*This post is dedicated to Gwen who has just gone above and beyond for SO MANY fans this tour. We envision a future fun photo with she and Mr. Orzabal. Picture them in a big laugh together post-show. We can see it! Thank you, Gwen!! You’re forever a hero!
Cutie Pies in the Crowd!
The reception for Alison Moyet throughout the tour has been terrific as expected! She’s our queen and we love her! She owns that stage! We’re going to miss her when this tour ends…and several of us are just hoping this is not the end of the Moyet x TFF connection. WE WANT MORE!! Big thanks to Gwen for supplying all the photos and contributions!
And she’s so frikkin nice!! Don’t take our word for it…look at this!
Always a fabulous time seeing @AlisonMoyet live, but what has really made my night, is that she has liked every single one of my tweets and replies about tonight’s show. Every. Single. One. 1/2
The Footy?! We’re going to be asking about this a lot… #Tease
“I don’t know how it’s possible but you all get better with each show! That was #6 of this tour for me tonight, just incredible. Thank you for not laughing ‘too’ hard at us singing and dancing along 😜🌻@tearsforfears @charltonpettus @jameswollam See you at the next one!” – Superfan Gwen C.
This is one for the books! We will not ever forget this tour! We have certainly LIVED!! Totally steeped in gratitude right now for this amazing music and wonderful experience for so many in the UK! – TFF Travel Fan Team #Tour2019
Tonight’s bonus is this review: Good, bad? Thoughts? We are known to let a writer have it every now and again if they dare focus on superficial things… tell us your thoughts on this review:
Update – We hope everyone is having a good time in ATL. The hotel is super nice. Big thanks to Michael Roland Magno for coming to the bar last night and spending some time with us after his show! Tears for Fears are scheduled to go on around 8:25p Eastern Standard Time tonight at the Piedmont- Ford Sponsored stage.The show’s audio will be live-streamed according to Shaky Knees. Most of the fans we spoke to plan to be in VIP. So, we’re focusing on that experience. Be sure to read this before you go. If you’re doing the Platinum experience – reach out to Andye on Twitter @andyeisthenews because she has the day’s schedule created by Shaky Knees including the lunch and dinner info plus the notes on the private performance by Liz Phair – all of which is in the festival email that should have reached you.
There will be fast track entrances for VIP Platinum. The merch table is not far from the Ford Sponsored Stage. Getting inside might be an ordeal so please just be patient and give yourself enough time to get there. If you’re local to Atlanta, please do not try to go to work today if you can avoid it. Just come over and hang out!! Don’t wait til the last minute and try to run over!
…and yes, this time the band is playing a venue in the heart of Atlanta. It’s not Duluth this time, it’s Atlanta. Shaky Knees Music Festival is a pretty big deal in ATL. Atlanta is a festival city, it’s always on and poppin’ so expect some intense crowds. Get there early and read all the fine print. The wristbands can’t be transferred. It’s 3 days long but one-day tickets are available. All hotels will be booked solid and rates will be high so get in now! Can’t stress this enough, if you are flying in, you MUST book your hotel in advance. You, of course, do not have to pay for it right now, you just need to hold your space by not selecting advance payment. The reservation now will lock in your rate. As you get closer to the festival date, these rates may not be as friendly.
Our suggested hotel is the Hyatt Regency Centric Midtown. This hotel is one of the closest 4-star hotels. Others are Marriott, Hyatt Regency and The W as well. Current price is around $200 a night at the Hyatt Centric for festival dates. That may change if you wait and book at a later date. The park is the equivalent of Central Park in New York, only much much smaller…but not that small.
