2012 in Review

2012 My Year in Review

I began 2012 knowing I was going to go to several concerts, in March and April. We had actually purchased some seats while at the last event, Canterbury Cathedral, while sitting on beds, and that particular event, we had purchased the tickets while in bed in Canada during the previous Tour. All one ongoing and continuous process, jumping from place to place, event to event.

Even with all the planning, we never finish the Tour, the week, even the day, without the amazement at the way things turn out.

I am ending 2012, having just concluded a late Fall/Early Winter Tour, that was not even on the planning horizon, one year ago, and wonder where I will be in one year.

I had a fair idea of where we were going, what we would be doing, where we would be staying, and the actuality was far more wondrous and spectacular. I will keep doing this as long as I have the opportunity. We keep planning for the End, and it keeps just out of our reach, which is fine, we will keep on going. We will stop when they stop. Lucky them, lucky us.

I went to 27 Moody Blues Concerts in 2012

I saw shows in 4 time zones, central, eastern, mountain and pacific. But all in one country, the USA.

27 concerts in 21 venues, 14 states. 15 in venues I had seen shows in previously, 12 new venues. 11 front row seats. Drove to 4 shows after working the day, to 3 different states than the one I lived in.

I flew 4 airplane segments, 4 airports, stayed in 13 hotels. 35 nights in hotels or away from home. Used 3 personal cars, one rental car. Drove almost 5000 miles, flew over 6000 miles.

South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Arizona, California, Nevada. New York included Long Island and upstate, and the Canadian border.

Drove through North Carolina, Alabama, Delaware along the way.

Ate at Waffle House, Cracker Barrel, and various local diners and dives. I had chinese, mexican, New York deli, and southern cuisine. I did the occasional rinsing of clothing in hotel bathroom sinks. I even went shopping at various Malls around the country, and we know how much I am not a shopper.

So, to anyone who thought this all looked easy; this is what it takes.

Hundreds of hours on conference calls, emails, texts and instant messages. All while planning at least two future tours. So, when you stop and ask us how we do it, and we give you a blank stare, we are not being completely rude, we just have no single simple answer. And if we did, you are still not getting one.

Concert going is not a competition sport. I provide these statistics to show how hard we worked, how much pleasure we derived from our accomplishments. Some people may have gone to more, I doubt it, about the same amounts, from the faces I've seen. Some people traveled further, and some didn't have to travel very far at all. Some people paid more for their tickets than me, some paid less. Concert going is not about getting the front row every time, but getting one is great, do not get me wrong, but any seat is better than no seat, I am not staying home just because I do not have a ticket.

Concert going is also not a contact sport, but I got smacked upside my head at one show, and read about it on line, from someone who claimed they were the smacked one. I read another report from someone claiming to be sitting in the seat I was occupying, and adding a disclaimer that if someone else wrote that they were in that seat, they were lying. I read reports that were the opposite of my experience, that is fine, if you liked a show I didn't, or didn't like a show I did, neither one of us is wrong, just had different experiences, and I accept that, I am not calling anyone a LIAR. But I have been called one. I have met some fabulous people, and some not so fabulous people, and a few real lunatics. OK, mostly lunatics. I have been asked if this was my first concert, (no), have I ever met the Band, (yes) do they know me? Do they ever stop and talk to me? (yes and sometimes). My concert ticket buys me just that, time in a space, to enjoy a live performance. The Band owes me no more than that. No autographs, no recognition from the stage, no invasion of their private times. I am an integral part of the touring process, I am the audience. I play my part during the shows, they play their parts, and off stage, we go our separate ways, all as regular people. No expectations.

I have seen people run up to their bus, block it to prevent it leaving, and seen people try to get into their bus. I saw their bus drive right past one car that was covered with writing all over the windows about this Band. The bus honked, the person in the car was oblivious to the fact that their adored Band passed them right by on the highway, maybe the closest that person got to them that night. And no, I wasn't following the bus, it passed us by, and went on to the venue, saw them getting off, wasn't too hard to figure out who they were by then.

I have seen people try to touch or grab at their person while they are on stage. So not good, can cause injury. I have seen people's delusions pop during the concert, when the reality of the Band not being 25 years old hits, and hits hard.

Do I tell everything I have been up to? No.

See you all on the road.