1975 TOUR PROGRAMME
Justin Hayward and John Lodge
BLUE JAYS
Front Cover
It's all about the pictures in this tourbook, which shows the young Hayward and Lodge at their best.
Front Cover and Page 1
JUSTIN HAYWARD & JOHN LODGE
in Concert
with Special Guest A.J. Webber
Bottom print: Theatregraphics Publication
This is the Only Official Souvenir Brochure
© Copyright Theatregraphics November 1975
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For Justin Hayward and John Lodge 1975 has been a year of change. At the end of the Moody Blues World Tour which ended in 1974 Justin and John took the first step on a road which has brought them to their current British tour.
The step was an album conceived, written and recorded in their own Threshold recording studio. Today, the spirit of this album - which was baptised 'BlueJays' - now begins to grow with Justin and John embarking upon a tour of Great Britain.
Tours are nothing new to Justin and John. For example the World tour lasted nine months, covered over a dozen countries on three continents and they played to almost a million people.
But this tour is different. A couple of years back, Justin wrote a song called 'New Horizons' - and that is exactly what this tour is: a new direction along an unexplored avenue.
Justin and John have a few good friends on the road with them. A few years ago during an American tour they met three musicians from Idaho - Jim Cockey, Tim Tompkins and Tom Tompkins. Jim, Tim and Tom have been part of the Threshold family ever since then - firstly through their own album, 'Ever Sense The Dawn' when they were a part of a band called Providence, and more recenly working with Justin and John on 'BlueJays'. Two other old friends from the Threshold family are also with Justin and John on this journey - Mel Galley and Dave Holland from Trapeze. The first three Trapeze albums, two of which were produced by John Lodge, were for Threshold.
This tour by Justin and John also gives another family member, producer Tony Clarke, an opportunity to leave his beloved studio, as Tony is very deeply involved with the sound on this tour.
Add to these the road managers, lighting and sound men and the family is complete.
As with all family units, this family of music generate their energies toward an ideal - and for Justin Hayward and John Lodge this means their music.
And their music, and your appreciation of it, has brought them here for you tonight.
 JUSTIN HAYWARD |
 JOHN LODGE |
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Jim Cockey, Mel Galley, Justin Hayward, Tim Tompkins, John Lodge, Dave Holland, Tom Tompkins
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Aj Webber's first musical influence was her mother. Her mother used to get up and "do a turn" at local pubs and meetings of the "Buffs" (an ancient order, I am told). At the age of six, Aj minus her two front teeth, decided to help Mum out on vocals. Her singing career, although she had started at the bottom, over the next three years progressed by leaps and bounds...downwards. In desperation, Aj Turned to classical dancing at the age of nine, determined to be an entertainer at any price. And what a price! Every time Aj rehearsed or performed, her tutor fined her for dancing badly.
Aj decided it was time for a re-think. She retired from "public life" to study piano for three years. At 13 Aj took up Guitar and started playing in local folk clubs. The years of being a recluse paid off. Aj was now accepted for her performances and the years of disappointment and rejection became but a bitter memory.
At 15 she started a residency at the Bristol Troubadour. Aj now decided to turn fully professional and on doing so, cabaret followed with our heroine working under the name of "Adrienne". Unfortunately, a striptease artiste was at that time working in and around Bristol under the name of "Adrienne". After a number of mix-ups that can be better imagined than described, she reverted back to the name Aj, the derivation of which is rather obscure but has something to do with coming from Germany.
Five years of cabaret drove Aj almost insane and so she decided to go and see what the United States had to offer. She stayed one glorious summer in America during which she did gigs with, amongst others the Everley Brothers. During one memorable show at Salt Lake City, Utah, home of the Mormons, Aj was struck by lightning, literally; "It hit the microphone, shot up my arm, buckled my ring and passed through the other side of me. It did not even hurt". In spite of this traumatic experience, Aj was not converted on the spot. She did, however, return to England and four years ago moved to London. Her first year in London saw her being accepted by the audiences, mainly due to the vast amount of exposure she was getting; at the Marquee club alone Aj did 28 gigs in one year. Following this she toured England with Frank Zappa and then Europe with the Eagles.
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Since then, Aj has performed on the David Gates tour during the Spring of 1975 and has been busy in the studio preparing an album for release next January.
In her spare time, Aj is a fanatical show jumping enthusiast. She owns two horses and rises incredibly well ("something to do with my seat", she told me). Her ambitions are to keep on riding and to headline her own tour. Very civilised wishes and if there is any justice in the world she will be doing them both for a very long time to come. Tally ho!
