If someone had told me years ago when I attended my first Moody Blues concert that someday I would see them perform at a beautiful venue in Monte Carlo and be a guest at a champagne reception hosted by Justin Hayward, I would have thought they were mad.

And yet, that's exactly what happened... 

I've loved and admired Moody Blues for many years.  The first time I saw them perform live was on July 18, 1993 at Great Woods for the Performing Arts in Mansfield, MA.  Though I loved their music, I had no idea what the band members looked like.  I was sitting about as far back at the venue as one could be and they had large projection screens set up.  When the band took the stage and I got my first look at "the voice" behind the songs, Justin Hayward, I think my mouth hit the ground.  It was love at first sight.  Well, at least it was for me.  Standing before me, up on stage, was quite possibly the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

Fast forward 11 years...

In June 2004, the Moody Blues were performing at the Fleet Pavilion in Boston.  I was thrilled to be seeing the band again.  After their first set I was given a backstage pass to meet Justin.  I was both terrified and excited.  At the end of the show I gathered with others who were also invited backstage and we were led to an area outside in the back.  Justin came out shortly thereafter and immediately put us at ease.  Since this  as my first time meeting him, I had purchased a program so I would have something for him to sign.  He graciously signed my program, talked with us for about 45 minutes, and posed for a photo with us.  It was a dream come true for me.  

How could things get better than this?  

I would soon find out...

My backstage pass, autograph, and with Justin backstage in Boston on 
June 25, 2004

While backstage in Boston, Justin spoke with us about an upcoming performance the Moody Blues would be doing in Monte Carlo.  He was excited about performing in the place he calls "home." 

About 100 fans had signed up to fly overseas to attend this special concert in Monte Carlo.  I have to admit as much as I was thrilled for them I felt sorry for myself for not being able to go.  The others were posting on the message board that was set up for this event about their travel plans.  I was envious but so thrilled for them.

And then, the most amazing thing happened for me.  A week before show time, lady luck shone down upon me and I now found myself holding an airline ticket to Monte Carlo.  It happened so quickly and so unexpectedly.  I was never so excited about anything in my life.

I don’t know if it was nervousness, anticipation, excitement, or a combination of all three but the night before I was to fly off to Monte Carlo I couldn’t sleep. I had to be up at 5:30 AM that morning and I was looking at the clock at 4:00 AM still wide eyed. There were a few things I still had to do before going.

Later that morning I went to pack a pair of dress shoes I was planning on wearing to the show and the soles had begun to separate from the shoe. I don’t know how long they had been like that since it’s been at least a year since I last wore them. It must have happened last autumn after a storm when my bedroom became flooded while they were sitting on the floor of my closet. I ended up having to go to the store the morning I was leaving and I bought two pair of dress shoes to be on the safe side.

Finally it was time to leave for the airport. There was a horrific automobile accident in which there was a fatality on the way. The traffic was backed up for miles.  There were emergency personnel all over the roadway, television news vans set up and helicopters flying around the area. I’m glad I gave myself lots of extra time to get to the airport because after seeing this accident I knew it was best to just go slow and take my time getting there.

I had checked in with my airline online that morning so I didn’t have to stand in the long lines once I got to the airport. Within an hour of arriving at the airport I was boarding the first leg of my flight, from Boston to London, Heathrow. Once I was settled, very comfortably mind you, in my seat and not having been in the air for very long, we were served dinner. I don’t remember anything else after that until I was awoken for breakfast. An hour later I was at Heathrow. We were ahead of schedule, it was only 4:30 AM in London. The airport was pretty much deserted with the exception of a few people who were sleeping on the seats. Within an hour the place was wall-to-wall people. Before leaving Boston, I stopped and got a 20 pound note so I could grab a bite to eat and a have cup of tea during my layover in London.

My flight to Nice was a half hour delayed but I didn’t mind. I quite enjoyed hanging out at Heathrow watching all the different cultures and nationalities going by. Finally my flight was called and I made my way to board my flight to Nice. It was a nice quiet and pretty uneventful flight and I watched the different countries pass below me. When the plane landed at Nice, I was just awestruck by the beauty of the area.