No fancy cute clothes, we suggested full on soldiers of sound Doc Martens, Curt Smith Tour Couture, super snazzy t-shirt with some comfy jeans and a secure bag within regulation of the festivals’ bag laws (oh yeah, there are bag laws) and enough money to enjoy the deliciousness that is ATL. We have some serious restaurants here. We’re saying “we” because this is where MANY serious long time Tears fans live. We have what we like to call the Travel Fan HQA near the second place that Tears played back in 2010 (Chastain Amphitheatre, now State Bank Chastain Amphitheatre). The second is in Los Angeles. The mothership HQ is in Bath …at Kath’s house. But we digress…
Let’s get down to cash chat… Tickets
Regular Gen Am started out around $179+tax, fees, etc. VIP Tier one is now $595, tier 2 is $1600+. Is it worth it? If you’re flying in and going for just one day, just get the general admission. If you plan to stay all three days and you’re not concerned about front row or being close to the stage, get the general admission. If you can’t handle crowds and you need a seat, you may want to invest in the Tiers that the festival provides. (Andye currently has one extra VIP ticket available for less than market rate – it’s Tier 1 and can be mailed to you in April). Connect with us on the Travel Fan site or tweet her at @andyeisthenews to get the details (and they are swweeeeet deets!)
Meet and Greet – we had a venue next to the festival itself already on standby, a catering crew, ridiculously tight security booked, etc. to name a few things. Henceforth, a plan was in place just in case the band/band member(s) could actually be present. But all bookings for such things seem tough given their tight schedule. They’ll be in Florida shortly after the show most likely. Meet and greets at the venue itself with the band are not orchestrated by us unless requested by higher authorities. For travel fan meetups, carpools and general ATL questions, send us an email via Facebook. You will get a response. *Update, if you’re in Tier1 or Tier2 there will be fans walking around.
As a whole, Atlanta festivals are pretty clean. This isn’t going to be a repeat of Woodstock 2 with mud pits from the rain, etc. Kids will be there. A ton of security will be there. Most of this area is most likely under heavy surveillance like downtown ATL where there are cameras everywhere. It’s super hard to get away with anything in this town. It’s family friendly and there are lots of rules so be sure to read the fine print as mentioned. Study the map so you can better understand where to pick up your wristband. Please see this map:
If you want to make a long holiday of this, please reach out to us on Facebook and we’ll happily give you the best advice we have on ATL, this is one city we know extremely well. We’ll eventually do a video to go over everything, perhaps an FB Live or Periscope. Again, do not delay the hotel bookings if you’re flying in. We usually say get the ticket first and let everything else fall into place. However, the hotel booking, in this case, may be more important than the ticket just because this is a conference and festival city, hotels are always booked in May. Book now to avoid delays!
Summary:
Shaky Knees Festival Friday Night features Tears for Fears Stage Time: (be there by 7:45pm Eastern please) – go to the Piedmont Stage (sponsored by Ford) Admission: $179-$1600 plus taxes and fees (Remember Andye has an extra VIP ticket for less than the full cost – she’d prefer a true fellow fan to get it). Hotel Suggestion: Hyatt Centric Midtown $200 a night average, 4 star hotel near venue Airfare: Fly with Delta, the metro/subway/train will take you straight to the hotels that are next to the venue. But we suggest Uber or a car service. Food: There are over 450 restaurants in Atlanta alone, 50% of them are in this area. You will not starve. Use Yelp to help you pick the cuisine you love the most. Or use the Postmates app and have it delivered to you. The hotel has pretty good food too, slightly pricey but worth it.
FAQs
Will there be a TFF merch table? – There is a section where you can buy merch. It is not within the VIP tent.
Is this the only show in the USA 2019? – No, they’ll be in Florida on the 5th at Sun Fest
Will we get to hear the new tracks at the show? – TBD
How many songs will be played? – TBD
Some early notes for Tears for Fears Travel Fans coming in from the states…
By now, you know, you need a passport. We are recommending flying Delta or British Airways to get to the U.K. and, once there, use the series of trains and ground transportation to get to the hotel and venue. If you have questions, we’ve got of TONS of fans who are on standby willing to assist with how to get from point A to point B. For this tour, we will be choosing hotels that are a little different from our norm in order to cut down the cost (though some are far from a steal). Remember, buy your pre-sale tickets first, let everything else fall into place.
*picture: First Direct Leeds Arena concert venue seating
This venue offers hospitality experiences and since we have a few days between shows this is a perfect time to think about something nice prior to the concert (not after).
SEC Armadillo has a big gap between the stage and the front row but really nice! Room for dancing!
