Tears for Fears Travel Fans Update Q2-25

Before we say one word, let us celebrate the Man, the Icon, the Legend. Many happy returns to Curt Smith!! He’s celebrating his birthday today! It’s such an incredible week because he also has his wedding anniversary on the 29th. We adore him to the moon and back. We appreciate him for making our lives, we dare say and we’re speaking for many, worth living! He has literally kept us alive in countless ways! Wishing him an incredible year ahead and lots of love, prosperity and joy throughout 2025 and beyond! It is a struggle to refrain from writing him everyday to tell him how much we appreciate him. Seriously! He just goes all out. Sweet children, wonderful wife, very kind brothers; the Smith family is where it’s at! When he and Roland walk out on that stage, life just reaches another level of awesome! Wishing them all a great year ahead and super happy birthday to Mr. Smith! Infinite love for him!!!

Kinda don’t need to put this here because most of our subscribers already know that Tears for Fears are returning (just like Roland said back in February) to Fontainebleau in September and October of this year.

Tears for Fears will be performing a total of 6 shows (3 in September and 3 in October). Tickets went on sale the day after the announcement with the official Artist Presale taking place on the 4th of June. Suprisingly, there were not a lot of issues grabbing seats this time. About three people reported the usual struggle with credit card companies suddenly freezing accounts expecting fraud (you’d think the system would stop flagging the purchases by now given all we do is buy concert tickets, pay healthcare/healthclub fees , plane rides and groceries). We counted three complaints on Instagram and one on Threads. Otherwise, it was a decent experience. Gargantuan thanks to Tears for Fears for making Artist Presale a very reasonbable price of $217-$500 after taxes and fees. Platinum, from what we saw on the concert map, is not part of the APS. Those prices are currently in the 700s to 1000s+. We do have one second row center seat available on the 25th of October (a Saturday) if anyone is interested. It is well under the current resale prices.

We expect that this show will feature the new music from Songs for a Nervous Planet. We have a set list floating around for those that want to be familiar with the music ahead of time…that’s a thing we do. We like to know up front so we can sing with the band and let them know we appreciate their work.

This was sent to us from the stage. Don’t mind the blur. We have copies of this if anyone needs a clear one. Before the show starts the stage area is very blue and it glows with this hue. Set lists are placed all over in strategic areas. We do not know if this is the one the band will use for the Autumn 2025 shows but this is the set that was rehearsed for the Fontainebleau 2024-2025 mini-res. Fans have begun putting in requests for David Moyer to return and play The Working Hour. There’s also hope that Quiet Ones stays on the list and perhaps Change will get slipped in there as well. Hardcore fans are also saying Tears for Fears could sit there and read the phone book and they’d be just as happy. We feel ya on that! Several can’t wait for story time.

Should You Go? Again? Yes, here’s why…

It is a straight forward opportunity to stay in an exceptionally nice venue, attend an indoor show free of the troubles of outdoor challenges such as possible rain and excessive heat. In both 2022 and 2023 we experienced some weather related issues (e.g. Texas) that left a few fans saying they would not be returning to certain venues. It’s also a chance to see Tears for Fears multiple times in one place vs. literally scrambling to get back to the hotel and rush to the airport the next morning or attempt to drive overnight to the next city to be on time. We’re so grateful that this curated event gives many a chance to really relax and play for several days. If you’re having issues with attending and need some help, reach out and let us know what your challenges are so we can work through it with you and help find a solution. Fair warning we do conduct extreme logistics to make it possible.

A note from the Moderator – Andye Mod

In our most recent update here in the archives, we were just about to board the plane to go to Las Vegas for the second part of the Tears for Fears mini-residency at Fontainebleau. Let me interject that after the long week there in February, some of us read the entire history of Fontainebleau and it’s not pronounced as one globalist might assume. It’s actually “fountain blue.” It’ll always be Fontainebleau to me but I digress…

Several of us went for pure music therapy with medical teams in tow. Boy were they needed! Soon as we touched down and got settled, text messages came in about people arriving ill. I will save you the details of their graphic sickness but whatever was going around affected a lot of people. I went forward with the dinner party (same menu as last time) minus a few key folks. We discussed our topic of the quarter which is “what is the craziest thing you’ve done to get to a show or extend your time on a Tears for Fears Tour?” Right now, Lisa and Elana take the cake!

We also discussed the music of the many musicians in the fold including Lady Lauren’s new album, the songs on which she’s been featured past and present and her fun online gatherings through the Affirmations series. Fans spent a good two hours discussing the ins and outs of the songs and goings on of Soul Twin Messiah. We took a peek at Mr. Orzabal’s pal, Julian Lennon’s, latest and Mr. Lennon’s health update. It was quite a loaded late night of fun.

Big kudos to long time fans from Tears for Fears Boston, San Francisco and Nevada for spending so much time with everyone after super long drives, 5+ hour flights and workdays. It made that incredible bed feel all the more comforting. Speaking of, Lady Diva Smith stayed at Fontainbleau with her sweet bunny in tow. We adore that beautiful bunny on the blanket!

Shoutout to all who brought their bunnies and plushies to the residency. We need to do a gallery of those!

Her mother, The Good Lady Frances – Lady FP was there as well. So cool to have them around. They are so awesome. Yes, I brought an extra pair of TB earrings for the occasion. #iykyk

31 January Show

The first night was stellar. I learned later during one of the late night chats that the band records their work. I’m not sure exactly what that means and me being the non-nosy parker will not be asking. However, they have a playback of their show and I imagine from my own experience in music and media since age 13 that it’s to listen out for any issues or things that may need correction. Either way, they sound phenomenal to me. Though Curt jokingly pointed out some snaffoos. Of course, we in the audience barely noticed the issues he noted. We were just happy to be there!!

We love these moments…they could talk all day and we’d be thrilled!
(e.g.”Tell us a story!!” – Andye Mod Atlanta/Duluth 2017)

It was a very crisp and clean show. Super smooth! They did gift us with a few stories and dear Mr. Orzabal confirmed that his good lady dear Emily is indeed expecting a child (see first video). We, in the fandom, are excited for them and look forward to any updates they wish to share but are not going to pester them nor their families (or Curt) about the status of the child. When they are good and ready they will let us know and if they don’t that’s fine too. One must remind oneself that a band offers a product of songs and that is what we pay for…anything else is a bonus. We got what we paid for…songs in a live show. To expect anything else is borderline entitlement. I’m saying this to myself as well ::turns off How to Babysit Like an Expert audiobook::

Curt was kind to let us know that he and the band were fine regarding the wildfires that broke out in their area. They were forced to evacuate one night and were able to return home the next. It was a hair raising time for us as fans because we were on the phone, Zoom and other methods of communication watching the fires creep near their houses. All kinds of fasting, prayer and a number of spiritual rituals were taking place as well as slipping in messages stating, “If you need to postpone, just do it. We’ll figure something out.” Lauren noted she felt things would be great by showtime but I personally wanted them to just wait and let things settle down. My concern was they’d be on stage only to get a note that something happened. Then they’d have to rush home to attend to it. Thankfully all went extremely well. Again, that first night was strong and beautiful. Very sorry for fans who arrived so ill they had to miss all the shows and fly right back home. Huge thanks to Fontainebleau staff who were swift to the rescue with all the medical attention needed to get people in a state well enough to even get on a plane.

Also loved Curt’s chit chat re: Las Vegas…

1 February

Early that morning after a gift of delicious gluten free bagels piled high with all the accoutrement one could wish for (Thank you Lisa and Elana), there was physical therapy for me and connect sessions for fans. Those who were trying to rearrange their schedules to get there were successful. Despite some Ticketmaster snaffoos and miscommunications we were able to transfer a lot of the extra tickets we had to fans who could finally get the time they needed to be in attendance. I’ll leave my Ticketmaster/Live Nation thoughts to myself and continue to say I really wish there was a way that we could pay the band directly. It would feel so much better. Again, for those who are always curious about the logistics and true cost of these excursions, we can have that conversation in our “financing a tour” Zoom call which is recorded for transparency. We still recommend having tour soup for a few months each year if you can stand it. *There is an improved one fortified with vitamins. We’re working on a tour soup cookbook as well. We’ll discuss it on Substack.

Fans traditionally gather in the Fontainebleau Promenade throughout the day and before shows…

That night after our ritual prayers before the show, we gathered and took photos. All around us were familiar faces (see what I did there?) and some just coming in from surgeries. It should be noted, come hell or high water, Tears for Fears fans show up! One fan in Germany dropped everything, got freshly tattooed and hopped on a plane to attend every single show saying, “I wish I had done this sooner!”

Fans flew in from Michigan, Toronto, Northern California, Florida, England, Minnesota, New York and several other far off places. These were fans who make it a point to always support Tears for Fears. A few did mention that due to the outcome of the election in November they were not interested in participating in anything in the states. They were protesting the nation regarding the historical comments made by certain members of the current administration. Those fans were missed and we hope that they’ll feel comfortable joining Tears for Fears events in the future.

Rumours & Thieves

There was rumour of one guy who allegedly waited until everyone was entering the venue then slipped in with the crowd. He had been watching an empty seat on Ticketmaster/Live Nation and allegedly was able to claim the ticket by using a screenshot on his phone? The usher allegedly didn’t scan it but just looked at it? How that is possible is beyond many of us. We can’t even walk to the front without getting checked. Again, this is hearsay. Someone told us after the fact. There were also some rather pricey seats on the front row center ($2500 resale seats) that two ladies tried to take. They had been watching the empty seats and went to the front just before the show started. A fellow fan let security know that those were not their seats and they were just hoping to get away with sitting there. The venue staff asked to see their tickets and both ladies just stared at him without saying a word. He asked again and then one of the ladies made the universal sign of “capiche” but that didn’t fly at all. They were asked to move back to their seats on the far-right side of the venue. The two front frow resale seats they attempted to take remained empty the rest of the night but you couldn’t tell because all of us on the front row were standing (except me from time to time due to this illness/injury). No one was the wiser.

My advice to resellers is to just stop. Those tickets retailed at $950 each and there were at least six that were purchased and put up for resale at over $2000 each…again, they all remained empty. Tears for Fears fans (many) literally perch like trick-or-treaters waiting on the next information snack packet to be handed out from the proverbial band candy basket. We know how much we’re going to spend and what seat we’re going to sit in long before it’s ever put on the map. Some of us have been sitting in the same section, same seat since 2012. Attempting to scam us out of hard-earned money that we use to go to these shows for our physical, emotional and mental health will not work. Try it on someone else, do not try it out on us.

A Kind Word From Roland

Roland acknowledged that many of us were attending all the shows. We learned from Curt during one of the coveted chit chats, that Jamie was so dedicated he decided to play on even after a very tough day battling an illness/bad cold. It was the heart of winter and, as mentioend, many sicknesses were going around. It’s a miracle he was even able to play at all. Again, very sorry to the fans who arrived sick after long plane rides and had to be attended to by Fontainebleau staff then eventually go right back home without even hearing one song. Thank you, Jamie for going the extra mile. That was surely difficult.

Jamie plays on! What a work ethic and a hero. Glad he got some great care so he could feel better! We were very worried about him!

