Justin Hayward NZ tour kicks off this week

One of the world’s most celebrated prog-rockers, Justin Hayward – the legendary voice of The Moody Blues – is set for a three-concert tour of New Zealand.
 
Inducted into the Vocal Hall of Fame, Hayward’s concerts in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland will feature The Moody Blues greatest hits in Nights in White Satin, Your Wildest Dreams and I Know You’re Out There Somewhere. Hayward is accompanied by a kick ass band that recreates The Moody Blues sound, and supported by English virtuoso Mike Dawes – a fingerstyle guitarist whose arrangement of Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye and our Kimbra gained over 2 million hits on YouTube alone on its first day of release.
 
The concerts will also feature songs from Hayward’s latest All The Way that brings together many of his best-loved tracks from his work outside the group. It spans from his first hit Blue Guitar through to his global smash Forever Autumn from Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War of the Worlds and through to tracks from his solo albums.
 
Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for The Moody Blues, Hayward is an enduring talent that has helped to define the times in which he worked. Over the last 45 years the band has been awarded 18 platinum and gold discs, having sold 70 million albums.
 
Commercial success has gone hand in hand with critical acclaim, The Moody Blues are renowned the world over as innovators and trail blazers who have influenced any number of fellow artists. Justin is honoured with the Moody Blues on the Rock Walk Hall of Fame on Sunset Boulevard.
 
The Moody Blues’ "rich symphonic sound" influenced groups such as Genesis, ELO and Deep Purple. They also helped make synthesizers and philosophy "part of the rock mainstream".
 
Hayward joined The Moody Blues in the summer of 1966. Hitting his stride immediately with the single Fly Me High, he followed it up with the classic hit songs Nights in White Satin and Tuesday Afternoon from the seminal album Days of Future Past. This album went on to become a favourite of the NASA astronauts and was taken aboard the Atlantis shuttle space craft by Chief astronaut “Hoot” Gibson on many missions.
 
“I have spent most of my life, so far, on the road”, says Justin. “Playing live and creating a small piece of magic in a room is like a drug to me, one that I never want to give up”. His is a talent that has helped soundtrack more than a generation and created a legacy that remains undimmed.

Justin Hayward

Friday 13 October: Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch - Tickets via Ticketek

Saturday 14 October: Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington - Tickets via Ticketek

Monday 16 October: ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland - Tickets via Ticketmaster