Moody Blues Singer-Bassist John Lodge Brings His Singer in a Rock and Roll Band Tour to Agora

Following the success of his Days of Future Passed Tour, Moody Blues singer-bassist John Lodge decided to mix up the set list for the current tour, dubbed the Singer in a Rock and Roll Band Tour. The current trek, which rolls into the Agora Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 2, will feature songs from what Lodge calls “the core seven albums” by the Rock Hall Inductees, including Days of Future Passed, Seventh Sojourn and Long Distance Voyager. In this Zoom interview, Lodge, who sat in the the garden outside his home in England, talked about the band’s legacy.

The Moody Blues were finally inducted into the Rock Hall in 2018. What did that moment meant to you and the band.
It was a great honor. It wasn’t until I was actually on the stage [at Public Hall in Cleveland] accepting that award that it came over me what it really meant for me. I was sitting there and saw all these thousands of people in the audience. They’ve taken their time to vote for the Moody Blues. What an honor that is. Also, I thought, “Here’s this guy from a working class family in Birmingham virtually standing next to [Inductee] Buddy Holly, who was my main influence.” I saw him live. I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Buddy Holly.

I remember you had a large contingent of fans at the induction. That’s not always the case.
It was mind-blowing. It’s a particularly wonderful moment. My grandson was in the audience. When he grows up, he can go to the Hall of Fame, he can say, “That’s my grandfather.” It’s a fantastic institution. We great memories of Cleveland. In 1968, we didn’t start the tour in Cleveland, but we met someone there who built us a PA system. He built a sound system we could stack on the stage. It was fantastic.

This current tour follows your Days of Future Passed shows. You played that album in its entirety. Talk about what you are doing differently this time around?
I thought it’s time to change the set list. I was talking about it with my daughter Emily and my keyboard player Alan Hughes. What if we did “Singer in a Rock and Roll” and concentrate on the songs from 1967 until mid-’80s? We could bring the core albums. It could be a great tour. Everyone loved the idea and that’s what it is.

What exactly inspired the Moodies 1972 single “Singer in a Rock and Roll Band”?
There were a lot of ideas behind it. At that time, rock musicians were getting accolades from everywhere. People thought we had the answer to the universe. I came home from tour one year and there were a whole load of people in my front garden. I asked what they were doing. They said, “We’re here because you are going to save the world. You’re going to fly a spaceship that’s going to save us all.” I told them I didn’t like flying, and I wasn’t the person to save them. I wrote the song to say I have no answers to anything because I’m just a singer in a rock ‘n’ roll band.

How is the song’s sentiment and sound still relevant today?
I think the world is in such turmoil right now. We need music like this to get us all back on track.

Talk about what your backing band, the 10,000 Light Years Band, brings to the show.
They’re fantastic. Alan Hughes, my keyboard player, has been with me about 20 years and was in Moody Blues for 12 or so years. We have a friendship and a musical friendship. He understands what I want, and I understand what he can give me, so it really works well. On drums, we have Billy Ashbaugh, who was with Justin Timberlake, and I have a cello, and the cellist is Jason Charboneau from Detroit. I think he is from the Detroit Symphony, actually. He is a wonder. I use it as a main instrument and not as some sugar coating. It is driving the music, and we like to increase his sound. Dave Colquhoun is from England and was with Rick Wakeman for many years. He plays on my new record and is a beautiful guitarist.

You had a stroke in 2023. What has it been like to go back out on the road?
That was a Christmas present I didn’t really want. It was Christmas Eve, technically. It’s a festive time, but I ended up in the hospital and missed the New Year, of course. I was in the hospital for about four weeks. I came out in a wheelchair. It hasn’t affected my vocals or bass playing or guitar playing. It just affected my legs. I didn’t know what to do. I told my daughter to book a tour for late July. I was going to get ready to go on stage for it. She told me to be careful, but she booked it, and I found an ex-Army physio guy. I made it on stage. It was difficult. My band was really supportive. I still doing heavy physio. It’s worth it. I can still bring the Moody Blues music to everyone.

You’ve just released the new EP, Love Conquers All. Talk about your approach on the album.
It started during COVID, actually. I flew to Naples in Florida in 2020 to see my grandson. It was his birthday on March 14, and I think I finished the tour on March 9. We flew down on March 10 and woke up on March 11 and the whole world was locked down. I was in the condo there thinking what I would do. I built a studio and learned GarageBand. I wrote a song called “In These Crazy Times.” My wife did backing vocals. I sent it to Jon Davison from Yes and asked for vocal harmonies. He did them. I sent the tracks to my son, who plays guitar. He recorded some guitar on it. That was the start of the recording. I wrote “The Sun Will Shine” as we were coming out from COVID. I looked out onto the Cocohatchee Bay. It inspired me to write an instrumental, which I did. I wrote a song about my stroke, really, called “Whispering Angels.” It isn’t a full-length album because it’s only five songs, but it is a passage of time.

Several of your Moody Blues bandmates have passed away. Do you feel an increased sense of responsibility when it comes to keeping the band’s music alive?
Yes, I want to keep the Moody Blues music alive because I know how much it’s meant to so many people. I just want to rekindle memories, and also there a lot of young people coming to the shows. If i can introduce them to the original Days of Future Passed with my new version of the songs, I have succeeded.

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