While on stage, Roland told Andye that the set list would be a bit different that night. He said they were moving some things around (there’s video of that conversation somewhere). We didn’t know what that meant. He also asked Andye which of his ensembles she liked best, his dark suave jacket or the winter white that he wore in 2024.

“I think he looks absolutely smart in both but told him I love the white one. I said that so that he’d know the self-depreciating jokes he made about himself in October/November re: looking like the Ghost of Christmas Past didn’t suit him (pun intended). He looked more like a smoking hot debonair rock dude, not a “character” in any form or fashion. It was rather upsetting to hear him say that about himself although I know he’s just joking. Still, I want him to own his Righteous Rock Royalty role. He joked that he’d dropped blancmange down the front of the white jacket ::cue the dry cleaners please::. He could turn up wearing a burlap sack and still rock it like no other in my opinion! Werrrk it, Mr. O!” – Andye Mod

Carina and Lauren’s interactions remained a highlight of the event. We really love what they bring to these concerts and many of us are willing to pay whatever it takes to support having everyone currently involved to remain involved. They each put so much energy into their craft. Yes, we have heard these songs live already and yes we get a terrible tinge of sadness as soon as we hear the opening chords of Head Over Heels just before the encore because that means the concert is almost over. But my goodness, we wouldn’t give this up for much of anything.

We learned that it was an abbreviated show. A few songs were missing but it was still an excellent night. Several of us were just happy we didn’t have to go home yet. We still had several days of music therapy and a taste of what a future life with Tears for Fears will be like (*cough* TFF Music Commune of Condos *cough*).

Rock n Roll Respite

The 2nd, 3rd and 4th we were on our own to do whatever we wanted. Andye went to water and physical therapy, others went running up and down the Vegas strip taking pictures and some sat in the Promenade people watching with fans for several hours. Medical teams were still attending to fans and band fan loyalists were checking on Jamie making sure he was hydrated and healing. Our Lady Lauren had gone home to L.A. and was also resting. Other fans tried out some cool restaurants and iconic spots on the Vegas strip.

Craig and sisters Elana and Lisa – loyal fans of Tears for Fears that have been touring since 1985!

It was a much needed three days of rejuvenation and that’s what we’re hoping we see in the next “band fan wish” of a Tears for Fears retirement condo community. LOL. We have already envisioned it. Fontainebleau’s social team thought it was fun and funny. They even retweeted our idea of it back in November before we went home from the first mini-res. Why not invest in a little real estate owned by the band…we’ll be privy to random shows surely! We laugh but we do discuss the idea a lot. Some even cancelled desperately needed home repairs with the hope of the possibility to invest. Those nights knowing the band was nearby and we were just “living” in their midst was an unmatched euphoria. Bring on the forever homes! If Jimmy Buffet can maintain residential property for his fans (may his soul rest) so can Tears for Fears! Call the mortgage brokers, liquidate the retirement residential funds and let’s do this thing!

5 February Show Moderator Notes

“This was my 40th time seeing Tears for Fears in performance/attending a Tears for Fears event. It was also Jamie’s 15th anniversary with the band. I still remember seeing him in those early days…particularly 2014 just before the band played The Working Hour at The Wiltern… he came by and said a quick hello to those of us who’d been outside perched since 1pm for their 9pm show. It was gen am back in those days – we don’t miss that hard concrete or sleeping outside. Check out this photo I keep in my phone. Look at that smile. Bless him. 🙂

Drummer Genius Jamie was kind to stop and say hi (2014 throwback Los Angeles). In 2025 he celebrated 15 years with Tears for Fears!

I was in my 6th or 7th year committed to the travel fan life and I feel unbelievably fortunate to have made it this long. The band has seen me at my best and worst, sickness and in better health. I’ve made some good decisions and some pretty pitiful ones too. Thankfully they’ve been super gracious and patient through it all. I show up as much as I can. Huge thanks to all involved for letting me take part in all the pleasantries of fan life. Each show has been so unique it’s impossible to say which ones were better than others though there are plenty that stand out including the Hollywood Bowl, Oklahoma 2014, The Wiltern 2014, Brit Week 2012, being a part of The Tipping Point movie and these the residencies…which are a miracle and answered prayer!

Curt’s Kerfuffle of Kooks 2012 – Brit Week starring Curt Smith.
We’re all still going to shows!

I sat second row this time vs. first. I didn’t want to ‘be in their face’ like that a third night and possibly risk them getting sick of me. Craig, Lisa, Elana and many others happily persisted through as well having been there in November and for all these additional shows in February. We really gelled and it was good to see Danny, Mike, Yara, our Toronto family, Rachel and her husband, Hadleigh and her family and our dearest Christine and Shelley plus so many others in the aforementioned cities plus the Brasileira European couple that have been to every single tour since 1985. It’s a whole other world, dimension, time and space being around that kind of energy. I have yet to have seen anything compare in my few decades on this planet. I was born the year before Roland and Curt moved forward as “Tears for Fears.” I can still feel the energy of hearing their music for the first time as a child. I still get that same soaring feeling of being lifted right into the cosmos when they walk out on stage. They have elevated us to the euphoric realm of astronauts in outer space and I pray we get to stand by them for a lifetime.”

7 February Show

Craig, Joe from Toronto, Anastasia and friends from San Diego and Santa Clara were there for the final show of the February residency. Roland delighted in his third child on the way and there was a lot of support for this series which allows us to go to the band vs. them flying our way. A lot of us prefer it because it gives us more time and is easier to “go live with them” for a few days vs. trying to hop planes and follow them from city to city. We know many can’t go stay in Vegas for extended periods of time but when one looks at the cost from a travel fan perspective, this was the most economical set of shows we’ve had in a while. No, it was not cheap, most travel isn’t… but it gave us time to be together in a different way. They also nearly sold out yet again. That concert seat map filled up toward the end once the wildfires subsided and people were able to get their schedules sorted. Very sorry for the fans that couldn’t manage it due to the disasters. You were missed and we hope you’re doing better. Here are some snippets from the events…

Gargantuan thanks to the staff at Fontainebleau for the incredible hospitality. As always all our love to the band, their families and fellow fans who make life worth living…we mean that in every sense. The post show superfanitis was so intense this time, a few of us were literally doubled over in pain. Some could barely get through the day. It’s a situation.

Ending on a high note, the band did a very kind gesture of signing items for a fan who was up front. You can see that in the video. Thank you, Craig, for caputuring that. This is a rare scene so congrats to those recipients.

Deep Dives & Podcasts

There were two interviews that stood out recently. One was the conversation that Curt had back in October before we headed out to Vegas for the first part of the residency. It wasn’t published until Q1 2025. It is excellent! Here it is: Rock & Roll Highschool interview with Pete Ganbarg.

Then there was the one with Song Exploder. It was also a double deep dive with both Mr. Smith and Mr. Orzabal adding information that we do not have in the archives. The spirit of both interviews is very bright and you can sense a joy in the interaction between the three of them. Hopefully it’s still available so everyone can listen.

What we’ve noticed is these music shows and podcast hosts of late are doing their homework vs. asking the band about the same thing over and over or harping on that which is not to be spoken of… They are indeed focused on the intricate nature of the music, the deeper meaning, the behind-the-scenes production and engineering plus musical influences of their formative years. In these welcomed deeper dives we loyalists have been given so much more information on top of the incredible things that Dave Mason and Nihal Arthanayake gathered for us back in 2022-2024.

Blueberry-Pineapple Smoothie Curt

Curt attended PsychODelphia which is the Psych conference that may become an annual thing. He was reunited with his buddies James Roday and Dule Hill plus the cast and crew. Several fans went and notably History from the Big Chair was there and got some great photos. Journey to Events provided photos which are what you see below from thier IG. We hope there will be another Psych movie and can’t wait to hear about future conferences. This one was well thought out, highly accommodating from what we could see and also featured several symbols that those in the know would easily recognise and enjoy. Andye the Mod actually owned a Blueberry/Blue Yaris up until Tour 2022. That thing saw some shows (well, the parking lots of many shows)!

Songs from the Big Chair turned 40 years old on the 25th of February this past quarter. We all celebrated online and coincidence or not, thought we were the first to post a group activity, and no we’re not in competition with their social media team wherever they are, but we suggested that everyone contribute a video of themselves singing. We of course loved the video of Lady Tamara singing EWTRTW and having an excellent time at Transmissions – the incredible party hosted by the awesome DJ Jake Rudh in Minnesota. Much like the success of Richard Blade that helped bring the joy of Tears for Fears to the states, DJ Rudh has indepth parties that go above and beyond your typical 80s top 40 bash. He plays deep tracks from ALL the bands. We’re so excited our Tamara has a great relationship with their programme and continues to represent the Tears for Fears fandom at those events. Video coming soon!

Transmissions is the ultimate portal to yesteryear! Follow DJ Jake Rudh on all platforms!

The rest of us had a big slice of cake – all kinds: chocolate, gluten free cheesecake, cookies and then several sprinted out to the featured one-off of Everybody Wants to Run the World (yes run…it exists, surely you didn’t forget about this song) to burn off the excess of sugar and honour Curt’s iconic running days he used to share. Also celebrating a milestone are The Tipping Point in year 3 and the 45th year of Acting My age by Graduate. Artist Ade Beanhead Pridham created some outstanding art to match. Amanda BT has displayed a lot of it plus some other great ones.

Appearances

The Hurting was featured in the series The Last of Us – episode from 4 May. For those that know Andye’s involvement with that part of the television industry, she says she didn’t have anything to do with that. However, she does have their photo everywhere possible and is not the only fan in that area of the television industry. We’re all hoping that The Tipping Point movie does end up on a streaming service soon.

Tears for Fears’ The Hurting featured on The Last of Us on HBO MAX

There’s more…

Lady Lauren Evans has new music! She was also invited to sing the National Anthem again at the 15 May L.A. Dodgers game. That’s at least the third time she’s been their guest. Pretty darn cool.

Lauren also hosted her 4th and 5th Affirmations series – both of which included a sound bath for attendees – and will have had a 6th by the time this note goes out. These sessions are so good. She also sang on the 5th one. That was healing for several of us. If you have not attended one of her weeklong online interactions that culminates with the Afterglow Party, you should. It’s not a gender based event, it’s a harmonious session for humans and we love it! Participants get a chance to really sit down and look at their lives, their perspective and change course if needed with her guidance. We do not offload our woes to Lauren in these sessions but we do feel further guided in efforts to take better care ourselves. Lauren’s Affirmations sessions are highly recommended.

Affirmations series with Lauren Evans – follow @thereallaurenevans on IG for the next one!

She’s also opened her Pen Alchemy Academy which is suited for song writers. If you’re looking to write music, join it. You’ll be in good hands!

Carina Round

Lady Carina also has new music and hosted an online concert experience from her January 2024 shows. The package came with a lot of cool things and she signed (on camera) the vinyls. Several fans flocked online to enjoy it. It was an overwhelmingly incredible event in that she gave more than her level best. She left it all on the stage as some say.

