Moody Blues great John Lodge to headline EXPERIENCE 1970

By IW Galleries Feb 26, 2020

Moody Blues’ legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee John Lodge is returning to the Isle of Wight – 50 years after the Moodies triumphant appearance at the legendary 1970 festival – to headline the EXPERIENCE 1970 golden anniversary event.

The John Lodge Band will showcase many of the Moody Blues classics in their climactic Saturday, September 5 appearance during the three-day celebratory fest on the iconic 1970 festival site near Freshwater.

The Moody Blues played the closing day of the 1970 festival and took to the stage just as fans without tickets tore down perimeter fences and forced the promoters to declare it a “free festival”…the melodic rock of the band is credited with helping keep order as the massive crowd swelled to record numbers.

Now John Lodge’s ‘10,000 Light Years Band’ will bridge the decades to perform his ‘Classic Moody Blues Hits and More’ show at East Afton Farm. He is already looking forward to an emotional return to familiar turf.

“The iconic 1970 Isle of Wight Festival has become a legend in British rock history,” said John. “I am really excited to return, 50 years later, with my 10,000 Light Years Band and share with you some classic Moody Blues songs and recapture the Spirit of 1970 at the return of The Last Great Event in September 2020.

“It was a magical time for us then as I’m sure it will be again!”.

John Lodge has also had a successful career outside the Moody Blues and formed a successful duo with fellow band member Justin Hayward. He is keen to see his return to the Isle of Wight help spread the music to a new generation.

“I want to keep the Moody Blues’ music alive,” he says. “Music is my life and I can’t wait to get on the road with the 10,000 Light Years Band. I am a Moody Blue, I always will be and the fans and I have travelled this road a long time so I hope they will continue with me as we keep the Moodies’ music alive.”

His band will feature long-term collaborators such as Alan Hewitt (music director and keys); Bill Ashbaugh (from the Moody Blues touring band) plus Duffy King (guitars) and Jason Charboneau (cello) alongside the man himself, of course, on bass and vocals.

During his amazing 52 years with the Moody Blues, John Lodge has sold more than 70 million albums including the ground-breaking ‘Days of Future Passed’ and has composed or jointly composed some of their biggest hits. Their ‘Seventh Sojourn’ album topped the Billboard charts for five weeks and Lodge wrote both the hits singles to come from it – ‘I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)’ and ‘Isn’t Life Strange?’.

John Lodge and his band have just started a five-week U.S. tour but fans from the UK and beyond can now grab a slice of rock history with his return to the Isle of Wight likely to be highly anticipated. Lodge and the Moodies, of course, also played the 1969 IoW Festival when they headlined and closed the Saturday bill – precisely the slot Lodge & Co will occupy at EXPERIENCE 1970 in September.

The anniversary festival bill for EXPERIENCE 1970 is now really taking shape with an impressive list of original 1970 performers returning, supported by some top class tribute acts set to recreate the sounds of many of the other original performers, who included the late greats Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison of The Doors, plus The Who, Emerson Lake and Palmer and Free.

Among those original stars, such as Lodge, returning to honour the original festival, are Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle; Groundhogs; Nik Turner – a member of Hawkwind who played in 1970 – plus 1968 IoW Festival mainstay Arthur Brown and, also from the 1968 and 69 festivals, Dick Taylor, of The Pretty Things.

EXPERIENCE 1970’s Sunday, September 6 on-stage action will be compered by the incomparable ‘Whispering Bob’ Harris.

A full list of the artists on the bill announced to date can be found at both www.experience1970.com or www.allwightnow.com

* Tickets are now available online at £180 plus £15 booking fee from both the websites listed above.

 

Photo credit- Cameron Life