Thank you, Alan Griffiths

There are so many supportive people behind, beside and even in front of Tears for Fears. Sadly, too many are practically invisible. Those we do get to see such as road crew, managers, family (from time to time) and others that slip in and out of view as we approach the venues and stages or steal a minute of the band’s time in a hotel lobby, are extremely important. It’s hard to count the number of people that truly make “Tears for Fears” a memorable, amazing entity and experience, be it in person or online. A visible and beloved person in this myriad of TFF members was Alan Griffiths. He was a key component, genius and mastermind in the making of Elemental, Raoul and the Kings of Spain plus the timeless Tomcats Screaming Outside (Roland’s solo album). Fans acknowledged him a lot, we appreciated him. He was so important to these aforementioned works. Learning of his unexpected passing from Roland this morning left several of us very sick and disturbed. There are few things worse than losing a loved one or a musician. Alan Griffiths was both.

Thank You Mr Griffiths

Tim Palmer, another person that is interwoven with Tears for Fears and a person we also consider a band member, wrote on his FB wall today the below. We didn’t include his profile because we are so dedicated to giving the band privacy. Just know that this was a portion of what Mr. Palmer expressed.

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From Tim Palmer

“This is beyond a loss, it’s just tragic…he was a big part of why so many of us love the band. He, too, was Tears for Fears. This is a really sad moment…really sad.” -A. Andinha, Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team moderator

…so you see….an alumni/member of Tears for Fears passed away today. This is hard. This is a day we’ve dreaded and feared for years. It happened today. Let us comfort each other and be very supportive of one another and remember to continue to be appreciative, loving and supportive of ALL members of the band. Each person plays a huge role and has brought and continues to bring us to a place and state of bliss combined with a euphoric happiness time and time again. We’re grateful for Mr. Griffiths’ work and just like Roland said,  he will be missed. Thank you, Alan Griffiths. Thank you so much for your time and dedication to art and a band that has carried us through so much of our lives. We pray we see you again when the saints go marching in. Amen.

 

DD Horns Album Release Party

DD Horns album release party will take place this weekend! This is the band of the awesome Mr. Moyer and we’re thrilled to support him and his work. One of our collaboration wishes is to have DD Horns open for Tears for Fears on a future tour. We’re just throwing that out into the Universe…that and Skittles showers…we are all about that life!

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We’ve been talking about Mr. Moyer since his appearance with the band back in 2014 at the Wiltern as the saxophonist for The Working Hour. His contribution and time with the band that evening left a lasting impact and we’re stuck on him and his music. It’s awesome. If you’re Los Angeles this weekend, this is the place to be…with DD Horns! Check out the information and be sure to get there early!

 

Follow: @DDHorns on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

And of course follow @tearsforfears because you never know when these two may collab again…you don’t want to miss that info!

 

 

Tears for Fears 2017 North America

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It’s official! As mentioned early yesterday, the band will tour with Hall and Oates beginning in May of this year. AA met Hal and Oates while working at CNN International and the concert was a true “experience.” So, keep that in mind, you’re going to have more than a good time! Below are the dates of the tour. Many of the venues are places Tears for Fears played in 2016. Others are new places such as Duluth GA’s Infinite Energy Arena (which is actually Atlanta but a suburb/adjacent city that is 45 mins from Atlanta’s city center – we’ll go into full detail on each city in the coming weeks). Pre-sale for those who subscribe to Tears for Fears’ newsletter go on sale Monday (check your inbox for code). Tickets go on sale starting Tuesday for various card holders.

Subcribers – Monday: please visit, www.tearsforfears.com, click on tour dates and pick the show you wish. If you’re having trouble with scrolling down, the Hall and Oates All Access membership page (yes, it’s just under $30) will allow you to buy pre-sale tickets. VIP is about $300- $400 per ticket and comes with a huge gift bag FILLED with stuff. You also get to sit in the first few rows just like we did with the band’s friends Duran Duran.

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TOUR DATES
9 May – Kansas City, Missouri @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
11 May – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
13 May – Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
15 May – Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
17 May – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
18 May – Ft Wayne, IN @ Embassy Theatre
20 May – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
22 May – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
24 May – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
27 May – Philadelphia, PA @ Hoagie Nation Festival
5 June – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
9 June – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
11 June – Duluth, GA @ Infinite Energy Center
13 June – Pittsburg, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
16 June – Queens, NY @ Forest Hills Tennis Stadium
17 June – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
19 June – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
21 June – Quebec City, QC @ Videotron Centre
24 June – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
26 June – Washington DC @ Verizon Center
7 July – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
12 July – Austin, Texas @Moody Theatre ACL Live
13 July – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
15 July – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green
17 July – Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
19 July – San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center Arena
21 July – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
23 July – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
25 July – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
28 & 29 July – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center

*Tears for Fears will also be in Israel, UK and Brasil this year. Dates are noted in the blog and our social media sites.