“I tried to hold it together but ended up crying uncontrollably by the 42nd minute mark. Her concert was soooo good!” – Andye Mod

Hopefully she has another opportunity for fans to enjoy her music. She extended this one to the 8th of June. That gave everyone plenty of time to watch. But still hope she does another. She also has really cool merch. So for those that constantly tell us how much you like her, show her some love at the online merch table. Carina also had a birthday on the 20th of April. Hope everyone got a chance to wish her many happy returns!

Professor Doug Petty (read that again, Professor Doug Petty… mmmm dontcha just love how awesome it is to have so much education and talent in one band?), shared this cool gradutation photo. Many will remember that Doug teaches at USC Thorton School of Music. Yes, we tried to take his class but some of us are remote and we can’t seem to find that opportunity in the course options. Hoping to get into some music theory classes with him and anything else he’s involved in there …education is a magic key!

Doug Petty with family at daughter’s graduation on Father’s Day 2025

The Drummer Genius Jamie Wollam is sitting in a state of nirvana with his craft. We say that because how can one improve on blessed perfection like his? He has a lot to offer on his website and continues to be interviewed by music shows as well as share what’s new in his world. Be sure to drop some hearts on his Instagram profile and follow him there.

Jamie on drums playing Tears for Fears’ “Change.”

Charlton and Gootch share a birthday on the 13th of February. We really need to sit down to dinner with both of them and just listen to everything they have to say. We’ll have our annual reading of Charlton’s Book “Exit Strategy” in August (could do with a book signing to be honest). We’ll also be looking to visit (as a group) his additional media industry work that he completed last year.

Tears for Fears’ Band Family and Alumni

Oleta Adams celebrated her 72nd birthday on the 4th of May. We wish her many happy returns and lots of love as she continues to find joy in retirement from touring. We miss her and look forward to seeing her at other events.

Nicky Holland also had a birthday on the 20th of February. Here’s one of her solo songs that we all love so much.

The Marvelous Artists in the band’s family are sweeping and swooshing their paint brushes plus perfecting pictures with their pens. Curt Smith’s youngest daughter, Lady Wilder, recently did portraits for patrons at an establishment. They turned out absolutely super. Raoul won additional awards including RISE Emerging Artist and has been praised in the art society for his excellent and detailed work. Both Lady Wilder and Mr. Orzabal create worlds that you can get lost in for hours.

“I know I’m not the only one who has spent a significant amount of time meandering through their incredible designs and detailed work. You come out of that wishing it was something you could literally step into and maybe never come out! They create the most glorious worlds!” – Andye Mod

Lady Wilder was featured at the FineDayFair and created incredible art for the guests!

Curt’s eldest daughter, Lady Diva Smith, has released two new singles. Both are incredible and have been on repeat in Tears for Fears fan land. They each have videos that we love. She also was part of a very well conducted interview with B-sidestv. You can watch that here:

Rock n Stroll Tours Bath (in Bath UK)

Cool guy Shaun Smith and the beloved John Baker have launched their Rock n Stroll Walking Tour in the great city of Bath. As many will remember our Lady Tamara was privy to such a glorious experience that included a personal tour with the renowned Dave Mason of the media and broadcast industry. To step into history and take the path of the beloved Bath musicians we swoon over daily is certainly sacred. Fans are quickly queuing up for this opportunity. Be sure to put this on your travel list. They also were featured on Radio Bath. This interview won’t last forever, but here it is for now. If you come back in a year and it’s gone, we’re so sorry. You may want to reach out to Dave Mason and team to get a copy.

The Way You Wear It?

People are making their own Tears for Fears merch. It’s become a situation. LOL. There are rugs, bags and so much more. We do enjoy what the band has provided but we’re also diggin’ the phone cases that we’ve seen in the forum and in general. Thanks to those not selling their image and making money from it because that’s a copyright infringement and we don’t want to be rude to the band that heals us.

Musicians Among Us

Soul Twin Messiah released a really good golden nugget of a song called …Only Gold Matters Now and “It’s a Day Worth Imagining.” It’s perfect timing as the economy went bizerk at the time of the release. Not to get deeply political but good gracious it was a wild ride out there and this song was quite comforting in the midst of the angst. As mentioned, STM has a YouTube channel and they are more than just musicians, they are Tears for Fears fans and humanitarians among us. Several of us have spent many a night and early morning watching their content.

When we as fans are together in person we brainstorm and discuss how to give back and improve the society around us. After much research that began almost one year ago thanks to Sharron Foxx, another musician in the fold with great ties to legends in the industry, a few of us literally found the answer to many of the things we’ve been discussing…in STM’s recent work.

This quarter we suggest focusing on the history of how we got to where we are now. When one looks at the origins and influences of Songs from the Big Chair, a lot of people go straight to The Beatles. Roland has spoken in depth about SOL and in the recent interviews mentioned other musicians’ work that was in their ear at the time of production. Go back and revisit those interviews and you’ll “hear” songs like “Woman in Chains” in a whole new way. We certainly did! We have more of an appreciation for it now than ever before.

“What does this all have in common with our love for Tears for Fears? Counter Culture. I won’t go into the deep dive, I’ll save that for our next Substack article (oh yeah, we’ve moved off Facebook and on to Substack– details later). But take it upon yourself to understand the root of this music which can be seen in the videos that were produced by Soul Twin Messiah’s Evan G. Hirsch (The Blue Rocker). They have a library of videos regarding the origins of this change in society that no longer accepted limited roles, classifications for various ethnic groups and other things that were rooted in propaganda. Very grateful for all the work they put into their series…” – Andye Mod

In our next Zoom call we’ll be taking a moment to discuss the era, the timing, musicians and leaders who thankfully swerved society out of a chaotic future. Their efforts allowed a few generations to experience a time of enlightenment before we reached the level of absolute chaos we’ve seen of late. It’s important to remember these movements, their origins and why we still need them. Soul Twin Messiah’s core tenant is LOVE and we know Tears for Fears are all about sowing those seeds. Enjoy STM’s S.O.U.L videos and let’s have a conversation!

Also take a look at these great organizations Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) and Marin Shakespheare Theatre. They are worth learning about and will benefit from support.

Gen Alpha Adores Tears for Fears

We have a number of kids in the fifth generation of our fan team that love to get involved with Tears for Fears fan activities. Some even play music. Bobby B-blaze’s son, Keanu Russell, plays lots of Tears for Fears at home and practices their songs using one of Roland Orzabal’s guitars! Kinda helps that he has a big brother named Roland as well. Check him out!

Tamara’s nephew loves to sing “Shout,” by Tears for Fears. Look out for him in the Q3 update on Roland’s birthday!

Sending lots of hugs to all fellow fans. Thank you for keeping in touch and checking in with each other. Stay well, be healthy, follow the band on Instagram and Threads. They do have a shadow presence on Bluesky but it’s not active. We have no comment on the TikTok account because we don’t know who is managing that. Big hugs to Garbage for giving Tears for Fears a shoutout on their latest album Let All That We Imagine Be The Light. Be sure to get a copy and mix it into your Tears for Fears band – fan family musicians playlist.

Post Haste!

Get your tickets for the September and October shows directly from Ticketmaster. We do not recommend using third party vendors. A fan recently purchased from a third party and suddently couldn’t find that party to deliver their tickets. Also, a recent festival had to cancel on the 2nd day. They issued refunds to the point of sale meaning those that bought resale tickets did not get their refunds. The sellers who already collected money for the tickets (likely at a higher price) just bankrolled. The purchaser on the other hand is out of luck. A rule of thumb, buy from the original source. You don’t need to be chasing people for your tickets. Try your hardest to avoid it. If you buy from a fellow fan, they should transfer the ticket immediately, not hold it until the day of the show. Also go ahead and book your accommodations now before occupancy fills up. Remember what happened last fall…the show sold out!

Fontainebleau is located on the northern most part of the Vegas Strip… it’s quiet and serene…

Word of caution for fellow fans, do not put your seat number and section plus order number on social media. It’s not safe. Just say you’re going and let people you trust know where you are sitting. Do not put a screengrab or details of your exact seat anywhere online. We’ll discuss why in our Substack deep dives.

Remember merch has been available through the app on the day of the show (both Oct/Nov and Feb). You likely will not need to stand in line but can order in advance and pick it up once the show is over. Then enjoy a seat in the promendae for the post show wind down with fellow fans.

Countdown to showtime starts now!

Safe travels and travel planning to fans from Japan returning as well as a long time fan from Sweden. Big shoutout to Becky H. for reporting seat corrections that were needed and not originally in order upon arrival during the 30 October show last year. She and a Fontainbleau staff member ensured that the sections were corrected so that everyone got the seats they picked and paid for…both are heroes!

Talk to you soon! Enjoy a slice of one of Curt’s favourites – Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake and Get ready for Roland’s birthday in August! Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

TFF Travel Fan Team Moderators

*pardon any typos, we’re still adding a few things but wanted to make sure we got this out on Curt’s cake day! More to come on Substack!

Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team Moderator

Andye Andinha Niakan moderates all Tears for Fears Travel Fan branded spaces online. Andye has been a fan of the band since her toddler years, listening to the band on the way to school with the grown ups. She has physically followed the band on tour for 13+ years, recently completing her 32nd show. Along with other admins, she helps fans get to as many shows as possible, sit close to the stage and works to make sure travel accommodations are top notch. Her hope is that the Tears For Fears fan club spirit will continue on for years to come. You can reach her on the ‘Tears for Fears and Kooks Facebook’ page.

Tears for Fears 26 & 27 October – London

TFF RAH

Accommodations: The Kensington

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.

Let me tell you right now… these “schemes” don’t hurt. Consider joining for future. You never know…

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!

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26 October Show with BBC2
BBC Radio 2

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.

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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!

Tulsa1

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

Tears for Fears in St. Louis – Now that was something! #HeckYeah

Wow, St. Louis, Missouri… what an interesting place! The hotel I stayed in was the former train station now turned into an awesome Hilton owned property. It was so big I had to leave my room an hour before the show (which was two blocks away) just to give myself extra time in case I got lost! LOL! I have no idea where TFF stayed when they were there but I had a great time at this property. The food was amazing and the rooms were more than comfortable!

The show was overwhelming! We had great seats on the 3rd row center. The band gave a lot of face time and interaction which we loved! The H&O fans on my side were very tolerant of our dancing and dance routines. TThe Hall and Oates fans behind Becky were not so nice! Karma will find them!

The guys look and sound angelic!!! This is no surprise but it’s hard to believe they can sound so good and even better than the year before…when the year before they blew us away… I mean…it’s like they just elevate themselves with every tour! Wild! We love it!!!! More please! Here’s a few videos from the night… enjoy!

Intro & Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Memories Fade Snippet – Listen to this compared to the original recording…
This is even better!!!!


Change

Creep

Head over Heels

For the shared shows, they go straight into Shout.. no stepping away and coming back encore, just straight through to the song…

Shout

Merch was amazing! All this was $350 for those planning to get one of every shirt.

We try to have dinner after every show or before… the tour isn’t the same unless you’ve got your squad! Very grateful for all the Tears for Fears Travel Fans!!! Thanks for the drumsticks, Jamie!!!

Thanks for reading and supporting our efforts! We take our love for this band very seriously! This band life is no joke and we aim to be present, accounted for and supportive. Shoutout to others doing the same! We see you and stand by you!

