Moody Blues singer/bassist John Lodge returned to touring Tuesday night in Norfolk, Connecticut, almost exactly two years after he was forced off the road because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lodge has a three-week U.S. trek lined up through a March 26 show in Dania Beach, Florida, leading up to his appearance on the 2022 edition of the Flower Power Cruise.
“I’ve never had two years off [from being on stage] since I was like 14,” the 76-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer tells ABC Audio. “So, yeah, I’m really looking forward to it.”
In January, Lodge released a new live album titled The Royal Affair and After featuring performances from John’s stint on the Yes-headlined 2019 Royal Affair Tour and from his subsequent U.S. headlining trek.
The album is mainly made up of renditions of classic Moody Blues songs, and includes guest appearances by current Yes frontman Jon Davison on two songs, with a set list that reflects the one Lodge showcased on his 2019 and 2020 headlining treks.
Davison, who is friends with Lodge, joined John as a special guest throughout his previous tour, and Lodge says the Yes singer also is taking part in the new trek.
“I said to Jon, ‘You’ve go to go on the road with me,’ and he is,” Lodge tells ABC Audio. “[W]e’re gonna go have a great time.”
Meanwhile, Lodge says the set for this year’s tour, while similar to the one he played before the pandemic, will feature a few changes.
“I’ve been rehearsing some deeper cuts from The Moody Blues…for this tour, so it will be different,” he reveals.
Lodge also says he’s “really looking forward to” the star-studded Flower Power Cruise, which sets sail from Miami on March 28.
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