Can you post one validationmsg expression that does not work?
I tested with an entered DW Validation messages like:
if(1=1,'Error!' + gettext() + "blahh"+ String(crit_01)+ ' !','')
Describe of the validationmsg returns:
"if(1=1,'Error!' + gettext() + ~"blahh~"+ String(crit_01)+ ' !','')"
and the simple solution works fine. No additional vodoo stuff needed.