TFF Forever!!
-Andye, Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team Moderator

Tears for Fears in Tulsa – Healing Hearts & Making Memories to Last a Lifetime

*Dedicated to Steven Jacobson who made his Twitter debut with a post to Tears for Fears and the Travel Fans. That was pretty darn cool! Thank you!

Our emotional & exciting journey to Tulsa for Tears for Fears began at 12:47am on Tuesday morning, the day of show. I rested just enough to be coherent and not miss our 10am lobby roll call. At 10:25am we rush off with our amazing pal Bobby, a long time TFF Travel Fan that we met through Captain Julian Orzabal. He lead the way. G-d bless Bobby, he gave us the VIP treatment in his incredible vehicle. His son Roland was by our side and kept us laughing and upbeat as we did one last check to make sure we had our tickets, etc. before heading to this next city (Tulsa) on the tour… it was broadcast on Persicope. (pardon this one-off device to device recording).

Living the Dream As we drove, I thought about the unexpected band chat we learned we were to attend that same day. The excitement of that plus feelings from the Kansas City, MO show just began to pour. We became overwhelmed by our experiences with the band over the past 3 decades (which is 95% of my life – #ProudTFFToddlerFan – I still visit the place where I first heard them on the way to school). And then Bobby says, “This reminds me of the winter of ’85…”

On the way

Upclose is an understatement...this felt amazing to all my 5 senses. Healing indeed.
Upclose is an understatement…this felt amazing to all my 5 senses. Healing indeed.

Road Warrior Realities
We finally arrived at the hotel after barely getting through some time consuming traffic. Making the transformation from road warrier to concert attendee is not something that can be done in an hour’s time. You want to bring your best self in the presence of the band…whether you’re seeing them up close for a chat or within arm’s length at the stage. I wasn’t able to accomplish that this time around. The weather was humid, it’s raining and we have a band chat to attend… and I’m just not ready. Not to mention I had been trying all morning to get a last headcount on which fans were coming so we could share this opportunity in an organised fashion. We’re reaching out to see who was on the way so we could, calmly and appropriately give some hugs and appreciation to this extraordinary team of musicians that we have adored forever and a day… and it’s like crickets. Everyone was in transit or busy getting ready vs. answering the phone, replying to tweets or even picking up these extra 2nd and 6th row tickets before the show. It was strange to say the least. So, it would just be us…Silver Kitty, Bobby, Roland the Sequel, Lady C and myself… and at 6:30pm we rushed off to get an extra bag of Curt’s sweets for the show with a few things for Roland in tow.

Long story short, I ran back inside for a bar of Cadbury chocolate for Curt…and got all damp from the rain. “Maybe I should just go to my seat and let the others say hi for me…” I thought as I try to fan myself dry. I decided I’d better show up and just stand back, taking a rain check on the hugs.

A Nice Chat
*Not going to elaborate on this part because I respect everyone’s privacy (and the law of the land) to not record every word said or detail every movement made. But as always, these chats are very sacred and I’m grateful that we were able to share it with those who came along.
Somewhat drier, we get inside the venue and see members of the beautiful TFF official team, people we are always overjoyed to see. As we are hugging I realise I still don’t have one of their items. I’ll have to send it later. Long time fan, former TFF member and all around awesome person, Afton is there looking like a million dollars and I’m just thrilled to see her again. Learn more about Afton (Sangster) here.

They led us down the trail to the chat which was a scene from Alice in Wonderland. There I was in my damp royal blue Japanese Kawaii coordinate entering the twists and turns like one trailing down the rabbit hole leading to this extravagant moment. It was so cool yet serene as the room in which we eventually entered looked like a grand mini ballroom with its cool furniture, deep colours and gorgeous band members relaxing like they’d just finished the most sumptuous of tea parties ever…in big chairs mind you.

Still, I wasn’t ready… After all the years of seeing them, delivering this or that…this wasn’t new for me, yet I still couldn’t believe it. Damp and dizzy with a racing heart that sent me into a cold sweat, I walk in the door ushered by the very subdued Silver Kitty. I’m greeted by the majestic presence of this band. The Good Sir in all his glory greets me with incredible and beautiful warmth. His precious hands meet mine in a respectful way. The Good Sir gives me a gentle hug depsite my forelorn and bedraggled condition and he went down the line greeting us as did others of this sacred set of musicial geniuses …The Good Man came in as well and lovingly signed merch and allowed us some nice snapshots while chatting with us about his life. It felt like family, like I was where I was supposed to be…The rest of their generous time in their presence was equal to a very spiritual encounter and will be kept in our vault. Nothing off colour or seedy occured, it was just a warm discussion and chat that for us is the closest thing to heaven. It’s a Zen gathering, it is the ultimate peace and joy. One’s soul calms when standing near them and, as usual for me, it takes about 6 months to realise that we did actually see them. Several times I find myself waking up at night thinking…was that real? It’s just such a miraculous moment.

So much fun, such a euphoric experience, all TFF concert are...
So much fun, such a euphoric experience, all TFF concert are…

To think we were little kids watching them on TV, holding their music close like security blankets and now they stand before us providing comfort that words can’t describe. I have not found that type of peace anywhere else. There is nothing I can even compare it to because it’s like a dream. It’s a very uplifing and a soul gripping experience, it redefines Cloud 9’s eurphoria. Any odd things that happen in our daily lives are completely washed away as their energy and kindness makes a therapy session look like a cheap bandaid. Tears for Fears, whether they accept it/know it or not, are a healing experience. One look, one nod, one smile by members of this band… and one is forever changed. It’s a phenomenon.

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After the unexpected and generous chat we wandered back through the cool, twisting trail and past the stage curtains which were open. I couldn’t help but take a peek at all the cool instruments. Seeing the audience from their perspective was pretty damn cool. Seeing all the eager people and happy faces just waiting for them to come out and dazzle the world as they do was exhilarating. SK was kind of enough to get us really great seats. I was happy that the stage wasn’t so high that I couldn’t see over it. I had just enough room to dance around without it pressing into my hips. Those on the first row center were literally knees-to-stage. We were first row right (Curt’s side), Lady C on first row left (Roland side) and quite comfy. We met some really lovely fans before the show and during that time I exchanged email addresses with as many of them as possible so we can stay in touch. Before long Carina Round came out and played her fantastic set. She gave a shout out to Pucifer who had played at this location some time ago and she was there with them. Curt accompanied her on the final song of her set as he’s done on so many other occasions (notably, Sunset Station Hendersonville Nevada 2012).

Annnnd of course Tears for Fears appeared not long after…and it’s all recorded. Here are some videos from the show by various fans. Big thanks to Charlton for the generosity. Huge thanks to Jamie for the drumsticks given to Bobby!! Gargantuan thanks to Roland and Curt for their TIME. Sweet gentle kisses for Carina and her beautiful voice (love her wardrobe). And special thanks to Lady T and Afton for that generous pre and post-show hug. I’m so inspired to work hard to bring forth my best self because of this band. They make me want to be a better person. It’s just something about them that makes me want to do better in every possible way. I pray, by G-d’s grace I can do it. I pray we can always enjoy their majestic presence as tour attendees and dedicated travel fans. G-d bless everyone’s contributions and efforts and the positive energy of others alongside us in sister fan groups in Manila, France and Brazil/Brasil. TFF puts the “FF’s” in “Fan Family.”

Videos and Show Highlights

*SK says to watch these in HD or the sound is completely inaudible.

We screamed a lot. Looking back through the videos, we were just in plum TFF Manic mode… I’m so glad we remain calm during M&Gs with Curt in California and impromptu gatherings during tours because if I heard or saw people like myself in “show mode” I’d probably be afraid. One beautiful part of the madness is that the entire crowd was “roaring” with joy. It was awesome, overwhelming and everything in between. The energy in those shows is electric. We get so excited and  though it’s over an hour (2+ I think) it’s never long enough, you want it to go on and on. We don’t get tired of this because every concert FEELS new, one is not like the other. Atlanta isn’t LA an LA isn’t Vegas, etc. Each concert has unique pieces and occurances that make you eager to go to another so you can enjoy the new things they say and do in each city.

Another set of treats and gifts are the conversations between songs and souvenirs tossed into the audience. We were on Curt’s side for this show and Charlton was standing over us. I loved watching him play guitar and he was all smiles, even obliged and gave me a guitar pick. I was collecting Curt’s for some time and giving them to fellow fans back in Atlanta and for those who had only gotten to see Roland or stand on  his side. I find that no matter what side you’re on, it’s just fun to be near them. Roland and Curt do a lot of great shoutouts during shows as well. Here’s one for a set of twins who share The Good Sir’s birthday/bidet/bday.

Birthday Shout Outs

During Charlton’s solo intro of Closest Thing to Heaven, Curt slips some Skittles. Then he comes over to us and literally throws a handful over our head to make it rain!!

OHHH MY GAHHH, you’d have thought he was throwing money. We were so excited, catching a few in our hands and swallowing them down (or at least I did. I have a collection of his autographed Skittles so any new ones are fair game to be eaten). We couldn’t get “the rain” on video because it was unexpected but we’re hoping someone else did. Good Man you are so freakin’ cool!

courtesy of Bobby
courtesy of Bobby

Set List
Being so close to the stage distorts the sound sometimes so here are some clips by a fan named Aaron for a few of the songs. Carri also took some cool video close up.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Lorde & TFF riginal Opening)

SW, SOL, AFTYAH,

Pale Shelter & cool chat from Good Man Curt *they sound crystal clear in person, again being so close to the stage our recordings sound a bit distorted.

BIDA, ELAHE & Creep

Change, MW, MF, CTTH (Billie Jean was on the list but was not played) Badman’s Song

Head Over Heels

Head Over Heels – upclose

Woman In Chains

Shout

Shout (upclose) 

After the show, like immediately after, this young lady comes out of nowhere and jumps up on the stage. She’s trying to get a set list. When a staff member gives it to someone else we start yelling, “But she jumped up on the stage! C’mon, let her have one please!!” The guy did hand one over. Roland the Sequel got one as well…which was pretty darn cool and well deserved for his amazing contributions this season.

Back at the hotel, security is walking around …we don’t know why. Maybe the band was going to their rooms or something. We stayed off to the side in the lobby and people came over to us to say hi and hang out. During that time we met these cool peeps from one of the conferences that the hotel was hosting.

Hotel Lobby

Hours later in our rooms we’re looking at videos, packing and such. We had to hop off the tour because we couldn’t do that Arizona and ABQ heat. I had a swim meet back in Atlanta, so I couldn’t go to Jack’s 10th Show. This would be it for a few months…and the thought of pausing was hard. We stretched time that morning though…

Travel Fan Brunch – from Periscope TV – replay of broadcast

A Little Pause
On the way to the airport we contemplated if we should just take some extra holiday time and just go to the next show anyway, crazy 100+ degree temps be damned. We couldn’t but thankfully other travel fans were taking good care and headed out to represent the TFF365 spirit. I tried to hold in my tears the whole of the Tulsa show and afterwards but at the airport, right there at the curb I just lost it. I just cried…horribly. The ugly cry…smh.