POSTPONED 30 April SEC Armadillo – Tickets – Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow Seating Chart
*Some of the Travel Fan team members have lots of friends in Glasgow and with this added show, it might be nice to just stay on a few days – if you do it’s understandable. Great opportunity to do some real meeting up and hanging out. If you can’t do the first two shows, try to do this one!
POSTPONED 4 May – Motorpoint Arena Cardiff – This venue is 30 minutes from the airport. Hotel suggestion is: The Big Sleep Hotel prices are as low as 57 GBP a night and this hotel just underwent a renovation.
*You have time to relax a little for this show with that one day in between so be sure to use the suggested hotel. Save the cheap ones for the nights you’re not really staying long in that particular city. This is more about seeing the band and hanging out with fellow fans vs. site seeing for us. Now, about those untiered floor blocks…whaaat? Gracious me!
POSTPONED 7 May – SEC Armadillo – Tickets – Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow
This is the original show that was planned, a new one was added above due to demand. Remember – *Don’t bring a large bag to this venue. Try to leave large purses, etc. at home for this show.
POSTPONED 8 May – Echo Arena in Liverpool – Tickets – Seating Chart – Hotel: You’re spoiled for choice – from furnished flats that are within walking distance to one with The Beatles theme…you already know which one we’re gonna pick! You get a little time here so make it count!
10 May – The O2 – Tickets – Seating Chart – Hotel: Intercontinental The02
*That venue link takes you to their VIP experience. This is different from buying a premium seat VIP ticket to see TFF. Our idea of premium seating is on the stage or in front of it…preferably the aforementioned. LOL! O2’s venue option provides extra comfort around “a” show. This is a great pre-game/pre-show thought that we will explore. We certainly don’t plan to sit in their VIP suite to watch R&C on a screen. But it would be nice to do something in advance or afterwards.
POSTPONED 11 May – Bournemouth BIC Windsor – Tickets – Seating Chart– Hotel -this hotel isn’t that close to the venue as others but it’s really nice. It’s also a bit less expensive than the closer options which include Park Central and a the Bournemouth Marriott.
VIP options – just read through them all and see if you want to do something fun pre-show. Great time to meetup with fans. Pick one, let us know which is your favourite.
POSTPONED 12 MayBrighton Centre – Tickets – Seating Chart– Hotel
*Sometimes we say, “Hey, if you’re gonna go…go all out” and you certainly will with our hotel choice. It’s over $200 a night USD but worth it. If by this time you’re broke from buying enough merch to wear a different TFF t-shirt each day of the month there’s a Travelodge nearby as well.
Airfare hasn’t really dropped but if you book now you can save a couple of hundred dollars on Delta. If you’re in Europe already I’d say fly Air Italia or Lufthansa to all of these locations. If you’re flying Air France, let us know because we’re just curious about the service. There are also a number of trains that will help you get from point A to point B but we’re going to stick with planes because it’s just a little faster and if you miss something you can usually get the next flight to the following concert location within an hour. With shows this close together we can’t take any chances.
What to expect next year – a good, powerful set list! We’re hoping Michael Wainwright will stick with the band as well for the majority of 2018. He is very enjoyable and friendly. He’s known to come out and speak to fans as he is a very personable person. We consider him to be a member of Tears for Fears as much as many others before him. MW of whom you may see us refer to as Nice Guy Mike (NGM) was with the band prior to Carina Round in case some of you who are just now getting back on the fan train didn’t know. He’s real cool and we’re looking forward to more. We’re also hoping Mr. Moyer gets a good spin with the band so we can enjoy his marvelous sax on The Working Hour.
Meet & Greets + Fan Conferences – no word yet…still on the EMFH RSVP for that. So we’ll see…
Stick around, more news to come in this space…
Thanks for reading,
AA, TFF Travel Fan Team Moderator
*Feature Photo Cover used with permission by Captain Julian Orzabal
If you were one of the fortunate ones able to snag a very difficult-to-obtain ticket for the 27 October show, you might as well go all out with a nice stay at The Kensington. This hotel is actually one of the preferred hotels of the Royal Albert Hall. Of course, if you’re local I’m sure you’re giving me the two finger salute.
