Finally have time to report.
Very enjoyable. They were at Visalia's Fox Theater, a mere 12 miles from my house. No way I was passing that up.
They had very good energy throughout their two sets, and they were musically spot on. It was quite a treat.
Took my fiance, my dad, and grandmother. (his mom.) Anne sat with me, my dad and grandma sat in the front row as she's wheelchair bound. She must have been clapping along as best as she could (with her partially paralyzed left arm from a nasty stroke) or something, as Justin and John kept waving at her specifically. After the first set was over the second drummer, Gordon Marshall went directly to her and handed her his drumsticks. We're going to have to build a display case for those.
They did play a mix of both their classic tunes and their Octave and beyond pop dreck. (I never could stand The Moody Blues the pop band, though they are far beyond most other pop bands.) I was obvious that John and Justin prefer that newer stuff much more, and there was more of it than their classics. It was also equally as obvious that Graeme prefers their classics, and he really came alive for those, particularly for Higher and Higher.
On a side note, John kept giving me (specifically) funny looks during NIWS. I guess he'd never seen anyone playing air-tron before.
On that note, I was very disappointed with their keyboardist (they've two of them) charged with playing the 'tron samples. He got all the right notes in the right time, but that was it. He played with an uncharacteristically bright sound, and apparently was unaware of the swell pedal at his feet. He played it as if it were another keyboard. I missed Pinder's presence. He weaved a tapestry of sound. This guy plays notes, very well may I add. Heck, on Peak Hour he substituted stock Yamaha synth church organ sound for both the Italian Accordion and Church Organ break in the middle. Why?? All this was bugging the shit out of my dad too. The remaining three original members need to get on this dude. They've got video footage. Mike is their friend. This guy needs to learn what Mike was trying to do with those sounds. There really is no excuse for this kind of laziness/apathy. Study up man.
Also, they were using a Memotron. After the show I asked a roadie why not the Pindertron samples (for chrissake those trons WERE on tour with THIS very band) , and the roadie acted as if I did not understand the Memotron is a Mellotron sampler. Hragh.
Their other three backing musicians were stellar. The flute lady had superior control of her instrument. (One professional flutist to another, she was very good.) The other keyboard player did not bother me in the slightest, though it was hard to see her from where I was sitting. Gordon Marshall was obviously enjoying drumming along with Graeme. They kept playing hot-potato with their drumsticks, laughing, and generally rocking out totally.
Again, a very enjoyable show. Would have been even better if their so called Mellotronist knew what the fuck he w as doing. That was my only gripe. Any other band could get away with it, but not the Moodies. That IS their sound.
-Sean