Long Post. * London trip and ***Tears For Fears concert. If you wish to skip either, look for the symbols.
* This trip was quick in the making, albeit a year in the works. A small club concert for the band Tears For Fears sold out over a year ago, but was postponed due to the passing of the Queen. When rescheduled I had fancied trying to get a ticket from someone no longer able to attend. Cue Barbara, a member of a FB group I check in on. She kindly offered me her ticket and I jumped on booking a flight. This was just about 10 days to show day. I bought with points as flights were going for close to $1500 round trip. I booked a cheap room around the corner and Kim assisted in logistics of bus and train travel to and from Heathrow (since I would be in Zone 6). My flight on the 12th actually was waiting at the gate when I got there. Will my travel curse be crushed? While on my phone at the gate, the second of the two gigs in Kingston, at the Pryzm Club, offered up more tickets so I jumped on it and now had both 45 minute sets booked. Luck on my side? The flight was uneventful, I arrived early morning to sunshine and great travel weather on the SL7 bus to Kingston Upon Thames. It was so nice to see the club as I rolled my case to the hotel. It was only 9:30 there so I wandered around. As soon as I could check in I got on the way to the West End of London to visit my old haunts. Being that it was about 23 hours in from the departure of my flight and 12 hrs from waking on Tuesday morning, I had been up a considerable amount of time already. Only about two hours nap on the plane as they had audio of TFF’s newest album, The Tipping Point, on audio. I fell asleep on the train into Waterloo and a nice Japanese passenger woke my at arrival into London. I hoofed it to the National Portrait Gallery for the Paul McCartney photo exhibit there. There were some very insightful photos of Jane Asher, and a few of his bandmates, The Beatles. But mostly my phone was blowing up with the Wifi there, and I got to touch base with my husband at home and let him know travel went well. After that I just wandered the streets of Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, Saville Row and enjoyed a city I have spent an awful lot of time in during my life enjoying music and art. I had some dinner in the city and then knew it was time to get back to the hotel and rest. I had been up clearly more than 48 hrs.
*** Show day. I slept in as I knew it would be a late night. Walking in London yesterday had my legs sore so I set out for some potassium in the form of bananas for breakfast and to mail a postcard to a friend. The light walk was good and no one, as of noon was lining up at the club. Darren, the admin of the Facebook TFF Fan Forum met up with me about 12:30 and we headed the Kings Tun pub across the street from the venue. Over the next hour people started to arrive, have a drink, lunch and just visit. Somewhere in the 1 o’clock hour a line began to form outside Pryzm. I felt the need to join the line, along with another fan. We spent that time to doors at 6:45pm visiting with people from around the globe, sharing music stories and particularly of Tears For Fears. It was a truly pleasant time. I was fortunate later on, before doors, to meet drummer Jamie Wollam, in the pub. He could not be more friendly and so nice to be able to meet. He is such a talent. At doors it was an obstacle course of up two flights of stairs, and then into the venue and down stairs onto the main floor. I went for Roland Orzabal’s side as I was on Curt Smith’s side in North Carolina in July. I found a spot front row between Roland and backing vocalist Carina Round. It would be my first time hearing her, as my other two recent shows we had Lauren Evans on vocals. I truly enjoyed this concert with Carina. I got a kick out of the plethora of 80s tunes being played pre show in the venue. A short Tipping Point song ladened set with some big hits added in totaling 45 minutes was planned. That would be 45 of the best minutes in my concerts history to be added to some incredible concerts I have experienced in my life. The band comes out and plays No Small Thing and Tipping Point. Roland had some witty banter about the last time they played two shows in one evening, and that turned out to be decades earlier, at the beginnings of their careers. Time goes so fast when you are having fun. And when that fun means being so close to a band I have followed for 40+ years that I am sharing oxygen with them it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. These guys still play massive arenas. This opportunity was something I was very proud of myself for jumping on when I got the chance.
Set two meant going outside for the second queue of the day, being further back meant searching out another view, this time on Roland’s side but on a raised portion, beside the stage for an almost profile view of the band. Unfortunately the stage was so small and deep that seeing Doug Petty on keys and Jamie Wollam on drums was a challenge. I did get a few photos of Charleton Pettis on lead guitar to Curt’s side. Amazing to hear the same set repeated and prepare myself for special musical points in songs and some notes being hit by Curt and Roland. They have only become better at what they do over the years. The Tipping Point was definitely helpful to me in getting of the loss of family members. And now seeing this band three times in 2 years has been great fun.
I would like to thank all the people that I met that Thursday. I will not name names for fear of leaving someone out or identifying you when work thought you were out with a cold. But I had the best time and hope to see you again.
* Friday morning, roll out of bed, scrounge for some food (bananas again) and roll on to the SL7 bus stop back to LHR for my midday flight home. Talk with an American woman living in Kingston and Beirut, who sells the wine her husband makes. It certainly passed the time as I was sadly leaving my favorite city in the world, and I have been to quite a few. My flight home again was as planned so my travel curse is officially lifted. My husband picked me up at O’Hare airport. And life as I knew it was back to normal. But I have this in my bucket list of concerts forever. And I am so happy that a year in the making came through with this accomplishment.
Photo credits :Patricia Golding. No authorization to share without her permission.
Tears for Fears Travel Fans 