Now, for those of us stateside who usually pay anywhere from $50-$275 a night for a standard to slightly upgraded room (with the exception of Vegas shows where we just pretend money is no object and go buck wild with cabanas for 3 days and parties), the Kensington is going to cost you around $400 US a night after tax. And…the room will be half the size of the swank abodes we’ve been spoiled with on tour. So, just be mentally ready for that. It’s gorgeous though. Take a look at the photos.
For those of us not going, myself included, this is like missing a Royal Wedding. The venue is unbelievable. It’s quite the answered prayer in many ways. There have been hundreds (I’m not exaggerating) of fans in the UK who have all but sold their insides begging and pleading Tears for Fears to have a show there (as if the band really has total control over that). And here it is…and damn if something funky didn’t happen the day the tickets went on sale to prevent us from going in addition to what was already a stab in the heart with short notice of ticket sales (remember when we said your 6 months of savings should also include $300 for a couple of Tears for Fears tickets? People think we’re trying to be funny – Nope, this is a prime example). Thankfully, Good Man Curt Smith – G-d love him – tweeted forward with a statement that once again proved his knowledge and sentiment to the cause of the fans. They know WE TRY hard to be at every show and that is an understatement.
1. I’m sorry to hear about the issues with ticket availability for our London show. I have had discussions with management & agents.
I have been that fan that literally flies home, goes to work and flies out that same evening JUST to see them one more time and in many cases, over and over again. It’s just THAT healing. But it’s even better when you’ve got a great venue with amazing seats and don’t have to contend with standing in queue 6-7 hours prior to the show for the dreaded Gen Am. THIS my dear fellow fans, is the show of shows to be at and I pray that something works out so that it happens again (maybe annually for a few years) so that we can all show up and show out in lovely frocks with our handkerchiefs in tow crying like a bride’s mother over these songs that have left us shook as f*ck.
Speaking of being shook, check out who is opening for the band… Freya Ridings. Check her out…powerful voice!
If by chance you just want to be in the area and hang around (there are people that do that), take British Airways or Delta. Use a car service to get you to and from London Heathrow and spoil yourself with a night at the Kensington. Then walk over to RAH and just be somewhere near without being disruptive. Just do it. Stay the weekend, leave on a Sunday. Walk around, be in the energy of historic London…just do it. If you have the resources to just get there…GO!
Are You Serious? What the hell are we gonna do?
RAH has guided tours, tea and much more. While you’re there, hire a car and go to Bath, England. Plan to stay a night there as well. Make the most of it!
26 October Show with BBC2
So, this is also happening and we’ve yet to have heard who the blessed Earls of Fortune are that got the tickets. But just “For Everyone’s I” as Curt would say, this is taking place. Bookmark it and follow it, you never know what you may see or find out on the day of the show. Gonna be pretty sweet for sure.
Meet and Greets
We get this question for every show. Unlike years past, we just don’t see these like we used to for a variety of reasons. It’s sort of an every man for himself, just ask and see what happens kind of thing. All we can say is for goodness sake, hold on to the no scream policy. Do not freak out around the band if you see them. Keep it cool. For some it’s hard because it’s literally like watching an angel manifest before you. Some may disagree but for those that “know” …you know it’s true.
Travel Fan Team on the Ground
For every show there is a loyal one who usually comes through and provides the coverage that we archive. We all pool our videos, whomever got the best one for each song is what goes online. Everyone uploads their selections to YouTube or sends us a file via email. We don’t know what will happen this time around because that ticket debacle just threw us off. We’re hoping for the best.
What to expect?
The set list we’ve been hearing and hopefully some surprises. We’re checking to see if Mr. Moyer will join because that means Working Hour gets played! Heck yes!!! We’re also hoping the “Broken” ending for HOH will be played as well. That’s one to make you faint…bring your smelling salts and look alive. We can only pray that I Love You But I’m Lost will be permitted to the public at both shows. We’ll see!