I said goodbye to all through sobbing tears. Carolyn who was flying in the same terminal as myself walked me in and I sniffled my way through check-in. It was so hard. I walked around the airport. TFF were, to our knowledge not far off, one woman said she saw two guys who looked like The Good Sir and The Good Man walking into a side door. You know they have those now where you don’t have to walk in with the public. I thought they already did but anyway, they were supposedly spotted. Roland had tweeted that they were grounded due to the storms. Carolyn’s flight was delayed for the same reason. Mine was on time but we still had about 3 hours to kill. So…like any dedicated fan we located the Airport Jukebox that plays music over the intercom system throughout the entire airport… and we changed all of the songs to Tears for Fears…like over 2 hours worth. We Periscoped it, making sure to avoid people’s faces because we weren’t sure it was legal to broadcast there. Thanks to all, especially Steven, who logged into the broadcast and showed us how to do it. #TeeHee It was awesome! People all around us were tapping their feet and dancing in their seats. Only one guy approached Carolyn later (she was wearing her TFF shirt) and asked if she was responsible for Tears for Fears being played non stop… We have no shame. She even has a t-shirt her daughter gave her that says, “Danger, Tears for Fears Fan…”

Again, very grateful to Roland and Curt, their entire team, road team, Lady T, fans on tour, Afton and all the support and kindness we got via Periscope and the entire time we were gone. So many people help make these tours possible and we’re just thrilled to be out there on the road with their energy. Really looking forward to the new album and more fun and exciting times in this life with Tears for Fears leading the way. Cheers! Thanks for reading! AA

Memories to last a lifetime!
Memories to last a lifetime!

Follow: @tearsforfears @curtsmith @rolandtff @carinaround @jwdrum @dougpettyla @CharltonPettus (you can follow travel fan fun via @papasfans) Also, be sure to visit our #2015Love focus and consider a donation: http://www.standwithmaceo.com/ #StandWithMaceo

Tears for Fears ~ Surreal & Soul Stirring in Kansas City, Missouri

This is dedicated to Ryan, our newest Travel Fan Team member. Ryan is based out of KCMO and helped us find all of the things we needed to make memories that will last a lifetime!

UptownTheatre
UptownTheatre

Writing these show re-caps never gets any easier because each show and each year outshine the previous ones. We go to these concerts more for healing than entertainment. Tears for Fears are a theraputic oasis for the soul. For the past week I’ve been relaying others’ photos and experiences at Tears for Fears extravaganzas. Today I’ll share mine. One of the shows I attended took place in Kansas City, Missouri. Up until I actually landed in KCMO I was referring to it as just Kansas. Weeks and months prior I had conversations via phone with Carolyn, the Travel Fan Team rep in the area, and she corrected me saying “Missouri…Andye, it’s Missouri.” I replied, “Ooops, sorry. I won’t do it again.” Then I said “Kansas…” again. She, again, corrected me and so did every person from the driver that picked me up to Carolyn’s travel pal, Ryan who showed us around the city. Later, Curt called it Kansas with clear intention of meaning “KCMO.” He later made it clear to everyone that he did indeed mean Missouri. So, lesson learned, when referring to Kansas City, you better include the state or risk being corrected (politely mind you – e.g. soft whispers in your ear) by the sweet gentle folks that live here. And gentle is an understatement…the people there are unbelievably kind and caring!

Why Kansas?
Kansas City, Missouri was named as one of the coolest cities in America…and it is! There’s a lot to do there. They have an incredible Plaza downtown that rivals the midtowns of several major cities in North America. The shoppes and prices are more than reasonable. The food is delicious and restaurants stay open pretty late, we even found a few at 4:45am in the morning on a Sunday night/Monday morning…crazy hours and awesome at the same time!

This was the city in which several decided to see a show together. One of our members is a police officer and took it upon himself to escort us to KMO as well as Tulsa, Oklahoma. We spent 4 long days together and bonded like you would never believe. None of us had really spent THAT much time with each other previously unless you count the times we were having cold ones with Captian Julian and a few band members, road crew, etc. post show at Sunset Station in Hendersonville Nevada, Thackerville’s Winstar Casino in Oklahoma, and the list goes on. Despite our limited interactions in person, we actually clicked FAST! Everyone, especially Bobby and his son Roland (yeah, he named him after Mr. Orzabal and was one the highlights of the trip) did whatever was necessary to make the midwest shows ultra fantastic and comfortable for fellow fans around them.

Gotta represent...Drummer Genius Jamie avaiators and Orzabal check plaid...
Gotta represent…Drummer Genius Jamie avaiators and Orzabal check plaid…

Travel Fan Fun
10am in the morning (yeah, we got about 6 hours of sleep), Carolyn and I are downstairs ready to roll and chat with whomever walked in the door of the hotel. And we did. We met all sorts of people and had numerous conversations. I should mention that the guy at the front desk saw my TFF tshirt when I checked in and just beamed as if he knew something. My goodness, were we staying in the same hotel? Then we all headed out to the Plaza where we got Bobby ready for the shows at one of the neat shoppes. I also grabbed a pair of Hello Kitty socks which had *anchors on them. The whole day we kept finding little signs of TFF that wouldn’t normally be present except during a tour. There were lots of symbolic things that happened or either we were hypervigilant. All of our adventures were broadcast via Persicope. Some have been archived on YouTube for later viewing. Thanks to all who joined in the live broadcast, we had 65+ viewers on some emissions. If you missed it, you can find them on YouTube…should be about 7 of the 12. Enjoy!

The Show
After visiting the venue earlier and making sure we knew where to park (coincidentally chatting with staff etc. wink wink) we went back to the hotel, changed quickly and rushed back to the venue. The parking lot, which had been completely empty 90 minutes prior was now completely filled with only one space open facing the backstage door. We took it! We sat in the car as it drizzled and watched crew working and doing last minute things while fans lined up the sidewalk, shifting around the local radio station’s live broadcast booth. Just like L.A. there was a guy on the corner beating a plastic bucket with a pair of drumsticks. Others were seeking tickets…and we were one of those people as we had just enough for the Travel Fans and not our newest inductee, Roland. A kind man handed over a ticket to him 20 minutes before showtime for free!! Whomever you are, HUGE THANKS!

Shared by a fan w/the Good Sir - the effects in the theatre were beautiful!
Shared by a fan (someone send us her name) w/the Good Sir – the effects in the theatre were beautiful!

The Uptown Theatre is a gorgeous venue that looks a little bit like the Fox Theatre in Atlanta with its intricate architecture. It’s hard to tell if you’re in a cathedral or a music hall. I’d happily go to more shows at this place. All of the seats are pretty good. There’s space so you’re not really bumping up against your neighbour and that’s crucial at TFF shows because just about everybody is dancing. As mentioned I was in my little tiara representing TFF’s Rock Royals title that many of us (and a couple of music industry peeps) have placed upon them and unexpectedly received so many compliments. In ATL where I spend most of my time, tiaras are not uncommon. I was shocked people even paid attention. I used that opportunity to make new friends and get email addresses so we can exchange photos, etc. Then I got seated as I was too excited to stand around. I just wanted to get to the front where we were close enough (6 rows back) to the stage that the band could see us and interact with their returned peace signs and such. It was awesome! We also met a few travel fans who had seats on our row. :waving at Lady M:

Carina Round looked and sounded like a powerful angel…there are no other words to describe it. She outdid herself. It was unreal.. we made sure to show her a ton of love, from the time she walked out to the striking solo parts of Woman in Chains and BadMan’s song. She got a lot of love not only from those of us who follow her, but from the new fans in the audience…they adored her and showed it! She deserved it! Amazing job!

imageThe band just stirred souls left and right. People were crying, people were picking each other up (no matter what their contrasting size) and hugging mid-song. They were having solo moments of their own by adding little supportive lines to the various songs. One guy just lost it and looked around singing at people with great force. Attendees did not mind the aisles, they flooded them where possible and rushed the stage. It was chaotic to a degree but still felt safe. Most notably, people. were. crying. I don’t mean a little tear, but instead that crippling cry where you can’t talk. Wives were holding husbands, husbands were holding wives and friends had their arms around each other. People just “had a moment” at the show. One person was local journalist Holly E. She blogged about her experience as well. She begins with…

Concert footage in which fans are crying. I never understood it. Sure, the music is great and the band members are (sometimes) good looking, but weeping at a concert?

Last night I wept at the Tears for Fears concert in Kansas City. On and off, from the first strains of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” through the encore “Woman in Chains” and “Shout.” Read More Here

*Holly is also a really cool person, one of those people you’ll just enjoy on many levels through her writing. Follow her @HollyEdgell.

And she wasn’t alone, again…Carolyn cried, strangers cried, the guy behind me could barely get the words to the songs out due to his emotion. I turned around and smiled at him, he was all verklempt with his daughter snuggled up beside him. It was a very emotional show and the energy in the theatre was different from past concerts. Kansas City, Missouri got more than a performance, they received a big ol’ Tears for Fears Concert Hug.

Pale Shelter – Curt sounds really good, listen and enjoy…

The Set List was similar to last year’s with a few songs switching places. I’ve abbreviated it as we do… Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Lorde intro then the majestic mesh into the original), SW, STSOL, PS, BIDA, ELAHE, Change, MW, MF, CTTH, AFTYAH, Creep – (Radiohead cover) BMS, HOH – Encore WIC and Shout
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Drummer Genius Jamie’s drum solo was excellent and the crowd just lost their minds through the power of his talent. During Shout the crowd sang “the long version” intro loud and clear. Roland was sweet again and dropped the mic down so various individuals could sing into it. You know we all love that. I’ll never forget when he did that to me back in 2011. I’m still in complete awe. There were just all sorts of extras at this show, Skittles included. I think Curt threw a few.

Doc Martens Shout Outs
Another great moment that happened before the show was when Ryan talked about his own pair of Doc Martens of which he was wearing. We snapped a photo of them and then sometime later (not neccessarily related to our tweet) Curt sends his Docs tweet.

imageThen during the show Curt motioned toward his feet to reveal these saying, “Because I’m not in Kansas anymore.” It was clever and got a lot of laughs Very cute! During an earlier Periscope Travel Fan broadcast I talked about how I asked the gentleman that brought me to the hotel if this was Dorothy’s Kansas. I enjoyed hearing Curt referrencing The Wizard of Oz as well. It was also cool to have Manila Kooks like JW in the mix.

