| WELCOME
(and Goodbye!) to The Higher and Higher Tour!
It's been a wild five days in Las Vegas for the girls. We feel fortunate to make it to bed by two, and at least once I greeted the sunrise before sneaking into my mmmm, "occupied" bed. Late afternoon naps have been required, lest MaggieMay be lulled to sleep by JL crooning "Isn't life strange"  then
abruptly awakened by Gordon bashing his cymbals. We eat breakfast
after the concert, lunch around two and drink cup after cup of coffee.
One thing's for certain...we can't handle the Margaritas like we *used*
to! LOL
This morning finds me and SueC (with Hubby sweetly napping in a chair at times and then passing out gratis medical advice to friends, fans, crew members and Band members as needed) in the Central Bar. It's our "job" to send everyone safely off into the Wild Blue Yonder with our wishes for a safe trip and our hope to see them again soon. As we say about everything connected with touring, it's a hard job, but SOMEBODY'S got to do it! Angela keeps the coffee and Bailey's coming and we're as jumpy as a couple of long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs. Saturday is a blur, but I'm pretty sure I had a great time. LOL SueC and I were up early on Sunday morning for the big JohnLodge.com Members' Greet at the Aladdin. After only two cups of coffee, we ventured over to the Greet. SueC walked purposefully out the door and took a left with me straggling behind, but firmly in tow. She looked like she knew what she was doing! She didn't. We found ourselves in traffic, and had to hop to and fro to avoid the taxis speeding in helter-skelter for a big fare. Luck was with us and we reached the other side and found a path that ended in a wall. HAHA I couldn't see risking Death by Taxi again that soon, so I jumped up and slung my self over the wall. (Raising the question once again: where's a video camera when you need one?) We soon found ourselves in a VERY long line to get into the sponsoring shop. I didn't make an official count, but would guess that at least 70 people were there. Elizabeth (Kristian's Lady Actress) greeted members at the door and checked us off the official list. John soon appeared smartly dressed in black slacks, white shirt, a long black jacket (open), black shoes with gold buckles and wearing a big smile. He ducked inside a door and was properly introduced by the power at JL.com, his son Kristian Lodge.  John
had told SueC and me the day before that the Greet would be fun and it
was! I knew from JL's last chat that it would involve golf in some
way and he announced a putting contest with a "mystery" prize. It
was suggested from the crowd that HE was the "prize" and at that suggestion
he quickly jumped behind Kristian for protection. It was a hoot!
JL personally supervised my half of the preliminary round and after a hilarious
time of watching other members putt their three tries (some doing great
and some doing exactly how you would expect) I found myself giving it a
try. It was darn easy to silently make fun of the contestants from
within the anonymity of the crowd! I finally stood there, putter
in hand (fortunately exactly like the putter I had received for a past
Mother's Day) and 40 pairs of eyes upon me. John is a big tease,
a BIG tease (he has playfully "got" me before) and he let me know that
"this (the putt) could be *very* important!" I looked up quizzically and
John added "it MIGHT get posted!" LOL Oh, that JL! After
that challenge, I was terribly relieved to make my putt and get out of
the limelight.
It was a great time and the winner of the JL.com putting contest was a lovely young lady named Kerry B. Kerry is a special little girl and had won over most hearts in the line before the Greet, including mine and SueC's. JL felt her appeal too, and came out of the crowd to her to encourage her to putt. With his help (and David Hakan's), Kerry won the contest. I couldn't see the end too well from the back, but Kerry told me later that she had won (with hands in the air) and that John Lodge had put the t-shirt *on* her. He made her feel like a million bucks. : ) John's love of children is worn on his sleeve, and each time I see it, he moves a little deeper into my heart (and every other mother's heart, too!) What a great guy! I was surprised to hear that the rest of us were also in for a little treat! JL presented each person with a golf ball on which was printed: JohnLodge.com Golf Tourney, March 30, 2003 - Las Vegas. He graciously signed an item and posed for a photo with everyone who attended. Since the sad demise of the OFC and the dearth of backstage pass opportunities for run of the mill, unconnected fans (including me), John has provided the ONLY real opportunity to meet one of The Moody Blues. Way to go, JL! THE FASHION REPORT Night Three GE - Blue car shirt, black slacks JL - Black long-slvd shirt with ruffled bib, leathers, boots JH - Black long slvd crepe shirt, black jeans It was another great hair night for JH in Las Vegas, even better than the night before. Is it something in the water? And if so, why doesn't MY hair look better than usual? GE's hair is always gorgeous, btw. The Battle of the Buttons Well, darn! No notes! I guess you girls