Moody Blues’s Graeme Edge: A Responsibility to Play the Hits

Scott K Fish

Silver Member
Playing the hits: Moody Blues drummer knows what band's fans want to hear
Alan Sculley For the La Crosse Tribune

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Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge says he’s perfectly happy to play the classic songs by his band — even if it’s the 2,000th time he has played a song like “Nights in White Satin.”

In a recent phone interview, he said he learned long ago that what the musicians on stage want to play isn’t what matters.

“You’ve got to do the hits, and I don’t disagree with it,” Edge said, citing a time some three decades ago when he learned that lesson. “I went to see a favorite artist, and he’d just gotten a new album out and he just did the new album. And I was so disappointed because I wanted to hear the songs that I knew. That’s when I realized you have the responsibility to play those songs because that’s what people come for.”

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Scott K Fish: Life Beyond the Cymbals
 
It's not really a mystery, just ask any artist with a sizeable catalog and more album cuts than hits.

The good news today is, by simply observing social media, artists can assess what their fans like and tailor a more powerful show. The last thing an artist wants is people saying they had to sit through a bunch of songs they didn't know or like.

If artists truly want to play for themselves, they may get their wish.

Bermuda
 
I do like the story of Neil Young playing a gig, and playing solely his new album in its entirety. At that point the album hadn't even been released. At the end of it he announced "And now I'm going to play some songs that you've all heard before", and played the same new album again.
 
There's something wrong with the link. It works, but there's no story. On my computer, the lines of text where the story would be appear grayed out.
 
I do like the story of Neil Young playing a gig, and playing solely his new album in its entirety. At that point the album hadn't even been released. At the end of it he announced "And now I'm going to play some songs that you've all heard before", and played the same new album again.

There are a few artists/bands that are the primary attraction, and any 'hits' they might have are secondary. People didn't go to a Zappa concert because they necessarily liked the music, they went to see the players play... anything. Even so, Zappa always played some of his more accessible songs.

I'd say that's the case somewhat with Neil Young, where if you're a hardcore fan, you enjoy seeing him do whatever he wants. If I went to see him, I'd want to hear some classic hits going back to his Buffalo Springfield days (I'll pass on the Mynah Birds!)

Bermuda
 
There's something wrong with the link. It works, but there's no story. On my computer, the lines of text where the story would be appear grayed out.

Same issue.

Anyhow, I think for most bands, yes, you have to plays the hits. It what people have paid to see.

Although for a few bands, it becomes a double edge sword. There are handful of bands I've lost interest in seeing because their hits fill out a set list, and it's essentially the same show every time. Even if they play the songs in a different order, it's always just the same songs. And there is only so many times I can get excited and part with money to see the same show.
 
The lines were grayed out but as soon as I clicked "No" on the survey it asked for, the story came up.
Nobody plays "NIWS" like Graeme does.
 
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I saw the Moody Blues a few years ago at the Nokia in L.A. They played most of their big hits and were just amazing! Justin Hayward was particularly impressive!
 
I saw the MB's many years ago not knowing what to expect given the level of engineering (for the time) on their first 7 albums and I have to say its up there as one of the best concerts I have seen.

I dont regard them as a hit band as such ( bit like the hollies) but as Bermuda was talking about.... they had a large selection of strong songs to pick from and had a strong sense of what people liked and how to structure the music to take the punters on a journey with them.

They even dropped in a blue Js "hit"

On the other side I saw the Kinks and while good they virtually played their "live" album track for track and worse still the song intros were exactly the same as the "live album". It didnt leave me with a feeling they were connecting with the punters...more going through the motions.

It must be hard keeping fresh on a long tour, but when you have a big back catalougue as the moodies and the kinks do, a bit of chopping and changing cant be that hard. At least making an effort not to sound identical to a recorded concert put to disc would be an idea.

Perhaps thats why Ray had a falling out with the Angels ( Angel City) on a US tour.... as the Angels "reportedly" ( according to the late Doc Neeson) got a better crowd response as a support act than the Kinks did.

I would summise from my experience that the Angels may have tried harder to interact with the crowd.

After all the interaction is why you see a band live, otherwise you can just listen to the record.

Sadly Eric Clapton, The Beach Boys, The strolling Bones ( err Rolling Stones) all got bad reviews for treating the punters like shit, playing off their respective trollys on their drugs of choice.

At least the Moodies were not on acid at the time of the concert ( or were just bloody good at playing wired)

Donavan leech was off his trolly when I saw him, but I cant say I noticed any difference with him ;-)
 
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