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Eventhough I managed to write a bit about the show, so many parts of this particular part of the tour left me speechless and I don’t even know where to begin in detailing them. As always it’s just cool to hear from the band throughout the tour/talk to them via social and see Roland so animated and involved with Twitter (something of which for years we thought he’d never do until he surprised us back in March 2014). It was very important to us. At one point I was messaging with the Good Man Curt Smith as Carolyn was so worried as to why he hadn’t said “Kansas City, Missouri we are in you…” and he mentioned they were just getting in. I think I’m responding to Carolyn, but I was accidentally responding to Curt and told him to “…go on and get dressed everything is going to be fine…” or something. It was rather embarassing but funny in hindsight. Glitches will happen…

The above may seem like “little things” to other people but if you’ve been following this band for at least a year at mininum (though for most of us it’s been 90% of our lives) you “get it.” You know why the Docs tweet is important, you understand and even cherish the tears of your fellow fans. We just mesh…that’s one thing about the fans…most of us just “mix and gel” quickly. In the cases where meshing didn’t take place or is struggling to gel, societal ills are present and have nothing to do with the band. If you come to this fan world with a pure heart, you will meet your soulmates. Not necessarily your future spouse (although that isn’t uncommon) you will, however, make friends that will become family. That’s what happened on this tour. Friends became relatives, souls were stirred and combined. I could go on. But I’ll conclude with this; nothing, not Periscope, not YouTube or any streaming media compares to being PRESENT. This is why, even if it is for one show or all of them, fans travel all over the states, to and from various parts of the world to see this band and experience something so overwhelmingly majestic that it brings a crowd to tears…

Shoutout  to the loyal people who waited outside the venue post show with hope in their grasp...
Shoutout to the loyal people who waited outside the venue post show with hope in their grasp…

Big thanks to the people we met in Kansas City, Missouri! I have never been to a place so friendly…and I thought Toronto had the world beat! All of our loyalty and dedication is to the band and many hugs to the new travel fans that flew in from all over to be there. There’s no way any of this would work if love didn’t show up in the form of attendance!

Cheers!
-AA

*Nautical Anchors are a constant symbol in so much of TFF, CurtSmithOfficial and DelaQ.

More on the Kansas City, Missouri show from Timothy Finn

Tears for Fears ‘Worked It’ at The Wiltern

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photo courtesy Snap Happy Pam

 Travel Fan Experience featuring Carri, Kai, Yara, Pam, Katie and Veronica narrated & written by Andye

Back In the Air After a thrilling three days in Oklahoma we went our separate ways…but thankfully only for a few hours. I only went back to Atlanta to repack and catch my scheduled flight to Los Angeles where I’d meetup with Pam and Carri who would fly in the same day (Monday). L.A. is their home. Fast forward 16 hours and I’m back at the airport boarding an international aircraft with other Tears for Fears Fans who live in Atlanta but are originally from the UK. We had a blast on the plane, talking about life in London. These ladies have the hook up, they run football tours in England. You should have seen us, we were dishing out all sorts of fun ideas for the future. More news on that to come (with respect to future tours).

We recommend the Line Hotel for 1,001 reasons! -picture from 'The Line'
We recommend the Line Hotel for 1,001 reasons! -picture from ‘The Line’

Living It Up at The Line The nearly 5 hour flight zipped by, we in fact arrived a bit early and boy was I glad. 8pm in Los Angeles I head over to the meetup spot to find sleepy people too tired to shake a tail feather at the Club & Pho bar. So off I went to what turned out to be the stay of all stays. Now, in the past during Curt’s solo show events, we’ve stayed closer to the venues in some pretty swank places. That’s important to us. We want all of these travel fan excursions to be truly fantastic for everyone. We DON’T recommend just any place or hotels we haven’t stayed in before or hotels that are just “cheap” for the sake of saving a dime. We don’t suggest everyone go for broke but we’re not going to put you in something less than 3-5 stars. As a hotel hobbit, I research various brands and was fortunate to find The Line Hotel which turned out to be a bit closer to the venue than previously thought. I’m sure I could have walked but I have a love affair with Uber. Without this turning into a tripadvisor listing, let’s just say, The Line is lovely! It has the option of overlooking the hills which also provides a glorious sunrise each morning. It also features floor to ceiling windows and a fully stocked (it’s actually stuffed) mini bar and more. The food is a cultural array that is perfect for those of us who are big on culture clubbing. I could go on and on, please see a future post from @lovemymacarons where this stay will be featured.

Cheers to Pam, Carri, Katie and several others for starting the street party, we had a blast!
Cheers to Pam, Carri, Katie and several others for starting the street party, we had a blast!

A Line of Another Kind Again, bright and early for our daily race…and this was a race as Carri comes over and we get ready to go over to The Wiltern after publishing the Oklahoma show in the blog. We got there first and saw no one, so we waited. Then after slopping down a bowl of soup so we wouldn’t pass out from hunger, we found several other travel fans (Pam, Katie and friends we see at Curt’s solo shows and past TFF Wiltern waitings). It was very comforting. There were some missing faces from the years before but thankfully they were already taken care of and didn’t need to be outside. Originally I had no intentions of going to this show because as a frequent conference attendee and one who does pop culture cons, I have had as much as I can stand of “standing in line.” In this modern age, I feel like there’s surely some other way to tackle this. Again, I have ideas. But Kai and Carri were going so…

Cupcakes from Sprinkles' Bakery
Cupcakes from Sprinkles’ Bakery

 

 

 

There we were again and it was thankfully a beautiful breezy day, Katie brought cupcakes to share with fans and some for the band of which Jamie Wollam (while taking a photo of the sold out sign) was given. We love Jamie. He is so sweet and we appreciate his kind words more than we ourselves could ever express. He came over and gave out hellos, handshakes and hugs and again we all appreciated it! Hope they liked the cupcakes. They had Curt’s couture/Ben Sherman style logo on them and came from Sprinkles bakery.

Confession: I am not familiar with this particular gourmet sweets brand (we don’t have Sprinkles on the East Coast – I reside in Macaron Francaises country) and assumed when Katie said she was bringing Sprinkles that she was either bringing a can of sugary red and green holiday fluff thus perhaps adding to the Skittles party that Curt brings to the table …or her dog. I thought, “Roland is gonna love this…puppies barking in the show. Maybe we should ask Curt to bring Bella and Ivy? Did Katie check with the venue to make sure we can have pets?” But no, instead 2 boxes (one box for fans, one box for the band) of these awesome cupcakes that were too beautiful to eat.

Drummer Genius Jamie was kind to stop and say hi when we interrupted him taking a photo of the sign. Sorry Jamie, but thanks!!
Drummer Genius Jamie was kind to stop and say hi when we interrupted him taking a photo of the sign. Sorry Jamie, but thanks!!

 

Bootleg Tshirts - UnOfficial Merch
Bootleg Tshirts – UnOfficial Merch

Baffled by Bootlegs Around 4:45pm a guy comes around with bootleg Tears for Fears tshirts (last time they did it after the show). This fellow had shirts that included the showdates on the back. That was enticing, until I looked closely to find that the dates were wrong. I wanted to pull him over and say, “Look…if you’re gonna bootleg do it right, son. Do your research, find out exactly what tour this is. It’s not ‘The Hurting Tour.’ We’re far beyond that…like 30 years, kid. Also, you forgot two of the most important dates on the tour, Austin and Thackerville. You lose. Do not pass Go, no Tears for Fears fan money for you, you cannot collect $200.” The shirts were $10 a piece and he sold those muthers like a rogue restauranteur selling Krispy Kreme donuts on the side! They. Were. Gone. I was so mad.”Guys, look at the back of that shirt!” I yelled. Some dates are wrong and some are completely gone! Besides, this isn’t official merch! What about the band?! There’s merch inside!” But it was the front that got them. A picture from the SFTBC album cover series, one of the back b-side photos. I mean it was highly enticing. I got one simply for the proof but I did tell the guy the shirt was incorrect. “You didn’t do your research!” I yelled.

We all sort of sat there afterwards saying things like, Gah, they could’ve been selling paper cups for $100 dollars each with photoshopped autographs and we’d be all up on it as if it was legit. smh!

Tears for Fears sign at The Wiltern (right next to The Kooks of course)
Tears for Fears sign at The Wiltern (right next to The Kooks of course)

VIP and Fast Passes This year instead of being re-directed into a downstairs room, we got the option to buy ‘fast passes’ for $15 (that’s $5 less than the $20 + bar fees we paid in 2011). We got the passes and were moved to a different line and took photos of the signs (we’re all about signage) between trips to the coffee shop where we bought drinks and used the… yeah. So that line filled up quickly but orderly. There were lots of friendly Wiltern security around so things went extremely fast and smooth. A few, however, said the staff started letting in the non-fast pass line though. Thanks to Veronica, a lot of that got straightened out and thus we avoided a catastrophe of unfairness.

The Show We rushed in as soon as they let us, 7pm on the dot! My legs were sore from sitting on the hard ground but I shuffled in along with Carri of whom I’m certain was traumatised from sitting on the streets of L.A. for that length of time. We found a spot next to KROQ’s Richard Blade, a champion for the band. We exchanged a few words and then I moved because I knew that I’d be making zaghareets all night not to mention I’d be verklempt by what can only be assumed is the holy spirit during these shows. Whatever it is, I didn’t want to accidentally flop Mr. Blade in the head with a peace sign or church swayin’ so I went to his left. Turned out great, I was right in front of Roland with a direct view of Curt. I ain’t gonna lie, I also stood there because I wanted some Skittles. I always want some Skittles. He could come right over and dump the whole pack, makin’ it rain and I’d be set for life. I’m not even joking…that would be one for the books.

By this time I couldn’t find Carri, she’s off with Mr. Blade, her buddy. They talk all the time online. She was in good hands so I focused on Katie and her husband, Pam and our Curt Smith solo show pals of whom I nickname Roland’s neighbours because they live nearby.

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Carina Round We leaned against the barrier which put us about an inch within the stage. I like this barrier because being slammed against the Wiltern stage is not fun. Whomever installed that thing, thank you! Carina came out right at 8pm. She wore that pretty black two piece dress and beautiful dotted scarf, her hair up in a bun. Her voice was like a songbird and she did a fantastic job, so many praised her. However, I have to be honest and say the crowd was terribly rude in the back. They talked “loudly” over her portion of the show. She asked them very directly to shut the f*ck up…her words not mine. For such a beautiful person, it was sad to see her have to “get ugly” with concert attendees. While she did a glorious job and included the lovely crowd interactive song (to which many sang along) this should have gone better than it did. Again, I have some ideas… I’m full of ideas…

Tears for Fears …fueling all the feels! Lorde’s version of EWTRTW came on right at 9pm. We had been waiting on it. Filled with pain meds, earplugs from standing so close to the speaker (I was directly in front of Roland, his microphone and that speaker) while others were filled with Merlot to really get into the TFF groove, the band was met with ALARMING praise and screams. They were jolly, giggly and all that inbetween when they walked out. Lots of playful looks among them and just an overall warm and exciting demeanor that was contagious. We were immediately transformed by their spirit and energy. The night blossomed into an amazing set.

Secret World, Seeds of Love, Pale Shelter, Call Me Mellow, ELAHE, Change, Mad World, Memories Fade, Closest Thing to Heaven, Arcade Fire’s Ready to Start, Floating Down a River, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Advice for the Young at Heart, Woman in Chains, Badman’s Song, Break It Down Again, Head over Heels… and The Working Hour + Shout as the encore.

Now…one of the best things about a LIVE Tears For Fears show are the comments, stories and shoutouts inbetween songs. You learn so much. There are jokes and all. We were surprised that Roland mentioned the ‘pause’ between he and Curt so to speak. Travel Fan Pennie K captured the moment.

