Thanks to Claudia Yildiz for this review:


My personal Concert review of the

Nuremberg concert, May 25th 2008



It all started with a phone call. My friend called me to tell me that Roger is performing in Nuremberg in May. Wow, what great news! It didn’t matter what day or time it would be, I knew that I have to be there. Straightaway I called the ticket hotline and told that I’m a big fan of Roger and that I need the best places that are left – and my luck was in: I got two tickets for the first row! I couldn’t believe it, but now I had to wait five endless months for the concert to come.

 

About twenty years I have been dreaming of visiting one of Roger’s concerts and after the orchestra show in Stuttgart the year before this should be my second one. Since Roger and his music helped me a lot in some dark periods in my life, I hoped so much that I will have the possibility to thank him for all that one day and I knew that the Nuremberg concert could be my chance. So one day before the concert I got the message that I will meet Roger after the concert. Oh my God – I definitely was short of sleep this night.

 

We arrived at the concert hall about two hours before the concert and I was very excited. I would also meet two friends who I only knew from the “Garden Gate Forum” and we arranged a meeting there. We entered the hall and looked for our places. The “Meistersingerhalle” is a very beautiful hall with an incredible acoustic and the stage really looked beautiful -  I felt like I was in Montreal: there were the same palm trees and carpets on the stage like on Roger’s DVD. Wonderful!

 

Gradually the hall filled and finally I met my friends: Miriam and Gregor with his family. We had a lot of fun together and were all so happy to be here having an evening together with Roger’s wonderful music.

 

Then the lights went off, Roger and Aaron came in and we welcomed them with standing ovations! I don’t know how long it was, but it seemed to be a never ending welcome.


Roger started with “Take the long way home” and “Give a little bit” as always - followed by “Lovers in the wind”, “Hide in your shell” and “Oh brother”. Comparing to the “old” Supertramp records Roger’s voice has become much warmer and more emotional. It’s a great experience to hear Roger live and to share his feelings while singing his songs. I think they are more alive now than in the Supertramp times. A great surprise for me was that he played “Rosie” and “Along came Mary” – these two beautiful songs played on his twelve string was really a highlight for me at this evening.

Roger and Aaron made a lot of jokes and you really could see how much fun they have together – they were at their best forms! And speaking of Aaron, compared with the DVD he’s playing much more relaxed and his performance was absolutely brilliant!


After a short intermission Roger came in playing “The meaning”  and again we welcomed him with a warm applause. The evening passed away too fast and I thought after every song: oh no, please don’t let it end!


The audience was really great and became more and more livelier and with Roger starting “Dreamer” two girls headed to the front of the stage and started dancing there and suddenly everyone was on his feet, singing, dancing and celebrating! Wow, what a surprise – even Roger and Aaron couldn’t believe it what has happened but they enjoyed it and the atmosphere was really unbelievable.

 

After “It’s raining again” the show was over but of course we didn’t let them go. Roger returned and played two encores: “School” and “Give a little bit”, and after that again standing ovations from the audience and “encore” shouts. I don’t know how long but my hands were already red from clapping. Unbelievably enough Roger returned again and gave us “Two of us” and a lot of us hugged and the atmosphere was gorgeous.

 

Then the concert was definitely over but I was still very excited because the highlight of that evening was still to come for me.


My husband and I headed for the stage entrance to meet Roger there and I can’t describe how I felt. We had to wait some time because Roger did some interviews after the show. Meanwhile we met Linda and Shakti and they welcomed us. Aaron was there too and he couldn’t stop doing some music after show. He’s really a funny guy and played some Irish folk music on a flute which sounded very awesome.

 

After waiting and feeling timelessly Roger’s door finally opened and he came out. There he was, the men whose music helped me so much in my life. He smiled at me and I could do what I wanted to do for a very long time: to say “thank you for all you did for me”. I never thought it would happen one day and it really was one of the most impressing moments in my life. Roger is an absolute wonderful person with an incredible aura and I’m so thankful for the memories I have of this magical night.

 

Thanks to Shakti and Linda, thanks to Rita ("The Minstrel’s Dream Forum") and Kathy  ("Roger's Garden Gate Forum") for the great work they do to bring fans together and thanks to Roger for giving a lot to all of us!

 

Claudia Yildiz