LOCKDOWN MUSIC Mike Sterling is a West End musical star who has appeared in the Phantom, Les Miserables and Evita to name three, but like the rest of us has been affected by the pandemic and not been able to work since the beginning of March. Now because of the second lockdown he will be unable to work this side of January 2021. Throughout the first lockdown Mike entertained us with ‘Tea with Mikey’ streaming live from his home. His gigs got many of us through the first lockdown giving us something to look forward to, he also did a couple of appearances in the Virtual Pub, which you can find on Facebook. Mike also streamed two concerts in aid of ‘Evie Needs a Hero’ a little girl from Whitby North Yorkshire - not just to raise money for the Aplasic Anaemia Trust but also to raise awareness of the condition and get people to register to become donors. So, if you’re reading this and between the ages of 18 to 55 then why not register and be someone’s Hero. Mike has also recorded a single called ‘Hero’ where all the proceeds will also be going to the Aplasic Anaemia Trust. If you go on Facebook and search Mike Sterling and add him as a friend, the information you need to purchase the single will be available very shortly, you will also find information there which tells you how to register to become a donor or donate to the fund – or both! All the if you cannot find the information please message Mike and he will tell you where to find it. On the music front Mike sings a variety of material from musicals he has appeared in, plus music from the Moody Blues as he appeared with Go Now who perform the music The Moody Blues, Queen songs and many, many more artists, It is well worth googling Mike to listen to his music. CD REVIEW - GO NOW My very first CD music review is a band called ‘Go Now’ who play the music of the Moody Blues - a British Band first and foremost who found fame and fortune in the USA then forgot about their British fans who got them on the road to fame and fortune in the USA. Go Now were put together by Gordy Marshall who for 25 years was the second drummer with the Moody Blues. Some, including me would say that he was the main drummer after Graham Edge the original drummer suffered an unfortunate accident and never quite recovered to be the drummer he once was. Gordy developed a lot of new innovations to the live music of the Moody Blues with his flute playing, his chimes and keyboard skills. I first saw Go Now on the 2 April 2018 at the Whitley Bay Playhouse which is a great venue not just for up and coming bands but also for those that are more established. As I have said Gordy put together Go Now to just play the music of the Moody Blues along with with Mick Wilson formally lead singer with 10cc, and currently also singing with Front M3n (with Pete Lincoln and Peter Hewitt). Mick plays lead vocal, guitar and percussion. Other members of the band are Patrick Duffin vocals, bass guitar, keys and guitar, Malcom Moore vocals and bass, Nick Moore lead guitar and vocals, Tim Maple lead guitar and vocals but other great musicians and singers step in whenever necessary to make up the band. They do not pretend to be the Moody Blues, nor do they play and sing their music exactly as the original songs - Mick Wilson and the other singers do not try to reproduce the moody Blues sound, they sing and play because they love and enjoy the music. When I first saw them in 2018, they had Mike Sterling taken over lead vocals -for those who do not know him - google him or become a friend on Facebook. Mike is a West End musical star and has appeared in the touring show of Evita, Les Misérables and The Phantom. Just recently Go Now have produce their own CD of Music by the Moody Blues and it is a well-produced CD. If you like Moody Blues music, then this CD is a must for you. The CD consists of eleven tracks ten from the Moody Blues along with ‘The Eve Of The War’ from War of the Worlds which is there partly because Go Now love playing this track and partly because Gordy has played on the live tours of WotW for many years. Believe me – the way they play this song IS out of this world! On Saturday 7 October 2020 Go No did a live streaming concert, which can still be downloaded from the link below for a cost of £12.50 not only can you watch the concert, but you can watch it over and over for the next year. Concert Link: https://manylink.co/@GONOWMUSIC?fbclid=IwAR3Z385wEUh80KzmSV0 Cf13bjbdPh2iQkQixmj0uSt4Pxqs0rLOWp8nE3oc If you purchase a link to the downloaded concert 50% of your ticket price will go to support the local theatres who were going to host the GO NOW autumn tour in 2020. The concert itself lasted, just over two hours with a ten-minute break and it was just ten minutes as there is a count down on screen. The concert is absolutely fantastic the sound quality the chat in between song all that you would expect from a live concert that you would attend, the only downside is that there is no audience and therefore no applause, but there is nothing stopping you from clapping in the comfort of your own home (which we did!) You will more than likely hear songs that you have never heard the Moody Blues sing for a very long time such as Dr Livingstone I Presume and Legend of a Mind. We all know that we will never see the Moody Blues again - Go Now are not a straight forward copy of the Moody Blues and they are definitely not a substitute for them they are a band in their own right who love to play the music of the Moody Blues. My recommendation is buy this CD one for the car and one for in the home, buy a ticket for the concert and watch it, when it is the interval get yourself another drink and go to the loo just as if you were at the real concert because you do not want to miss one minute of this concert. CD REVIEW - Music and Words by Ray Thomas Ray Thomas was a founding member of the Moody Blues, but had to retire prematurely due to ill-health and sadly died way before his time in January 2019. Ray was instrumental in the music of the band. He was blessed with a beautiful voice; he was maestro flute player who also played harmonica and tambourine. To watch him on stage was an honour and the day he retired from the band was a sad day. His wife Lee has produced this CD which consists of 15 tracks which three of them are his early Moody Blues tracks together with with 12 tracks of his music and words. It is compulsive listening once you press play on the CD player you have to listen to it all the way through. I would certainly recommend this CD to all Ray Thomas fans, music lovers and Moody Blues fans, not only is it a CD but it comes with a DVD. Ray had a distinct voice which is like a smooth hot chocolate, he sings about love, laughter and the beyond. His words are pure poetry put to music, this CD has brought together songs from the two solo albums he released some years back, and this CD is a tribute to his words and music with one new track which he had written and recorded with his cousin before his untimely death. Sadly none of the later songs he wrote and recorded with the Moody Blues such as ‘22000 Days’ ‘Veteran Cosmic Rocker’ ‘Celtic Sonant’ ‘My Little Lovely’ have been able to be included on this compilation but it does not detract from the genius of the man and his music.