Several near me mumbled with sincere sadness, “Dude, let’s not even talk about it. You’re back together, please don’t even mention it.” I laughed. I, too, felt the same. Let’s not even discuss it. Good things and growth occurred obviously during that time, the solo works and TFF albums left lasting impacts on us and we’re all different people for the better. I, too, feel a little sick when I even think about those “solo” years. My poor little heart was in a constant state of prayer. I won’t go into details, this is neither the time or place for it. But Roland did bring it up and made light of it…joking and such. Curt laughed. All was well.

Roland also mentioned how it had been a long time since they had been at the Wiltern. Now, I am not one to memory shame anyone, but the Good Sir said that it had been 4 years. I, standing in front of him shook my head with a smile saying “No, it’s 3! You’re forgetting 2011.” Then he got distracted by the iPhone6 (as shown in the video) in someone’s hand and addressed that. But damn 2011 was a freakin amazing show, how could I forget?! He handed me the microphone. Wild!

Something about this band...just gives us life!
Something about this band…just gives us life!

Every TFF show is insanely amazing so it’s no wonder people cry, fall out and carry on…but this one was very intense with some sort of powerful energy yet to have been explained. I gulped down the rest of my drink and jumped right into dancing on the song Change and Mad World. You know how we do, acting out the parts of the video (rain fingers, the Flying Wombat). I could barely get through Closest Thing to Heaven. I just lost it. Tears flowed like a river with images of the late Brittany who starred in the video, to memories of the countdown to this album’s release and of course the CNNfn interview. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was overwhelmed. My years of loving this band since I was kid and all the memory of all the wonderful things they have given to us in one way or another just took over me. Their energy is so warm and amazing that it’s hard to return to regular life after leaving their presence. They are truly “healing” and Katie agreed with me afterwards. There is something about being in their presence, you just relax, all worries are gone, nothing can harm you. Hands are raised in the air, you can’t tell the difference between this and a spiritual service or a gospel showdown, the whole room is transformed. You are forever changed…

Up to the encore, our souls were floating around us…literally. My body was there but my soul was in the air…just weightless. I could see Katie and Carri, Pam and Veronica…so many just in another state. Even cold, heartless, stone-faced folks that I had seen earlier were now all smiles and full of joy! Whatever calming energy that this band has needs to be bottled up and sold along with the CDs and vinyls, it is electric!!

Another plus was Charlton walking around the stage smiling. I don’t want to invade his personal space but if I could hug him for a good long hour I’d do it. I like him. He’s really cool. We were shouting his name as well. Jamie was peeking out behind his genius station as was Delightful Doug Petty. We were just in a whole other world. I can’t EVEN find the words to sum up the emotion. But NOTHING…N.O.T.H.I.N.G could have prepared us for the encore.

Here he is, that darling dude Mr. David Moyer on Saxophone!
Here he is, that darling dude Mr. David Moyer on Saxophone!

Enter David Moyer Now, the crowd was already hype, more hype than any other TFF crowd I have seen since I started travelling religiously to their shows. The cheers for EWTRTW, the loud outpouring of praise lasted for over 5 minutes. I’m not kidding. Curt took a few moments to just stop and listen. It was like…nothing I’ve ever seen at their shows. And they deserved it because they were spot on this magical night. I mean, every song, every story and gesture was just …you had to be there. History was being made! When the band left the stage after HOH, Katie and I refueled. Sips of water, thoroughly drying tears, straighten up our blouses and shirts. I, of course, was wearing my Wiltern usual, a DelaQ shirt and this time sporting plaid in honour of Roland’s past fashion…emphasis on the past. All the while, the crowd around us chanted, “Tears for Fears! Tears for Fears!” Moments later, they re-entered, most from the right hand side of the stage…but suddenly I saw a man come from the left. He had…a horn. A saxophone to be exact! I lost my ever lovin’ mind.

“OMGAAHHHHHH!! It’s a horn!! It’s a horn!!!!!” I began. Roland made a funny surprise gesture and thankfully didn’t laugh too hard at my reaction. I was literally jumping up and down like a child seeing their favourite person on the planet. My pontytails were flopping around and I’m throwing peace signs and waving at this guy (we learned his name is David Moyer) perhaps scaring the mess out of him. He looked a little shy and timid but kept his place and sort of stared back at me briefly perhaps wondering, ‘WTF is up with this one in the red?” But I knew…I knew they were either gonna play Working Hour or one of the handful of brilliant pieces featuring horns. It reminded me of the time I tweeted, “Will there be horns?” Needless to say, this happened.

Hoping for horns before the tour...
Hoping for horns before the tour…

Watch how fans go into a state of absolute euphoria when they realise what is about to take place. #ThisHappened

The Working Hour by Tears for Fears (featuring David Moyer, who was flawless) – listen to the people in the background, they are in complete awe…saying something like this was worth it just for that song. Some said they’d have stood in line for hours just to hear this. Can’t blame them…The Working Hour is JUST that special.

Shout, Shout, Let it All Out The show ended with Shout…Curt’s youngest daughter and her friend came out and joined on Carina’s mic. They wore their pastel terracotta and blue limited edition Tears for Fears tshirts from the 2012 Official Tour Merch (had I know they were junior size on purpose I wouldn’t feel like such a failure for not fitting into mine, now I know). They looked darling!!! It was so perfect. I won’t be posting that picture because we have some travel fan rules about posting photos of minors. They did a great job! The show was fantastic. The only thing bad was Katie didn’t get her SDO book signed. Other than that it was hands down the best Tears for Fears show I’ve ever been to date and trust me that’s saying a lot because they’ve all been excellent, mind blowing hours of everything one could ever hope for…

After the band left the stage and the house lights were up I looked around and saw a sea of familiar faces. Yara had made it by a miracle (there had been an accident leaving her stranded in traffic). Joyce’s birthday wish was fulfilled, Curt had read her tweet requesting it to be sung and apparently showed it to Roland (or something like that). It was already on the set list it seems but he made it special by saying her name and mentioning her wish just before it was performed. There were others with whom we’d been in touch with online, tear-stained faces and all emotional. We all hugged and took group pictures before going out to say hi to Carina and also getting some official merch!! I stocked up on that coveted water bottle. If they ran out, blame me.

UnOfficial Meet & Greet Afterwards we went back to the soup place which we had no idea was connected to the backstage area of the venue. As we left, Kai sweetly decided to get the car for us so we didn’t have to walk. So, we’re standing there and I look behind me and see a figure that looks familiar. As it draws near I realise it’s Carina Round in another cute outfit. She asked us if we were waiting on Roland and Curt. Not sure why…we didn’t even know they were there. Puzzled, we told her “no, we’re waiting on our friend to pick us up, she’s right there…” and thanked her for such a great show. Then suddenly Jamie comes out and he’s all smiles and happy to see us. We were thrilled to see him. We talked about the show. He asked what we thought…I was like, “Dude are you kidding? What we thought? It was out of this world amazing!! I am speechless right now!” And I was…I couldn’t even say anything more. I was so overwhelmed I just stood there dribbling “thank you Jamie, thank you so much!”

He thanked us for what we do…I guess he was referring to all the travelling to shows and just being present??- We had no clue, we were just happy to hug him! With hopes of not sounding like a psycho or one that’s unhealthy, I do find that a lot of my joy is in this band. They bring out the best in so many of us. We’re just a bunch of happy little larks/Kerfuffle of Kooks when it comes to Tears for Fears. They bring us a great deal of peace and extreme content.

Time to Perch Carri, Kai and I went back to The Line Hotel. Carri packed her things and I prepared my suitcase for the next day’s flight. We eventually hugged and said goodnight. That’s the life of travel fans, packing, preparing and perching…eager to get up and go to the next show.

 

That’s all I’ve got for this leg of the tour…I’ll be sure to post pictures from San Francisco/Oakland and Portland (which was attended by other travel fans).

Please enjoy the additional reviews about this fantastic night. Jason DeBord, an honourary member of the Travel Fan team blogs about TFF events too and does a fine job. See his post from Rocksubculture.com. It’ll also be on this blog.

I have nothing but praise for this band and the way they treat their fans…it’s certainly commendable. I love them for it. I pray they’ll always feel comfortable around us and that the care is mutual.

Thanks for reading!

More videos of The Working Hour from various angles – this was a historic night at The Wiltern

Hear the passion in the crowd

Balcony View

More from that show – Please be sure to like and comment on these YouTube videos. Many of these people flew in from a long way and they’d perhaps be happy to see their video recognised.

Change

Floating Down A River

Arcade Fire – Ready to Start (Cover)

Closest Thing to Heaven (which is how we feel about being around this band)

Other Reviews: L.A. Record http://larecord.com/photos/2014/09/24/tears-for-fears-the-wiltern-theatre

Also coming this week, a compilation of professional reviews of the recent shows plus photos. Cheers!

Happy Birthday Curt Smith!

Curt Smith continues to leave us spellbound and speechless…except on his birthday when we’re barely able to keep our cool screaming BONNE ANNIVERSAIRE, CUMPLEANOS FELIZ and other well wishes in all of our languages! 🙂 The Good Man’s Kerfuffle of Kooks are an international bundle of joy, always ready to rock be it online or in line before the shows. Curt has inherited a huge global family and the love is mutual. Led by Carri D (USA) and Patricia Patty-O (France) in their signature fashion, we’re celebrating Curt Smith ALL DAY!!
Happy Birthday to Curt Smith ~ 24 June

Love from Patricia O (France)
Love from Patricia O (France)

More Love from Patricia
More Love from Patricia

One of the leaders of the Phils Kooks, Joyce, is known for her daily interaction with her favourite rockers Tears for Fears. She and other fans are known for their amazing art work, sketches and jewelry. Here, she presents a new gift to Curt. Enjoy this great fan art!

Fan Art by Joyce, one of the team leaders of the Phils Kooks, TFF Travel Fan team Philippines
Fan Art by Joyce, one of the team leaders of the Phils Kooks, TFF Travel Fan team Philippines

Marcio do Brasil is ready to roll and ready to go! Give this guy a piece of cake and a glas of Gin!
Marcio do Brasil is ready to roll and ready to go! Give this guy a piece of cake and a glass of Gin!

Our sweet Juli-Juli of Japan leads us in a birthday song 🙂

Little Juli-Juli age 8 - she grew up to be a true superfanatic, kawaii too! :)
Little Juli-Juli age 8 – she grew up to be a true superfanatic, kawaii too! 🙂

Here’s a great poem from Melanie M.
From “Big Chair” onward,
TFF’s music’s kept me strong.
It’s truly been an inspiration,
Never steering me wrong.

Listening numerous times,
I taught myself to play your songs by ear.
Because of this ability,
My heart is filled with cheer.

Besides enjoying your music,
TFF and solo alike,
I also enjoy seeing you on “Psych”.

“Shawn 2.0”, “100 Clues”,
And “A Nightmare on State Street”,
Now, everything Pineapple is my favorite treat!

This poem’s to wish you a Happy Birthday, Curt, from a fan in New Orleans!

Superfan Carri adds this great card, sleek and sophisticated...
Superfan Carri adds this great card, sleek and sophisticated…

We can all guess who on this iconic imagery, Manami wishes Curt a Happy Birthday from Japan
We can all guess who on this iconic imagery, Manami wishes Curt a Happy Birthday from Japan

Manami's cat is in on it too! Meow Happy Birthday, Good Man, meow!
Manami’s cat is in on it too! Meow Happy Birthday, Good Man, meow!