Meet n’ Greets… we’ve had over 50 people request to meet the band. Just remember, we’re not in charge of who goes backstage. It’s usually a surprise to us. So work through your venues to get VIP options and of course keep an eye out for #RollCall tags in updates. When you see that, it means we have gained access to something cool for those travelling to see the band. More info on the way as we get tour preparations underway!

Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team @papasfans

Tears for Fears Concert Reminder: British Summer Time Hyde Park

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Yep! They sold out. We saw that coming. But, there’s always a miracle and a silver lining when it comes to anything related to Tears for Fears. The group Event Travel has a number of packages from which to pick that will help you achieve the experience for which you are looking.

We’re going to skip our normal list of accommodations and go strictly with theirs. Why? Because you’re gonna need it. When going abroad for concerts it’s best to find package holidays and deals so that you are not overspending and you get something that is all inclusive. If you seriously do not want to do these packages, contact @papasfans and we’ll email you personally with suggestions, ground transportation and other info in case you’ve already booked your ticket and don’t need any of the below.

If not, click here and get your money’s worth!

HUGE THANKS to THE KILLERS’ media team for being so on top of everything and getting information out! Much appreciated!

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*Update: hotel packages are sold out so if you need one we suggest these which are near the train and can get you to other places you need to go while you’re staying in the city… 

The Cumberland/Hotel Cumberland: Great Cumberland Place, Westminster Borough, London, W1H 7DL, United Kingdom

Hotel Mercure: 8-14 Talbot Sq, Paddington, Westminster Borough, London, W2 1TS, United Kingdom

Hotel Grosvenor – this is sold out but check back with them periodically because it’s managed by a great team – 86 Park Lane, Westminster Borough, London, W1K 7TN, United Kingdom

-Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team @PapaSFans

Cool News from Mr. Moyer: #TheSaxMan is w/ Double D Horns

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One of the perks of following musicians is getting a glimpse at new music that they have discovered or created. If you’re fortunate and a dedicated follower, you might get to hear it much earlier than the release date. I have lost count of the number of times we all have been slipped a link or two to some amazing material. Well, that happened again of recent. I’m elated to say that Mr. Moyer who made history with Tears for Fears as their saxophonist on the LIVE version of the Working Hour at the Wiltern and for a recorded session has teamed up with trumpeter and long time collaborator Danny T Levin to create a new album.

As with Tears for Fears’ new material, we’re awaiting a release date and as soon as it is available celebrations will commence and copies will be available for purchase. We here with the Travel Fan Team will do our best to get these in the mail to our team and to fellow travel fans. Meanwhile, DD Horns has this incredible video out. Please go ahead and have a listen plus share this info on your fan walls and fan pages. We’re an inclusive group that celebrates all of those who have collaborated with Tears for Fears past and present. We’re thrilled to add DD Horns to that list.

Here’s one of many pieces on the new album. It’s beautiful. I promise you’re gonna really get into this.

Book Of Love II (Magnetic Fields Cover)
http://www.youtube.com

Salty Salty

Let’s celebrate this work! Subscribe to their site or immediate news, updates and maybe a little merch in due time.

http://www.ddhorns.com
https://www.facebook.com/ddhorns/
https://www.instagram.com/ddhorns/

Cheers!
-AA, TFF Travel Fan Team

Feelin’ it in Phoenix! || Tears for Fears’ Amazing Show in Arizona #TFF2016

This is dedicated to the awesome Valerie M, music queen of the night Melissa D and her husband plus lucky Lael who met up in Arizona for an outstanding show!

“Tears For Fears is just what the doctor ordered. Honestly, it is about living in the present. Letting go, being one’s authentic self and finding kindred spirits in people that are mirrors of ourselves, makes one keenly aware there is a power larger than all of us, and that our whole is larger than the sum of our parts, no matter were we go in this world…” – Lael

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Valerie M is awesome, danced the entire time!

Like real Kooks and soldiers of sound, she and Lael had dinner at 5 Guys. Curt thought that was cool.

Our man Lax was there too! This is one of 2 shows he attended this year.

Valerie has some really cool stuff. Check out her experience. She notes that some of the video is very bouncy because she was dancing around. We wouldn’t have it any other way! Gotta dance! Let the band know you adore them. “Curt is a combo of the guy next door and rock star. Cool watching Roland play guitar up close. Excuse my giddy schoolgirl giggle when he looks at me…” -Valerie M.

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Creep

Head Over Heels

Shout

We met a couple of people online too. Meet Tricia! She also agrees that not much has changed, Tears for Fears sound just as good as day 1!