The airport at Nice is very small. I believe they only have two terminals. There was also no air conditioning, at least in the arrival waiting area. The temperature in Nice is very similar to what I left in Boston - Hot & Humid.  While at the Nice Airport waiting for a taxi to head for the Sofitel Hotel, again I enjoyed people watching.  I saw Kirsten and Kristian Lodge come through their gate and head outside to a waiting car.  I had to laugh when I saw a group of men in their 20’s & 30’s get wide eyed and grin when they saw a young scantily clad woman walk by.  Some things are the same in every language!  Soon my taxi came and I was on my way to the Sofitel Hotel.

Shortly after arriving at the Sofitel Hotel and after unpacking my bags, I made my way to the rooftop of the hotel where the swimming pool is located as well as a rooftop restaurant and bar. I sat with a glass of wine and just tried to absorb the beauty that was all around me. It was a breathtaking view with the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps coming together.  And then, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was in Nice. I just fell apart up on that roof. I’m glad at that moment I was sitting up there all alone. There wasn’t another person with the exception of the waitress/bartender up there and she was around the corner out of sight. I was glad I had myself composed when a group of about 12 men joined me on the roof.

This group of a dozen men were from Spain and were participating in a music festival 10 km north of the hotel that weekend. They sat with me and bought me a glass of wine. Most of them spoke very little or no English and it was hard communicating with them.  One of them spoke perfect English though and he became our translator. I told him I could understand him more clearly than some I had spoken to who were from the United Kingdom. He told me it was probably because he learned to speak English in the U.S.  That made sense to me. They asked me to join them at the Music Fest on that upcoming Sunday. I thanked them but told them I would be attending a different Music Fest in Monte Carlo that night and the Music Fest I would be attending was one of the main reason for my being there and there was just no chance I was going to miss it.

The next morning a few of us made our way to Monte Carlo. We were all wide-eyed with our mouths open at the views from Nice to Monte Carlo.  They were spectacular. We spent a few hours walking around and taking photographs. I think the group I was with were ready to put a leash on me because I have a tendency to wander off on my own and did so a few times. Later in the afternoon we made our way to the Stars ‘N’ Bars and sat outside chatting with some of the locals. The Stars ‘N’ Bars is right next to the Monte Carlo Yacht Club. I was amazed at some of those yachts in the harbor. I would classify some of them as cruise ships. There’s a lot of wealth in Monte Carlo.  I could get use to this lifestyle very easily. Monte Carlo is also the cleanest place I’ve ever seen.  The roadways are spotless. We were also told that there is no crime there. How nice it must be to pick up a newspaper and not read page after page of criminal activity.

As the afternoon progressed into evening, people began arriving for the fan gathering at the Stars ‘N’ Bars. It was great finally being able to put a face to a screen name.  Everyone was so jazzed up for the weekend’s events. The music they were playing just didn’t seem right. I pulled some Moody Blues CD’s out of my bag and brought them to the DJ and asked him to play them instead. He happily obliged and for the rest of the  evening we had our Moodies music to listen to. There was a great spread of food set out buffet style and there was no shortage of wine and beer. The waiter came to our table with a bottle of red wine and began pouring glasses of it. I asked for a glass of white wine instead and he gave me a bottle of it. What a thrilling surprise it was when Moody Blues drummer, Graeme Edge and his lovely wife Amanda walked up those stairs to join us. No one had expected to see them walk in. Rumor had it that Justin might show up and I was glad he didn’t because if he had I think it would have taken away from meeting him at his champagne reception on Monday which I knew was going to be such a special event. Graeme and Amanda joined us at our table for a drink and conversation and then he made the rounds talking and having photos taken with everyone before he had to leave. What a delightful night it turned out to be. Later that evening back at the hotel I kept thinking to myself, “How can this weekend possibly get any better?,” and knowing that it would...

Here I am with Graeme Edge at the Stars 'N' Bars 
Fan Gathering in Monte Carlo
(I'm the one having the bad hair day.)

Sunday morning I went out for a walk along the Promenade de Anglais. There are loads of shops there but very few of them were open because it was Sunday. After walking around for about 4 hours I could feel a blister beginning to develop on my foot. I knew I had to wear very high heels that evening so rather than footing it back to the hotel it was worth the 20 Euros it cost me to take a taxi back. I had a lovely taxi driver who chatted up a storm with me.

So many of us had heard that the French aren’t welcoming to U.S. citizens. I don’t know what it’s like in other parts of France, but in Nice they couldn’t have been friendlier or more accommodating. Every person I met while there went out of their way to help. 

One man came up to me on the street and started talking to me in very bad French. I apologized and told him I didn’t understand him. He said, “Thank God!, I’m from England and I need directions to the train station.” Since I had just received directions to the train station myself from the hotel clerk, I was able to point him in the right direction.