will just have to do without. Sorry! It *must* not have been very good anyway, since I can't remember. Quit whining! Anyway, I'm done with trucking in gratuitous details about glistening, heaving chests and soft sensuous cloth clinging to erect nipples. Hmmmmmm. THE CONCERT Night Three Saturday's concert had a good start. ; ) The Vegas crowds are among the best, and there were many opportunities to stand. The audience was on their feet at the drum climax in IKYOTS and stood for the rest of the song and REMAINED standing for The Story in Your Eyes. I LOVE standing for TSIYE and rarely feel like I can for fear of annoying other concert goers, so I was very happy. Most people stayed up after the applause for TOSOL to enjoy H&H on their feet and the ones that sat down were up again very quickly. H&H had a tremendous reception at Las Vegas as it did throughout the tour. Of course the crowd stood during Singer and for Question and Seesaw. Some tiny tidbits...JH had 7 bottles of water near him during the concert, and I worried a bit about the fact that there was no "break" in the concert. I'm not sure *when* he could have left if he HAD to. JL had three by him. JL introduced WYS as another song from the English Sunset album (huh?) I noticed a mother-daughter team playing identical air guitar with Justin at the shuffle in TSIYE and Justin must have noticed too; he "picked" the daughter after the song (he gave her his guitar pick). They weren't too bad and it was cute. Again, there was tremendous applause after H&H and I noticed Justin making circles with his hand while drinking from a bottle of water. I didn't understand what the hand gesture meant. Did it mean "keep going" or was it "wrap it up for God's sake!" LOL JH remained "tethered". ; ) That is, he did not use a transmitter for his guitars during Night Three and used instead a long cord. It seemed a bit of a hassle, but his performance was excellent and he seemed so much more relaxed in Vegas than he has earlier in the tour. He moved very well (um, for him, that is!) and was much "looser". Looked great, sounded great! I felt some of the old magic Saturday night that had either been missing on stage, or in me this tour. Tonight was the first time since last fall that I got shivers at the drum crescendo in IKYOTS. It felt good. The best part of the evening for me happened during the song in which I most miss Ray Thomas - IJASIARRB. John has been moving over a bit late to Justin to share center stage for the Singer Jam and for the incredible crossed guitars moment. As I was watching... no! Watching is an inadequate word. You don't "watch" that moment in a Moodies concert. You're pulled in and taken over! You become a part of it. At that moment, I thought to myself "THIS is why I'm here". I had forgotten. Thanks for reminding me! THE FASHION REPORT Night Four GE - Flag shirt, black slacks JL - Black long-slvd ruffled bib shirt, leathers, boots JH - WHITE long-slvd oxford style shirt (more of a cotton material), black jeans  The
Battle of the Buttons
JH wore a different shirt tonight. Same JH, though! LOL It looked "nice" enough, but it was buttoned up pretty high. I'm starting to think that he must have had a tattoo done on his chest over Christmas and doesn't want anyone to see it. Hey, it's as good an explanation as any! JL came out loaded for bear in comparison with the beautiful black ruffled shirt unbuttoned to midchest. There's no contest here! The winner and grand champion of TBotB: JOHN LODGE! (uproarious applause and wild hooting) THE CONCERT Night Four: The last night of the Tour! The last night of the 2003 Higher and Higher Tour seemed to wrap everything up. It was a polished performance for the last night in Las Vegas, and seemingly error free. JH delivered the Band's nod to Ray Thomas before The Actor, describing him as their "good friend and partner" and saying that Ray had "sadly decided not to tour". I love to hear Ray mentioned; he's not far from my mind, and I particularly appreciate Justin's warm words about him. JH put a favorite hand motion back into TSIYE tonight, giving us a circle to go with "Listen to the tide slowly turning". I had missed that this tour. Higher and Higher got a different introduction tonight! The Tour 2003 Star, Mr Graeme Edge, told the audience "We're celebrating the 41st anniversary of my 21st birthday!" He then put on a performance that was in complete contradiction to that statement. Graeme looks great, sounds great, is commanding on the stage and moves like a man celebrating the 10th anniversary of # 21. I've noticed small goofs a couple of times this tour in his delivery, but he laughs and shakes them off, and they have no effect on his performance. Higher and Higher is a jewel and the highlight of the evening, and this evening was no different. Happy Birthday, Graeme!  There
was an impromptu verse of Happy Birthday by the crowd - SueC recalls it
being after H&H. At the bows, the couple sitting next to me from
Michigan presented Graeme with a huge card they had made and had available
for signing in the lobby (SueC and I included our birthday wishes).
Graeme immediately noticed some large breasts on the card and gleefully
pointed them out to the audience.
