Holiday!

Not a huge post this week as I've just finished an actual holiday! A week off and everything! I've been flinging myself around the UK seeing shows that I've had planned for over a year and a half in some cases.

I'm not big on sandy beaches or skiing (and the IRL channel proves both of those...) but I do like going to see proper music shows and meeting up with family, friends etc in the gaps. It makes for a nice cheap holiday and you don't have to get shots before you go*.

First up was ELO at the 02 (Picture added in the attachments). (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IlfCsj7gWQ if you've never heard them.)  Jeff Lynne is a literal Rock God at this point. He's 68 and his voice hasn't missed a day. Behind him was a huge collection of LSD designed screen savers that animated along with each song. A superb show that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Next up was Roger Hodgson at the Royal Albert Hall (Pictured). (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZUE4_PtOk0 for those who've never heard of Supertramp) First off, the Royal Albert Hall is a beautiful venue. The sheer verticallity of it is quite strange. This isn't a bowl-like area, it's a Colosseum. 

So DadCubed and I had wandered into old London town to hear Roger perform (as, apparently, had Jeremy Clarkson) and were expecting a pretty good show from the man who introduced both of us to music. What we got was quite possibly the greatest gig of all time. When Roger speaks the hall fades away and he's simply having a talk with you. He has WMD levels of charm. If he wanted to be president he'd just have to ask and, quite frankly, we'd let him have it. After he's sorted out the middle east by lunch we'd wonder why we never did this earlier.

But it's when he sings (and god damn did he sing, the show ran for over 2 and a half hours. Not bad for a 66 year old) that you realise why Supertramp have sold over 60 Million Albums. I've luckily heard many people in my life that I would call incredibly good singers. Roger is the only I'd call a Master. Every single note is loaded with power and emotion. Nothing missed the mark. He got 4 standing ovations. He might be touring again next year.

I'll be there.

- Dan

*If you're off to see a Britney Spears gig... get the shots.