Before I knew it, it was time to get ready for the show.  Everyone looked so beautiful in their fancy outfits as we boarded our van for the ride to the Sporting Club. What a gorgeous venue it was. It was modern and very elegant. The tables were set up with vases of rose heads which were later seen being thrown up on stage by the bouquet full. It was a very pretty effect. Soon the windows in the great archways “disappeared” and the roof opened up. Though I found Monte Carlo to be on the warm side, the evenings cooled off and even with all the people in the venue temperature wise I found it very comfortable in there. After a beautifully presented meal the Moody Blues took  the stage. There was so much energy from our group of travelers. The band looked and sounded fabulous.  As far as sound goes, I don’t think I’ve ever heard them sound so good. From the instruments, to the backup voices, to the main center voices, they sounded heavenly.  Justin's voice, as always, gave me the chills.  From my eyes it appeared the band was really enjoying themselves up there on stage. Justin, in particular, was such a joy to watch. He really got into it in his hometown. It was also a joy to watch Prince Albert and Princess Caroline stand and applaud them right along with us foreigners. It would appear they were as impressed with the Moody Blues as our group was.  Justin told us that when the Prince and Princess heard that so many of us were flying over for the performance they requested to be seated with us. 

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the Moody Blues at a number of venues here in the U.S. and at the Royal Albert Hall in London, but none of those shows compared to my experience at the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo. It was a evening I’ll never forget.

Thankfully there was a mix-up with our taxi ride back to our hotel in Nice after the concert and we were delayed at the venue for some time. I say thankfully because I was still outside waiting when the band emerged from the venue. Justin came out first and began chatting with us. He thanked Pbaub and then I was greeted with a lovely kiss on both cheeks. I think my heart stopped for a moment – either that or he stole it at that very moment. He was so kind and thoughtful and genuinely was so pleased that so many of us made our way to Monte Carlo to cheer on the band we love so much. His beauty on the inside certainly matches his beauty on the outside.

Justin left shortly thereafter and then Graeme followed by John and the rest of the back up band emerged. They also took a bit of time to speak with us and to pose for photos.

Me with John Lodge after the concert 
at the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo

When our van finally arrived to take us back to our hotel it was quite late.  Upon arrival at our hotel, a few of us were still on such a high that we wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if we had wanted to. The bar on the roof was now closed so we raided our mini bars and joined up in the lobby to toast the most glorious evening. It was 5:00 AM before I crashed into bed.

A few hours later, two to be exact, I met up with a few people downstairs for breakfast. It was going to be an exciting day for sure. Later on when it was nearing time to go to the Negresco Hotel for Justin’s champagne reception, I found myself getting a bit stressed.  I think I began pacing. I don't know why I became so nervous at that moment since I had met Justin the previous night, but my insides were in knots.  Soon the beautiful coach that Justin hired for us arrived to bring us to the reception. The Negresco Hotel is a gorgeous hotel on the Mediterranean. We were ushered into the Salon Louis XIV Ballroom where there was a table set up with a very large silver bowl containing a number of bottles of fine champagne.  Other beverages were also set out for those who didn't drink champagne.

Justin came in shortly thereafter. He looked tanned and rested. He was warm and welcoming and made sure that everyone there had a chance to talk to him and pose for photos with him. He went well beyond the allotted two hour time frame we were scheduled for.  He fit in so perfectly with this beautiful region of the world.  He wore a gauze white shirt over a pair of brown linen pants and closed toed Italian sandals.  He could have been the Prince of Monaco by his appearance.  In my eyes that's exactly what he was.

Nearing the end, he made his way through the crowd embracing and shaking hands with everyone. Once again my heart stopped when I received a hug & kiss from him.

Here I am with Justin Hayward at his champagne
reception held at the Negresco Hotel in Nice, France
(Photo courtesy Kathy F. aka Kathylovesmoodies)

Later that night, back at the hotel I broke down again. It was such a glorious few days in Nice and Monte Carlo. It was a fairy tale and I found out that dreams do indeed come true.

I’ve loved the music of the Moody Blues for so many years but after this experience I’ll never hear their music in quite the same way. It’ll hold so much more meaning to me now.

Thank you, Justin and thank you Moody Blues for allowing me to be a part of the magic and the dream.  

        

Justin Hayward at his champagne reception
in Nice, France on August 9, 2004