Lodge shared that his solo tour, The 10,000 Light Years Tour,” in America went quite well. “It was fantastic,” he admitted. “It was better than any expectation I ever had. The fans and the audience coming out have been brilliant. We finished up in New York at the City Winery. It was really nice, and I had a great time, and the reception from everyone was tremendous.”
His live solo album and DVD, Live from Birmingham – The 10,000 Light Years Tour, came out on October 20. “I am really pleased with the DVD,” he said. “It’s a great milestone, since it captures my solo album and The Moody Blues classic songs. To me, that album is like a storybook. We recorded it in Birmingham Town Hall, which was an iconic venue in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Every major rock icon from America came to perform there,” he added.
On November 17, Universal (UMe) will release a new deluxe version of The Moody Blues’ Days of Future Passed. “That’s going to be interesting,” he admitted. “I haven’t actually seen the deluxe edition box set yet, but I hope they have done a great job, because the album deserves it.”
This year, The Moody Blues have finally earned their first nomination for the coveted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for its Class of 2018. “That came out of the blue,” he said, with a laugh. “That was a nice surprise! We need to thank the fans. The fans have been unbelievable in their determination. It’s an honor to be nominated. We are on stage, and the fans are the audience, but we are all just singers in the rock and roll band, and we are all Moody Blues.”
On the key to longevity in the music industry, he said, “From The Moody Blues’ point of view, we said let’s write about us and the truthfulness. We believed in the lyrics and what we were talking about. We did not follow any trends, and we followed our own line of music. We did that from day one. We struck a chord and an emotion with people.”
Digital transformation of music business
Regarding the digital transformation of the music industry, he said, “Technology is always going to change it. From a musician’s point of view, I made my new album without going in to a studio. I have my own studio. All the musicians on that album have their own studio, so we were sending files around on Dropbox, and we didn’t have to travel long distance to different places. They created what they wanted to, and we put everything together in the Mix Factory in Florida.”
Lodge continued, “The sound of vinyl for me is fabulous. Vinyl is about bringing friends over and listening together, and discussing and thinking about it. You are transported together as a group. That’s what music is. Music is to be shared.”
For his fans, he concluded, “The fans have been rock solid. I’m bewildered by their strength. Their support has been tremendous. They have been amazing!”
To learn more about the acclaimed rock group The Moody Blues, check out their official homepage.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed The Moody Blues‘ show at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island this past July.
