar playing and keyboard work was superb and he was extremely well complemented by young Canadian multi instrumentalist Aaron MacDonald who managed to bring a lot of the memorable instrumental moments from the records to life in the concert environment.
The greatest complement you could pay would be to say that you didn’t miss the full band arrangements at all – and I can say that with assurance.
That has a lot to do with the quality of the songs of course. These are undeniably great compositions and that stand the dual tests of time and stripped back performance with flag flying.
The hits were there of course – Take A Long Way Home, Give A Little Bit, Dreamer, The Logical Song, Its Raining Again and Breakfast In America were all wonderful but some of the lesser known songs like Along Came Mary, Lovers In The Wind and an unrecorded song that might have been called The Awakening were equally as good. In fact the latter, with its interesting look at the tendency to “re-write your story” once you reach a certain place in your life was a highlight.
Roger Hodgson is one of the contemporary pop worlds great talents and its well worth making the effort to see his show, pay homage and be thoroughly entertained by a quality individual.
I saw Roger Hodgson’s show and was astonished as to how great it was. I knew it would be good but all I can say is WOW!! I didn’t want the night to end. Hearing him sing the timeless classics he wrote and composed such as Dreamer, Take the Long Way Home, Give a Little Bit, Breakfast in America, The Logical Song, was so very wonderful. Memories came flooding back. Now I have new memories of this unforgettable night. Don’t miss out on the chance to see Roger live in concert. You will be so very glad that you did. All of the tour details are on his website http://www.RogerHodgson.com.
I love Roger’s music,
his voice is better than ever!!! and his shows are so special!!!
Be sure you’re so lucky to see such a genious!!!
Nobody must miss it!!! He and Aaron are great on stage.
I can’t wait to see him again next summer in Spain!!!
Amazing words about Roger Hodgson – he truly is a most gifted artist, his concerts are always wonderful, just as described above
)) I saw him 6 times by now and I still don’t want to miss a chance to attend his shows again and again … this year it will be for sure once again in Munich, can’t wait 
))
One concert, all you have to do is experience one and you will know. Roger understands the power, the sea of faces before him. Humbly he stand before his audiences and offers himself with no pretenses. You feel him connect with and sing with his heart. His voice and music sounds better than ever. It so amazes me how two people, Roger and Arron, can create such a full sound. I can not wait to see him again.
Rogers show is an absolute must see, can`t express how good they really are !!
I saw roger at Orwell park a couple of years ago & was blown away with the Roger & Aaron`s performance !!!
The set now includes a Fools Overture ( it didn`t back then), another stunning classic !!!!!!!
Roger please come back & do some shows in England please !!!!!!!!!!!
atb, Duncan Bradbury.
He played like a champion and sang like it was 1976!
And i saw supertramp in melbourne 1976 as a teenager.
I was at the palais theatre on tuesday night to see Roger, let me tell you,it was the greatest show on earth, absolutely unbelievable. I cant put into words how good it was, the man is a genius and so humble to go with it. The show went for 90 mins but seemed like 20 mins, I cant think of a better thing ive done in my life than what i experienced at the palais, i will be at all other Roger shows while he is in Australia, i will walk there if i have to.
Well, I was very disappointed to read this review. I was at both the concerts, very close to the front, and enjoyed both 10 CC and Roger Hodgeson a great deal.
I’ve loved 10 CC for years and have never seen them perform. I was utterly stoked in their tight performance, and absolutely thrilled to have been there. At no time was I “worried” by the changes in their line up over the years – and for reviewer Andrew Watt to declare that Rick Fenn and Paul Burgess are not real 10 CC’ers – that they’ve been “playing these tunes for a good many years” is certainly a gross under-exaggeration of their impact on the band. They joined in 1977 – it’s now 2010. So … they’ve lived there for 33 years and they’re still not considered to be locals? Get a life! 10 CC was brilliant! Absolutely! Unequivocably! Without any reservation and as far as I could see, 99.9% of the audience thought so as well!
Roger Hodgson was beyond incredible! I couldn’t believe that one bloke with a piano or keyboard – accompanied by another bloke (who, by the way, was not paid enough – whatever he’s earning! He’s abolutely brilliant – vocally & instrumentally!) could take the audience on such a remarkable musical journey! I was totally inspired. If I was to be honest – this concert was almost a spiritual experience for me – it was, quite simply, that good! I was on a high for days!
Thanks for listening!
Sydney was everything his review was, plus we got Hide in your Shell
A truly wonderful night, back for round 2 tonight!!