Lisa, who joined the fan travel team back in 2011 after years of fandom sends her great memories of fun times with Curt Smith
Lisa, who joined the fan travel team back in 2011 after years of fandom sends her great memories of fun times with Curt Smith

And of course, it wouldn’t be a birthday party unless Curt’s political other half Traci joined in. Loyal as the day is long Traci shows up at concerts military style. She sends her love to Curt in a great message.

Happy Birthday to Mr. Coolness!!! I remember affectionately calling you this in ’09 and said to myself how it just fits you and your world! Your vibe in bass playing and singing is so to my fan heart. When talking with other TFF admirers we find ourselves talking or can discuss aspects of Tears For Fears music, life etc and what we adore from you both. I can tend to be on the shy side often though some may say otherwise but it’s very true. I adore the fact you have taken a shy person like me and helped me enjoy social media from time to time. Because you engage with your peeps it strips away the stigma to what many of us only saw through a distance of stage and interviews. I thank you so much for filling my musical file with your great music. Many other fans may share more in how much they enjoy TFF and your solo but my love for your music is nonetheless. I can feel as though my words can’t express what you bring to my little world and therefore as I want to say them to you my words etc. are not enough. I get nervous or even somewhat overwhelmed to point I could be a fool then I back off and go silent. I thank you again you have worked to get to know me and didn’t run away or push me away. Even as I type this out tears are forming in my eyes because Tears For Fears, both you and Roland’s solo work means so much to me. I will try to share more or better as I can. Please know I respect you, your sense of style, your love for your family and you voice sends me to known joy. Thanks as always Papa S.

Traci Lynn Smith

Carri D and SheeShee got the Vinyl! Celebrating Curt’s birthday the right way!

SheeShee2
SheeShee loves Curt!! #MutualAdmiration&Appreciation

 

 

 

More kickass cool pictures and fan art coming in from Japan!!
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Here’s wishing TFF all the best for the coming year, 2015! Curt turns a healthy 53 years young today, and he looks OUTSTANDING! We’re very grateful for his continued interaction and including us in family life. We look forward to seeing him again, more amazing success stories, fun times with Tears for Fears and more! Cheers!

!!From all of us!! Happy Birthday

-Andye, Carri, Joyce, Patricia, Candra and contributors

 

Roland’s New Book & a 12″ Vinyl? Yes, Please!

(From Amazon -available in March 2014)
(From Amazon -available in March 2014)

Yes indeed, we got word on Sir Orzabal’s book some time ago and didn’t know when the big announcement was going to take place. There were always rumours, then there was the confirmation and on Wednesday the first reports. We were patient…well Carri was…Andye, not so much (I wanted an advanced copy, lol!!).  So here you have it in all its glory 🙂 , ‘Sex, Drugs and Opera, There’s Life After Rock N Roll’ by the one and only (drum roll please) …Roland Orzabal! It is said to be released on the 26th of March via Kindle (available for purchase on those devices only, to pre-order your copy click here) and then other formats will be released (including a paperback book most likely) on the 4th of May. According to the Good Sir Orzabal, the May editions include iBooks and paper copies at Barnes and Noble (I think that’s how I understood it). He says not sure about the rest but we know in due time he’ll let us know. So sit tight. In celebration of its release, our TFF Travel Fan Team is giving away an Amazon gift card to one fortunate follower on Twitter. We’ll be in touch with the details next week.

Excited? Puleeze…more like biting our nails to the nub, we’re freakin’ thrilled. Inspired by several moments in time, this novel is written by the Good Sir himself. Here’s the background of the book as noted in contactmusic.com’s report. This is what appeared in their article: ‘I was halfway through writing a gothic, country house mystery when, out of the blue, I received an email inviting me to audition for the ITV show, Popstar To Operastar,’ says Roland. ‘It felt strange, I must admit, being targeted like that. I mean, I’d sung a little opera in my youth and had lessons for about six months, a fact I’m sure the producers were not aware of. Anyway, I went along for the audition, enjoyed the experience and got quite excited about the prospect. But the more I thought about it, the more nervous I became; I realised the fantasy was far more attractive than the reality. That’s where the idea for Sex, Drugs & Opera came from. The show might not have been right for me but it provided the germ for an alter-ego, a fictitious character, a semi-retired pop star called Solomon Capri who thinks he can reignite his marriage and relaunch his career not just by appearing on Popstar To Operastar, but by winning it.’ (from contactmusic.com)

Tears for Fears fan walls and group pages lit up like lightening as soon as TFF Fan Travel member Colleen posted the link. Many haven’t been able to calm down since the announcement. To say fans are happy is an understatement. Let’s all be sure to buy a copy (be it via the Kindle download or the second release on the 4th of May). Don’t forget books make good gifts too so get one for a friend. Let the world know your excitement by tweeting, uploading and tagging social posts on all platforms with #SexDrugsOperaOrzabal. You may even win a cool prize for doing so.

BGTo top that off, we have a new 12 inch vinyl to look forward to on the music front. “Ready Boy & Girls” has already gotten quite a bit of buzz with many curious about the title, the visual imagery and what it all means. It’ll all unfold in due time. For now the Good Man Curt Smith said (paraphrase) “Let me be clear…this is not the album, it’s not done yet.” It is, however, a limited edition 12″ vinyl and it looks like it will be available at one of the Record Store Day participating stores. We’ll see…in the meantime all kinds of fainting and falling out by fans has commenced. So take your B12 and enjoy the ride we’ll all know more in due time.

On the California side, Good Man Curt held a few chats this month, answering some fun questions from fans. It was very lighthearted with good-natured questions all around. It was like he just took a moment to sit beside us in our big chair. Gotta love those moments, we cherish them for sure. He also recently shared a great photo of his wife taken by neighbour Lady Bumbleward. We enjoy her online presence (and her Pinterest pins too). The time to catch Good Man Curt Smith online is pretty much all day… but he’s usually up for a quick chat around 8-10pm PST and of course that changes with his workload. He’s very friendly, sweet and kind…and hilarious. So follow (@curtsmith) and join in the online fun.

created by Juli-Juli, Japan branch of the TFF Travel Fan Team (founder of the Sunflower Club)
created by Juli-Juli, Japan branch of the TFF Travel Fan Team (founder of the Sunflower Club)

What else is going on in Band Fan Land? Lots of Art! Our Japanese Travel Fan Juli-Juli has been at it again with some cool pick me ups and jewelry. Beautiful material! Again, follow her on Twitter, she’s got a new Tears for Fears music find each day featuring covers and performances of their music from the vast archives located in her place in Japan. It includes works by all those affilliated with Tears For Fears. We are very grateful for her thoroughness!

Big Thanks to Colleen and Carolyn for this month’s music updates!

Upcoming March 2014:
7 March 2014 – 31st Anniversary of The Hurting (released last year -Did you get your copy?)
8 March – Michael Roland Magno, Birthday (Singer & Fan)
9 March – Richard Quest, Birthday – British presenter of Quest Means Business (this is relative, one of our collaboration wishes)
26 March 2014 – Sex, Drugs & Opera, There’s Life After Rock N Roll by R. Orzabal Kindle release

Thanks for reading! (AA)

Reflections of Fans in Band Land 2013

We had endless online fun this year with lots of Pysch interactions and extra media mentions kicking off the start. In March we had a new place to follow the band, Tumblr. They also established an official Facebook page and twitter activity escalated.

Carri's gift of glitter to the 2nd cover for this album.
Carri’s gift of glitter to the 2nd cover for this album.

We celebrated 30 years of The Hurting and as the months went on saw tons of collaboration and notable new bands eager to cover Tears For Fears’ music. We were able to enjoy the behind-the-scenes activities and connect with Spotify where we met the mutual influencers. Though some fans were horrified that anyone would dare touch the sacred songs, the band helped everyone understand how grateful they and the other 50% of the fans were that new groups were showing their appreciation and admiration by covering these untouchable pieces of audio art. To top that, there were a substantial amount phenomenal covers by the band themselves, including Arcade Fire’s ‘Ready to Start’ and more.

Photo from Tears For Fears, KROQ & Portugal. The Man archives
Photo from Tears For Fears, KROQ & Portugal. The Man archives

Among the communication from the band we were surprised by spontaneous #CurtChats during any down moments that Curt had. This was really generous of the good man as he often incoporated us into his evenings…his sweet angels right by his side completing their nightly homework. It added such a personal touch and an enormous amount of love from the Smith Family to us. We are very appreciative beyond words. We also got to spend time with Curt simultaneously at the KROQ event through the power of streaming video. The holiday show featuring Curt Smith on stage with Portugal. The Man was outstanding. Fans across the USA and beyond stayed up to sync with the time zone and watch. Soon after that were more chances to chat. We loved that! *We did attempt to compile a FAQ page from the questions in 2013 but they added up to more than 255 inquiries+ and the answers are still being archived. No estimated time of delivery on that.

Curt also introduced us to our 2013 Holiday Gift which for TeamCS turned into the gift that keeps on giving. We rolled over some cash from the 2012 project to the Maceo cause. This project was mostly funded by Carri (USA) and Marcio (Brasil). Those large donations were outstanding and are being deducted from the fan account from Maceo’s team monthly. Again, big thanks and what a lovely example of team spirit with Curt as an inspiration.

998720_611496968882665_285871613_nOther plusses from Fans and in Band Land included new music from Alisa and Captain Julian w/their pal Eric Senet, forming Trinity Falls. Curt Smith’s Deceptively Heavy hit home with many, making an impression on old and new fans of all ages.

We are very hopeful about 2014, with fans continuously asking for a tour. We’re certain that if it is profitable for the band to run around to various cities across many lands, they will. We’re not in a rush though. We just want the new music and a merch store, both of which were confirmed by Tears for Fears and in particular Curt Smith. Anything more will be a bonus…a much welcomed bonus even if it’s 2015.

ContestOur gratitude toward the band and their continous interaction and updates are very appreciative from the throwback Thursdays (#tbt) to letting us know the progress of the new music. We even now have a chance to contribute to the remixes. It’s all GOLD to us and as long as permitted we will continue to stand right along side with support and admiration.

Big thanks to the team in Japan who provided artwork and 365 music updates, Juli-Juli and Manami, our fan lives are better because of you. Big thanks to Carri who spends countless hours focused on band news and updates from the sister sites of fans and social media boards and is always very generous in her donations to fan projects inspired by Curt Smith. Shout out to TAO and HUGE THANKS to the Orzabal family for countless interactions and being so down to earth and fun every single time, every single encounter. Our dedication knows no bounds, we are there for them. Cheers to an amazing year ahead inclusive of travel fan team fun in 2014!

Happy Birthday to Curt's Angel Wilder who turned a year sweeter last week.
Happy Birthday to Curt’s Angel Wilder who turned a year sweeter last week.

Thanks for reading…
(AA)

*If you have any questions about 2013 and before, type them into the search box to find blog posts that answer your inquiries or send a tweet to @papasfans (or email our FB fan page) in regard to travel fan updates and activities we’ve covered.