PHIL, Haarlem, The Netherlands
Monday, 21st October 2024
There is no such thing as coincidence. A few weeks ago I attended the show of Moody Blues tribute band Go Now! led by ex-Moodies drummer Gordon ‘Gordy’ Marshall. During the evening singer Mick Wilson asked for raised hands if anyone present had ever seen his band before; I did not raise my hand. I also had to keep my hand low, in shame, when asked if there was anyone who had ever seen the original band perform live. The closest I came to The Moody Blues was the show earlier this year by guitar virtuoso Mike Dawes, the regular accompanist of iconic singer Justin Hayward during live gigs. So I was very surprised when, while surfing the web, I saw an announcement of a concert by Justin Hayward in Heerlen, a town in the south of Holland, albeit at short notice. A quick check on Hayward’s website showed that there was an opportunity closer to home: PHIL in Haarlem, formerly Philharmonie. And indeed, there are still a few tickets available, so a quick response is required.
PHIL is a beautiful 19th-century monument in the heart of Haarlem, an ancient town in Holland, with two rooms, the largest of which can accommodate around 1,300 visitors, all seated. This very same large hall is an excellent setting for the performance of the legendary singer of equally legendary British band The Moody Blues, co-founders of the prog rock genre. The singer, who has just turned 78, is once again accompanied by the extremely talented, also British guitarist Mike Dawes and two ladies, Julie Ragins and Karmen Gould, the former plays keyboards and provides harmony vocals and the latter plays the flute. No drums, but a moody (…) piece of (semi-)acoustic music, perfectly suited to the music of the living legend.
The setlist is the same as most shows during this short tour. A single solo number but mainly material by The Moody Blues with among others Tuesday Afternoon, Voices in the Sky, Never Comes the Day, Question, the well-known Nights in White Satin and The Story in Your Eyes. And not to forget his ‘world’ hit with Forever Autumn composed by Jeff Wayne for The War of the Worlds. The audience is excited, this is the soundtrack of their lives, the average age is relatively high, no surprise. What is a bit of a surprise is the fact that after the support act of Mike Dawes, including free guitar lessons and his ‘hello Amsterdam!’, a break presents itself after twenty minutes, strange. The show is short, no longer than an hour and fifteen minutes. But that does not spoil the fun, by no means, the crowd in the almost sold-out venue thank the living legend with a standing ovation that lasts for minutes. This is gratefully absorbed by the maestro, guitar hanging loosely over his shoulder. But no, no more extra songs, Justin just calls it a day.
Justin Hayward’s typical and instantly recognizable voice is still there, although it is not quite what it should be during opener Tuesday Afternoon, which fortunately improves quickly. For example, with beautiful versions of Never Comes The Day and Forever Autumn are genuine ‘goosebump’ moments. The first part of the concert is a bit languid, also due to the selection of songs. It’s not until the second part, around The Voice, more fire and passion arises.
He still looks great, dressed in a neat shirt and matching trousers, silk scarf around his neck, with a full, albeit almost white head of hair, a sympathetic appearance and an extremely English way of conversing. He accompanies his songs with a few anecdotes, especially the one about the man who searched for the kitchen during a rehearsal session for the tour and the story about the last-minute naming of a song, made the audience laugh. In addition, he effortlessly gets the audience participating during (Question). Hayward accompanies himself throughout the show on acoustic six & twelve-string guitars and only switches to his characteristic, cherry-red electric Gibson ES 335 towards the end of the gig.
Justin Hayward’s band has become completely attuned to him after all these years, especially the harmony singing with singer/keyboardist Julie Ragins is perfect. She also provides the right atmosphere with her tasteful keyboard playing. Karmen Gould also makes an excellent contribution, both as a flautist (in the Ray Thomas role) and as a singer. While live wire/guitar virtuoso Dawes occasionally steals the show with his jaw-dropping unique style of playing. He also renders the performance on stage a little less static.
The acoustics of the historic building are good, the light show is minimalist. Incidentally, this was the last show in a short European series, the band will be crossing over to the United States in November. In short, a great evening with the British icon (in Haarlem, Mike!).
If I would decide attending another show by tribute band Go Now!, I can now, when asked, raise my hand with complete conviction, twice even. 😉 There is no such thing as coincidence.
[Photos by Alex Driessen]
SETLIST
Tuesday Afternoon
Driftwood
Blue World
Living for Love
Hope and Pray
The Day We Meet Again / One Lonely Room / Out and In / In My World / Meanwhile
Voices in the Sky
The Voice
Forever Autumn
Never Comes the Day
Your Wildest Dreams
Question
Nights in White Satin
Blue Guitar
The Story in Your Eyes
I Know You’re Out There Somewhere
MUSICIANS
Justin Hayward – Vocals, Guitars
Mike Dawes – Guitars, Vocals
Julie Ragins – Keyboards, Vocals
Karmen Gould – Flute, Vocals
LINKS
Justin Hayward – Website | Facebook | YouTube | X | Instagram