Moody News

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Ray Thomas answers fan questions
Ray Thomas, with the assistance of his wife Lee, has answered some questions asked by members of the Traveling Eternity Road message board (including yours truly). Click here to read them all!

The War of the Worlds reviews, photos & videos
Jeff Wayne's live concert version of The War of the Worlds opened on November 24 in Amsterdam. Once again, Justin has reprised his role as the Sung Thoughts of the Journalist, with Gordy Marshall handling the drumming duties as part of the Black Smoke Band. The show features some new scenes and improved special effects. Below are some articles and media links.

Flintshire Chronicle review
Manchester review
Evening Times article
Magnumlady's Dublin review
Magnumlady's Dublin photos
Dublin review
Amsterdam photos (scroll down to "foto album")
Daily Mail article
Gordy's tour blog......[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
London dress rehearsal & Rhydian interview......[1] [2]
Official video blog......[1] [2] [3]

Cardiff clips......[1] [2] [3] [4]
Bournemouth clips......[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Nottingham clips......[1]
Dublin clips......[1]
Sheffield clips......[1] [2]
Manchester clips......[1]
Antwerp video clips......[1]
Amsterdam video clips......[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]


Spring 2011 tour
December 8, 2010: There has been a change to the Spring Tour schedule. The June 7th date has been moved to June 8th. The venue has also changed its name and has a new website.

Moody Blues Today will be offering Storyteller Packages for just three shows in the upcoming tour. Many of the other shows will have Backstage/Onstage Tours and Merchandise Packages. Click here for more information. You can keep track of onsale dates by visiting TER here. Many thanks to Glo at TER for providing these official concert dates and to Renee for finding out about the new Moorhead date!

April 27 - New Orleans, LA (Mahalia Jackson Theater)
April 28 - Austin, TX (ACL Live at the Moody Theater)
April 29 - Houston, TX (Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion)
April 30 - Thackerville, OK (Winstar Casino)
May 3 - Tulsa, OK (Brady Theater)
May 4 - El Reno, OK (Lucky Star Casino)
May 5 - Kansas City, MO (Midland Theatre)
May 7 - Denver, CO (Red Rocks Amphitheatre)
May 8 - Colorado Springs, CO (Pikes Peak Center)
May 11 - Tucson, AZ (AVA Amphitheatre)
May 12 - Phoenix, AZ (Comerica Theatre)
May 13 - Las Vegas, NV (The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel)
May 14 - Rancho Mirage, CA (Agua Caliente Casino)
May 15 - Los Angeles, CA (Nokia Theater)
May 17 - Santa Barbara, CA (Granada Theater)
May 18 - San Luis Obispo, CA (Performing Arts Center)
May 20 - Temecula, CA (Pechanga Resort & Casino)
May 21 - Temecula, CA (Pechanga Resort & Casino)
May 22 - San Diego, CA (Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay)
May 24 - San Rafael, CA (Marin Center)
May 25 - Visalia, CA (Visalia Fox Theater)
May 27 - Saratoga, CA (The Mountain Winery)
May 28 - Reno, NV (Silver Legacy Casino)
May 29 - Salt Lake City, UT (Red Butte Garden)
May 31 - Boise, ID (Idaho Botanical Gardens)
June 1 - Eugene, OR (Cuthbert Amphitheatre)
June 3 - Portland, OR (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall)
June 4 - Woodinville, WA (Chateau Ste. Michelle)
June 5 - Airway Heights, WA (Northern Quest Casino)
June 8 - Moorhead, MN (Bluestem Center For The Arts)
June 9 - Minneapolis, MN (Orpheum Theatre)
June 10 - Milwaukee, WI (Riverside Theater)
June 11 - Highland Park, IL (Ravinia Festival)


New Justin Q & A on MBT
Click here to read Justin's answers to some questions posed to him on Moody Blues Today.

October newsletter on Justin's site
Justin shares his thoughts on touring and recording in his latest newsletter.

Snark available November 1st
Mike Batt's musical interpretation of Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark is scheduled for reissue on November 1st. The two-disc package includes the 1984 album (in which Art Garfunkel sang the role of the Butcher) and the DVD of the 1987 Royal Albert Hall concert in which Justin Hayward sang the role. It is available for pre-order on Amazon UK. If you are unfamiliar with the Snark, you can see some YouTube clips by clicking the links below. Many thanks to Marilyn for the heads up!