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[#MADWORLD #TEARSFORFEARS] @tearsforfearsmusic

A post shared by post punk 🌧 (@iancurti.s) on

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Just before Roland sang Radiohead’s Creep, he chatted with the audience. These are golden moments for us. We love this and joke he could read the phone book and we’d be happy. He and Curt are quite enjoyable to listen to any time any place…
*Be sure to click through and like the video. Make a new Tears for Fears fan friend!

Secret World – such an excellent song

Shout

So happy everyone had a great time. This was a fun tour full of excitement. Still feeling speechless at the amount of team work and the endless excitement! We can barely sleep! Thanks for reading, thanks for hanging out online and being present at shows so often!
-TFF Travel Fan Team

Another Dream Come True || TFF in Colorado Springs 2016

For many, the Tears for Fears tours are a ceremonial pilgrimage, a getaway to another state of mind. Anything that ails you is swept away as soon as the opening music leading them to the stage begins to play. We’ve spoken about that feeling before and it’s simply majestic. Few things compare to these tours. It’s a different kind of excitement, a mysterious energy that just coats a crowd…and, as we’ve noted for years, it’s addictive. Enter the Kerfuffle of Kooks, the travel fans, the hard core peeps that can’t stay away, it’s a craving that must be satisfied. They prove again and again that this band is not only relevant but vital to the industry. What Roland, Curt and team bring to the musical table is very unique and impossible to forget.

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More of ROCS here: https://www.periscope.tv/QtCDior28/1YqJDDZgDDaJV?t=4
*Periscope videos last about 24 hours unless the user archives it. CD/SK is very good about archiving her experience on YT so you can follow videos there. Please be sure to like and comment on her channel. Many thanks!

Of the many bands that stirred up euphoric emotion in the 70s, 80s and 90s, The Fixx has its place among them as does the continued music of David Bowie. Both are  heard before most shows which results in a myriad of “ohmmigaaahd, I love this song” and “Yess!! Bowie, YEESSS!!” from the crowd. That, too, is an experience and warming to see. The band or somebody in the crew has had this mix of music since 2010 and it’s like…the best music mix ever with these amazing timeless pieces of gold. Tears for Fears, The Fixx, and David Bowie are to rock what Beethoven is to classical music. Their work is etched in industry stone as unmatched. So, this share from “solohour” was a treat! Hear the music in the background…mmmmm. That tingling feeling of joy just sweeps over us.

The Fixx Stand or Fall…a fantastic fixture pre-show

 

Ahhh VIP, a little slice of heaven. This was brought to our attention. Yes, this is what some of the passes look like but they of course usually change from show to show and for good reason. We’re well aware that this is a special option that doesn’t happen for everyone.  As seen on photos floating around the internet, yes, we’ve been “back there.” What goes on back there? Well, sometimes there’s a lot of people. At times we saw  a lot of the crew. Other times it was just us and the band because we had a meeting. Each time, you can find people chatting and talking about music. People were very friendly (lots of familiar faces). There are cool people taking photos and it’s a very kind and informal environment. ROCS usually change clothes and they both look like a million dollars from head to toe all over again. It’s a very warm and peaceful experience with angelic excitement if that makes any sense. We hope that one day a fan conference will be in place so that many of the newer hard core travellers (as well as the loyal returners pre-ELAHE) will be able to have a moment to shake the guys’ hands. We know that is important and many have messages they want to say in person. It’ll have to be done strategically. We don’t want to overwhelm anyone and disturb their peaceful aura.

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Here are video shares from the night, again please make sure you like the clips and make a new friend. Nothing compares to online friendships that eventually come to life at shows. All of us met online prior to travelling together. Huge thanks to the TFF Travel Fan Team for always going the extra mile. Whether you know it or not, it is noticed and it is appreciated. Enjoy!

EWTRTW

Sowing the Seeds of Love

Mad World

Pale Shelter

Head Over Heels

Shout

Awesome shares on Instagram. Make a new friend, like a post and leave a comment.

https://instagram.com/p/BLNVVwoBp68/

https://instagram.com/p/BLNUlZlhAMr/

https://instagram.com/p/BLNT_OqhTlf/

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💖💖💖 🙃👠

A post shared by marcie fenton (@marcie.fenton) on

Please note that there is a TFF Arizona Fan Meet-Up in the works. It is for fans only (no guarantee that the band will be present). Please check out Lael’s post on the TFF Travel Fan Team FB page and reply for details. Have a great rest of the week!
Look out for posts from the band before and after the show via @CurtSmith @Rolandtff and @TearsForFears.

