John Lodge - Live From Birmingham: The 10,000 Light Years Tour (2017)

Bassist/vocalist John Lodge of the Moody Blues will release a CD/DVD boxed set titled John Lodge: Live From Birmingham – The 10,000 Light Years Tour.

John Lodge: Live From Birmingham – The 10,000 Light Years Tour features Lodge’s final performance on his first-ever solo tour for his album 10,000 Light Years Ago, which took place in his hometown of Birmingham in 2016. The boxed set will contain a CD and DVD of the full concert, in addition to a special “behind the scenes” bonus DVD covering his journey from his New York City release party through to the final concert in Birmingham. Roger Dean created the artwork for this project, some 40 years after he created the artwork for Lodge’s first solo album, Natural Avenue.

Following the 2015 release of 10,000 Light Years Ago, Lodge took his new music to the stage, performing with his own band for the very first time for the U.K. tour. The 10,000 Light Years band includes longtime collaborators Alan Hewitt (keyboards/music director) and Norda Mullen (flute) from the Moody Blues; Gordon Marshall (drums, formerly of the Moody Blues); Tim Maple (guitar) and Gemma Johnson (cello). The band was specially put together for the U.K. dates, performing both Moodys classics and Lodge solo material.

As a member of the Moody Blues since 1966, Lodge has spent much of his life touring the world with the band. His first solo album was released 40 years ago, in 1977, but was never performed live. When asked what has taken him so long to get his own show on the road, Lodge, in a press release, said that he has been busy with his “other band.” Lodge has received an ASCAP Award (American Society Of Composers & Publishers); a Soundtrack of the Year Award and an Ivor Novello Award.