5-Minute Sampler
Children of the Sky
The Escapade
The Snooker Song
The Bellman's Speech


Ray Thomas interview on Italian website
Ray conducted an interview with the Italian website Quotidiano.net in conjunction with the release of his box set. You can view the original Italian version or an English translation.

Moody Blues magazine feature
A nice article about the Moodies appeared in the October issue of Classic Rock Presents Prog magazine. You can see a scan of it at Traveling Eternity Road. Many thanks to Pam for purchasing the magazine and providing the scans!

Important news for German WOTW customers
It has been announced that the German tour dates for The War of the Worlds have been postponed until December 2011. Apparently, the German tour promoters feel that the show should be done in German, with a German cast. Preparations for this program have begun, and hopefully everything will be ready for a December 2011 debut. Current ticket holders may receive a refund or take advantage of special packages being offered for upcoming UK, Belgium and Holland shows. Visit this page for details.

Official Ray Thomas website
Ray's new website is now online. It's a beautiful place full of old photos and stories....take a look! Official Ray Thomas site.

Ray Thomas box set ordering information
Ray's four-disc box set is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. It will be released on September 27 in the UK and on October 5 in the USA. Copies purchased from Threshold Records will be personally autographed by Ray. Many thanks to Sue and Alan at TER for this information!

2011 tour talk
During a recent chat on his website, John Lodge mentioned that the Moodies' spring tour will take them to Denver, Texas and the West Coast during April and May. As always, venues and dates are unknown at this point, and this schedule is subject to change.

Legends & Lyrics update
According to a staff member at Legends & Lyrics, the PBS series has hit a financial snag, leaving the status of the Season 2 episodes up in the air. Staff reductions and difficulties in finding a sponsor mean that no definite release date can be given at this point. Justin's episode (Episode 114 Season 2) was taped in Nashville in February 2009. Fans can visit the official Legends & Lyrics site or the Legends & Lyrics Facebook page to keep informed of any new developments.

War of the Worlds news
For the 2010-2011 tour, the role of Parson Nathaniel will be played by former X-Factor star Rhydian Roberts. He will be joined onstage by WOTW veterans Justin Hayward and Chris Thompson, and newcomers Jason Donovan and Liz McClarnon. A second Cardiff date and the first German dates have been added to the tour. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see the tour schedule, or visit The War of the Worlds for more information.

War of the Worlds tickets on sale
Tickets for the UK shows are on sale at See Tickets. Tickets for Amsterdam are on sale at Live Nation. Tickets for the Antwerp performance can be purchased here. Tickets for the Belfast and Dublin performances are on sale at the Odyssey's website and Ticketmaster. Check the official War of the Worlds site for member presales.

2010-2011 War of the Worlds tour
November 24 - Amsterdam, NL (Heineken Music Hall)
November 25 - Amsterdam, NL (Heineken Music Hall)
November 26 - Antwerp, BE (Lotto Arena)
November 29 - Dublin (O2 Arena at Dublin)
November 30 - Belfast (Odyssey Arena)
December 2 - Newcastle (Metro Radio Arena)
December 3 - Glasgow (SECC)
December 4 - Sheffield (Sheffield Arena)
December 5 - Manchester (MEN Arena)
December 7 - Liverpool (Echo Arena)
December 8 - Nottingham (Trent FM Arena)
December 9 - Birmingham (NIA)
December 10 - Bournemouth (BIC)
December 11 - Bournemouth (BIC)
December 12 - London (O2 Arena)
December 14 - Cardiff (CIA)
December 15 - Cardiff (CIA)
December 16 - Brighton (Brighton Centre)
December 17 - Brighton (Brighton Centre)
December 18 - London (Wembley Arena)
January 1 - Frankfurt, DE (Festhalle) - POSTPONED
January 2 - Munich, DE (Olympic Hall) - POSTPONED
January 4 - Berlin, DE (O2 World) - POSTPONED
January 5 - Hamburg, DE (Color Line Arena) - POSTPONED
January 6 - Leipzig, DE (Leipzig Arena) - POSTPONED
January 7 - Oberhausen, DE (Koenig-Pilsener Arena) - POSTPONED