AYSC provides the perfect cool-down after H&H! LOL JH introduced it as "a magical time for us". There was a lot of applause for Norda Mullen afterward and as has become the custom, JH introduced her. (The other backups were not introduced this evening) The end of Nights saw the same mad rush to the stage to get a spot for Question. It's always sad to see Dan carry off Big Red, cradling it in his arms, and knowing it will be the last time for a long while before I see it again. sigh SeeSaw provided a bit of wicked entertainment - the sight of John standing on Justin's guitar cord. While I'm sure it was accidental, it had the visual effect of John "holding" back La Hayward. (snort!) Perhaps Justin felt it, because when JL finally let him "go" he actually STEPPED OFF the carpet! I saw fully a half of shoe past the carpet and on the actual stage. See! It "can" be done! I've been thinking about Justin's pronounced (and wildly infuriating) reluctance to come anywhere near the edge of the stage. The mikes were WELL back at the Paris this time, and I remember thinking I might need my binoculars to see from my seat in the front row. SueC pointed out that JH does get off the carpet a few times during the concert: for the shuffle, at the end of Singer and during the crossed guitars in Singer. She was forced to admit that he is still at least 6 feet from the edge during these exciting forays off the carpet. I've been thinking that perhaps if we calmly held out some chocolate to him, you know, like a sugar cube to a skittish horse, perhaps we might lure him out from behind his mike a bit. With a little patience and effort, we might have him right to the edge of the stage for his guitar solo in SeeSaw! (Memo to MaggieMay: Bulk order from Godiva for next tour!) One moment hit me in the gut this evening and it was during Singer. John sang "I'm just a singer in a rock 'n roll band" followed, as usual, by Justin's round of the same. Then they broke from what they had done previously in the tour. Tonight, no one sang Ray's part. It was left silent. Somehow, that seemed "right" to me. I don't know whether it was intentional. I hope it was! I loved it. I had to um "stretch my legs" during ILS and was greeted in the lobby by the Slut Queen holding court. I was surprised to hear that there had been a contest for this "coveted" title. I wasn't sorry for myself, particularly since there would be no REMOTE possibility that I could pull it off, but I thought that SueC might have had a shot at it and I hated to see her disappointed. I have wondered since then if perhaps the ballot box hadn't been "stuffed". Still, Miss Banana of the Black Irish Boston Bananas looked wonderful in her golden crown and was quite insistent that I include her in Sunday's review. How can I turn down royalty? LOL!!! It was a series of four GREAT concerts at the Paris. I think my favorite was Saturday night's but all were very good. The energy level might have been a bit lower than earlier in the tour, but there was no question that everyone was in a good mood both on the stage and in the audience. Justin particularly and noticeably seemed more relaxed and looser on stage. Vegas seems to agree with him! ; ) Perhaps it took that long to convince himself that it's a great show. Here's to fall in Paris! TOUR 2003 EPILOGUE I looked forward to this tour not with excitement and anticipation, but with trepidation. The first night in Atlantic City proved to be even more difficult and painful than I had expected. sigh There's nothing to be done but to go on, for me as well as for The Moody Blues. It may be to hell in a handbasket, but we're going there together. LOL I do hope to see Ray Thomas on stage again, and maybe that will happen some day. If it does, I know I'll move heaven and earth just to be there. In the meantime, what do we have? I'm not entirely sure! It's amazing to me to think that I sat thru 73 concerts in 2002 of EXACTLY the same setlist (with the wonderful exception of the addition of Forever Autumn to the UK tour). Yes, the setlist was about perfect and I think both me AND the Band were bored as hell. LOL!!! It's not so much that I was bored; I was puzzled as to why they didn't change it to challenge themselves, and sad not to hear more of their extensive repertoire. It was a fan bargain with Mephistopheles - the setlist was drastically and wonderfully changed, but the price was Ray Thomas. sigh The changes are fabulous: Lovely to See You, Higher and Higher, Lean on Me and Are You Sitting Comfortably? All four are very popular additions, all four are powerful songs, with Higher and Higher being the standout, though I find myself waking up in the night hearing AYSC. It's a new era and a new Moody Blues. It's a good start! Good crowds (though tickets were sold prior to any announcement of lineup changes), appreciative and largely happy and satisfied audiences, excellent performances. The new Moody Blues has left their trademark harmony behind and seems to be a collection of solo performers, dominated by Justin Hayward. It's not necessarily a *bad* thing, it's definitely a *different* thing. I like it - a lot! The only song that really bothers me (and this is ENTIRELY personal opinion) is The Actor. It's a beautiful song! The sad thing is, no one made Justin Hayward sound as good as Ray Thomas did on The Actor. It was the contrast between Ray's glorious deep voice against Justin's soaring tenor that gave me goosebumps. The light harmony provided by Bernie and Norda doesn't cut it and even the addition of JL to the mix can't make up for the Welsh baritone. It's just not nearly as effective a piece with the current line up. IMHO, I'd switch it out for...how about Watching and Waiting? Forever Autumn? Or even better, the Land of Make Believe? So, fly little bird, up into the clear blue sky! This tour has been strange for me as well as it must have been for the Moodies. It's been strange, lonely and uncomfortable. Like Dorothy on the road to Oz, I've discovered the real truth about following The Moody Blues. Fun is fun shared, music is mutual joy and laughing over something alone is no laugh at all. The Moody Blues were only the path, but it took traveling it alone to see it. And at journey's end, you will find a friend in me. MaggieMay |
