Moody blues always perform with an orchestra?

Answer 1

Although the band ostensibly recorded Days of Future Passed with an orchestra (although the orchestral and rock parts were recorded separately), they relied on the Mellotron and later synthesisers, such as the Chamberlain and then the Roland, to replicate the orchestral sound.

It was only when they decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that seminal album with A Night at Red Rocks, that they began performing with an orchestra conducted by Larry Baird. This was the case for most of their tours for the next ten years befre they reverted to all tours being the standard rock group set-up of guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.