- Title: FRANCE: SEVENTIES GROUP "SUPTERTRAMP" KICK OFF THEIR WORLD TOUR
- Date: 5th May 1997
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 5, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) CROWD WAITING FOR SUPERTRAMP TO COME ONTO STAGE CROWD DOING THE "MEXICAN WAVE"
- Embargoed: 20th May 1997 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA926I3BSR7X1G2QDV5D52XY5VH
- Story Text: Seventies supergroup Supertramp are back on the road with a new world tour which has officially kicked off in Paris.
More than 17,000 fans gathered at the Paris Bercy for the sold-out show on Monday (May 5).
Before the show, the band was awarded a gold disc from record company EMI, marking sales of 250,000 copies of their new release, "Some Things Never Change".
Band members Rick Davies and John Helliwell told Reuters Television they were happy to be back on the road after nearly 10 years.
They said touring this time around seemed easy.
"It's good to be back on the road," Davies said.
Helliwell said the band had basically "slotted back in" where they left off in the 1980s.
"It feels natural," he said.
Supertramp was formed in 1969 by Davies. The band specialised in keyboard-dominated progressive rock with pop overtones.
Their first two albums sold poorly and the band fragmented. The singer/songwriter nucleus of Davies and Roger Hodgson retained the name and recruited new members -- Helliwell, Dougie Thompson and Bob Benberg.
The revitalised Supertramp recorded 1974's "Crime Of The Century" which went to the top 5 in the United Kingdom (UK)and top 40 in the United States (U.S.).
It spawned the single "Dreamer" and "Bloody Well Right".
Their next two albums saw the band refine their style, culminating in the more commercial "Breakfast in America" in 1979.
Featuring three hit singles, the album has sold more than 18 million copies.
Before Monday's Paris show, the band had performed warm-up concerts in Stockholm and Copenhagen.
Their tour will continue through the summer and take them around the world. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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