Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. October 2007.

There are few musicians who would not feel intimidated by the air of expectation from a capacity crowd after being from a city or venue for nearly a quarter of a century.

Thankfully, on his return to Birmingham, former Supertramp singer Roger Hodgson carried it off beautifully.

This often painfully shy man strode on stage to respectful applause which seemed to catch him slightly unawares before he regained his composure and started a stunning evening’s entertainment with the opener Take The Long Way Home.

Other songs played during the first set were the beautiful Hide In Your Shell, Sister Moonshine and the quirky Puppy Dance before he closed for an interval with the fans’ favourite The Logical Song.

The second set didn’t disappoint either, with songs taken from the Supertramp albums Breakfast In America and Even In The Quietest Moments.

Ian D. Hall