LIVE: Denny Laine & the Cryers at The Abbey, Chicago, IL (9/6/2015)
If you’re a fan of Wings and very early Moody Blues — that is, before they went prog — you’ll probably know of Denny Laine. He was an original member of the Moodies and is best known at that time for singing lead on their hit “Go Now,” a song written by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett for Bessie Banks. Laine sang the song so well that he made the song his own, and the Moody Blues’ version is considered by many to be definitive. Excited to hear this song and many of his other songs from his time with Paul McCartney and Wings, I was happy to see that he had a tour date right in my city, Chicago.
Denny Laine is touring this time with the Cryers, a New York/New Jersey-based band who have been around since 1991 and describe themselves accurately as rock-Americana-indie. They were the opening act and the backing band for Laine and played their own original material, much of it coming from their 2011 album Rock & Roll Holiday. Songs including “Small,” “I Think She Knows,” and “Don’t Bother Me Please” showcased their influences stemming from blues, ’70s rock ‘n’ roll, and country rock. Their energy pumped up the crowd for Laine and whetted the audience for what was to come.
Laine dominated the stage for about an hour, mostly playing hits from Wings and a couple of Moody Blues songs. At 70 going on 71 his voice sounds fantastic, and his guitar playing was great throughout the show. He and the band had great chemistry, worked well together, and they all joked a lot with the audience and each other, and he told a few stories about the songs and the bands he was in. It was a very friendly environment between him and the audience of about 50 to 60 people. Laine even noted how enthusiastic the audience was and likened the Abbey to playing to a big crowd. There was a big emphasis during his set on songs that he had a big part in when he was in Wings and the Moody Blues, so if you’re turning up to a Denny Laine show expecting “Nights in White Satin” (which was recorded a few years after he left the Moody Blues) or “Silly Love Songs,” you might be disappointed.
There was a part in the show, however, where he did play a bit of “Nights in White Satin” and joked with the audience about how the Moody Blues changed their sound. He also chucked in a bit of “How Can We Hang Onto a Dream?” and “Red Red Wine” after an audience member called out requesting it. Laine also explained how the Moody Blues’ name evolved from the name of a brewery called Mitchells & Butlers in the hopes of being sponsored by them, and later on, called themselves the MB Five, and finally the Moody Blues. Other stories he told include about how he toured with Sonny Boy Williamson and how blues and folk music were a big inspiration for him, especially with the songs “Deliver Your Children” and “Lose Your Money.”
The highlights and my favorite moments of the show were his cover of James Brown’s “I’ll Go Crazy”; “Deliver Your Children,” from Wings’ London Town written by Laine and Paul McCartney; “Mull of Kintyre,” another song he co-wrote with Paul McCartney; “I Wish You Could Love,” one of Laine’s songs from the ’80s; “Spirits of Ancient Egypt” from the Wings album Venus and Mars; “Go Now”; and “Band On The Run,” the perfect song to finish the concert.
While the night was short, it was great, and Laine was very friendly, signing autographs and taking pictures with audience members (see mine to the left!). Overall, the show was excellent, and if you’re a big fan of the Moody Blues, Wings, or Denny Laine, I would recommend that you “go — now”!