Cheers all, have a great time and stay in touch! We’ll be either within a mile of the venue being present and respectful or reachable by phone. Keep your passport card with you, keep the passport in the hotel. Trust us on that one!
-AA, Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team
We didn’t see this show coming…it was a huge and welcomed surprise! Many thanks to Marcio Campos who got all the footage for us as he always does. We appreciate his leadership and kindness to all fans from North America, South America and beyond. Marcio, you are one of a kind! We love you and appreciate you!
The file has been shared hundreds of times from the event and you can also watch it on YouTube. We have it archived in our video files of which are available to all travel fans and friends!
This was one heck of a show with so many great contributions from people many of us chat with everyday. Check out these great videos from the awesome fellow fans and be sure to follow them and leave a thank you on their page. This was the last of the shows in the North America TFF Tour for the “summer of 2017.” Wow, what a season of sensational music!
…and blew them away with their legendary awesomeness! We’re thrilled with this turn out of superfans including Duranies/Duran Duran fans from our sister travel fan team of that band. Big thanks to Ingrid and her friends for live streaming the show! Awesome! This was reportedly a SOLD OUT SHOW!
This entry is dedicated to Ingrid – superfan of Duran Duran and dear fan sister to us all! She and her friend are awesome for what they captured last night and provided on their FB wall. Much love! Many others shared some amazing clips. Enjoy the below and make sure you connect with them and become fellow fan friends!
Intro – EWTRTW
Creep
Mad World
Pale Shelter
Seeds of Love
SHOUT
Enjoy these links and be sure to reach out and like the photo. Make a new friend!
Big thanks to those who shared their videos. Here are some from the past two nights at the Staples Center. Many people literally changed their lives around to be present for this show. Huge thanks for going the extra mile under the circumstance. Some had to give up their tickets and others gave them to fellow fans.
We appreciate those that made those sacrifices as fellow fans. Few words can ever express the power of the fans and what they do to make things happen. What makes it even more special is that Mr. Moyer was there as well providing support on Working Hour! Hope it’s okay to mention this but he just got married to a beautiful lady named Andrea (not ours – but a different Andrea equally as awesome indeed! We’re so happy for him. Be sure to get the link to his band’s music at the bottom of this post. Now, enjoy Working Hour
Thanks for reading! More to come!
-AA, Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team Moderator
Congrats to the Travel Fans 17 September anniversary tomorrow – many years on the road non-stop!
Starting Wednesday night (tomorrow) teams, fellow fans and friends will head out to complete the Tears for Fears Tour 2017. All the travel information we mentioned previous still stands. Hotel suggestions near the venues in Los Angeles, San Jose and Santa Barbara remain the same. If you’re headed to Brasil for Rock in Rio, be sure to tell Marcio de Campos so that he can know you’re there.
This particular fan team does not have any meetups planned for these final five shows of the summer tour season. Several of us feel it’s good to keep a respectful distance with respect to the initial need to pause. If anyone wants to hang out and get a drink before the show, feel free to leave a note on the many fan walls including our Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team board. We’ve all tried to make it easy to connect with others following the band for these music excursions. We’re also focusing on 2018 and the new album to come at this point. Don’t forget to set aside some cash for celebrating that and following them around as future shows are planned.
Safe travels and enjoy the shows!
14 & 15 September Staples Center – Los Angeles
17 September SAP Center – San Jose
18 September Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara
22 September Rock in Rio – Rio de Janeiro, Brasil *Click here to see original post for accommodation info
Cheers,
AA – TFF Travel Fan Team Moderator
*Big thanks to those who wrote in or literally came up to us in person to send their well wishes without much knowledge of the circumstance. That’s a lot of love. From what we’ve been told, things are going to be okay. Be sure to hug each other and strive to walk in the lessons and love that you learn as fans of this band.
I’m thrilled to learn that the forthcoming Tears for Fears album has a name: THE TIPPING POINT. At the moment, the title is a tentative one, more indicative of the band’s desires and aspirations than of any confirmed realizations. It’s been, amazingly enough, thirteen years since the band’s last studio album, EVERYBODY LOVES A HAPPY […]
Tears for Fears fun memories from tours…
Tears for Fears Travel Fans 