Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson says he cannot see a Supertramp reunion ever happening, but “never say never”.
Hodgson will be in Australia for Bluesfest in 2010 and will perform a set of around 75% Supertramp songs.He tells undercover.com.au, “We’ve looked at it and talked it over. I have looked at it many times. It is hard to reinvent us. I would never say never but Rick (Davies) has pretty much retired right now and I’m in the prime of my life. The reaction I am getting from fans is “please don’t reunite”. I think a lot of the magic and spirit that people think they would see at a Supertramp reunion they are actually getting at my shows now. I feel the reunion I am having is with my audience and it feels really good”.
Hodgson left Supertramp after the 1982 album ‘Famous Last Words’. At the time, it was reported as a major falling out between Hodgson and Davies. “There are a lot of stories about why the band started to fall apart or why I left,” he tells Undercover. “The difficulties between Rick and I were grossly exaggerated. In a way it was easier to put that out as the story when really the story was far from that”.
Hodgson made the decision to so that he was around to bring up his children. “For me personally, the primary decision I was looking at was I had a family,” he says. “I realised that after 15 years of literally eating and breathing every minute of the day Supertramp, it had become my baby. It was almost my reason for life. Suddenly I had a family and I realised I couldn’t do both well. I knew that for the next phase of my life I really had to stop and learn how to be a parent and learn how to be a father”.
Leaving the band he founded was not easy for Roger Hodgson. “When I left the band it was such a difficult decision because Supertramp had been so much a part of my life,” he says. “It left a huge hole. But I realised that I just had to otherwise I would be looking ahead at deep regrets for missing my child’s upbringing and formative years and maybe even risking my family or even surviving”.
Roger Hodgson Australian tour dates:
April 4, Byron Bay, Bluesfest
April 6, Melbourne, Palais Theatre
April 9, Sydney, Enmore Theatre
April 11, Newcastle, The Civic Theatre
Here is an example of a recent Roger Hodgson setlist:
Take The Long Way Home
Give A Little Bit
Lovers In The Wind
Hide In Your Shell
Easy Does It
Sister Moonshine
Breakfast In America
Soapbox Opera
Along came Mary
Logical Song
INTERMISSION
School
Lord Is It Mine
Quietest Moments
Only Because Of You
If Everyone Was Listening
Dreamer
Fools Overture
Two Of Us
It's Raining Again
Give A Little Bit