Thanks for reading!
-TFF Travel Fan Team

Heartfelt and Harmonious – Tears for Fears Return to Red Rocks || #TFF2016

*Dedicated to the TFF Travel Fan Team at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Curt’s Kerfuffle of Kooks. Huge thanks to Drummer Genius Jamie for the hugs!

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“Such an amazing show tonight!!! Gorgeous venue!! The band has never sounded better!!! The crowd was so stoked!! There are no words to describe how incredible tonight was! Not to mention, the incredible gift from Jamie Jamie Wollam! The cherry on top was a tweet from Curt Smith!!! Wow! I wonder if I’ll ever come back down to earth! PS: As always CD & I were representing!!!” – Becky Boom Boom – Travel Fan Soldier of Sound – a real ROCSaTear

Soldiers of Sound armour… many hard core travel fans wear it to every show. These are the “ID” bracelets from the coveted, limited edition “Curt Smith Bundle.” #VIKForLife

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Hard to say anything else really…just speechless. As mentioned in the travel fan info, so many fans headed out to this show. The venue was packed. Very grateful we had so many long time travel fans on the ground last night. Huge thanks to those who went the extra mile to support Tears for Fears. There’s a lot to be said about people who dedicate their time and energy to this group. Not enough thank yous in any language to sum up the gratitude felt all around. Cheers all, enjoy the shares below. Be sure to click through, like the posts, and make a new Tears for Fears fan friend…

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Thank you Jamie for taking the time and welcome Lindsey R to the crew.

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*Drummer Genius Jamie will probably never know or be able to fathom how much he  means to us. Some things are just left unsaid because it’s hard to express. Wishing he and the crew decades of good times ahead and we pray we get another 30+ years to enjoy them.

From Lady Carolyn: “The bag he is holding contains a couple gifts we got for him. Bobby Russell came up with the idea of finding out what brand of drumsticks Jamie Wollam uses and the size he prefers, and signing our names on them with different colored sharpies. Jamie is always giving the fans his drumsticks as precious souvenirs and we wanted to pay him back in some way. While we were at the music store, I saw a beautiful black cowbell, so we got that and wrote appreciative messages on it with a silver sharpie. He loved the gifts and said they were going in his collection. We (Bobby Russell, Silver Kitty, Becky and I….The ROCSatears) are extremely honored. Jamie is such a kind man.”

On that note, there’ve been many nights where we’ve wondered how to repay the band back for their kindness…nice to see he was open to receiving the gifts.

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TFF Travel Fan for over 15 years Bblaze!

Always amazing weather and scenery, great venue, stunning and lovely…

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Walking to the seats

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All the Beautiful Fans

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Break It Down Again

Sowing the Seeds

Mad World

Pale Shelter

Shout

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Tears for Fears Shout #shout #redrocks #tearsforfears

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What a Beautiful Night

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLIFcO9g_ly/?hl=en

To top of a great night, a nice note from the Good Man…

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Thanks for reading and subscribing!
-TFF Travel Fan Team

Concert Highlights || Tears for Fears in Canada 2016

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Want to give a shout out to all of the fans that travelled to the shows this past weekend. Jen, KPC, Stephen, Sad, Dave, David, the list goes on. In particular, we had fans from Atlanta and New York that made the journey. Stephen documented his travel on Instagram. His primary reason for heading to Ontario was for the band and he ended up making a mini-holiday out of the trip. This post is dedicated to each of these great people who went the extra mile literally.

Well, Tears for Fears in Canada came and went so fast. These videos and photos were shared with us  and brought to our attention aligning  our joint efforts to highlight fans in Canada, many of whom repeated their experience from last year. As Sad mentioned, we always aim to support this band. We addressed concerns about this leg of the tour below. For now, enjoy these shares from both shows.

EWTRTW

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Mad World

Billie Jean

HOH

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#TearsForFears #HeadOverHeals

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Secrets

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Rama

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#tearsforfears #casinorama #blackandwhitephoto

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EWTRTW

https://instagram.com/p/BLC17UfDmoY/

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#tearsforfears

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Pale Shelter

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Memories

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That moment Roland leans down

https://instagram.com/p/BLCzSqVAcDc/

 

Speaking of experiences, we had some complaints this time around. In fact, we’ve had some unhappy travellers in the past few shows and this is due to encounters with some in the audience who may not be so loyal or understand our dedication to the band. We can’t stress enough how important it is for us to have a fan section so we can stand up and sing along without people around us telling us to sit down. Throwing things at us, hitting us and other behaviour toward Tears for Fears fans because we won’t sit down is not acceptable. Snoozing through a show is also rude. If you were hurt during a show, email us. We have a lawyer, security and have no problems pressing charges quietly. Everything is in place to do so. A music holiday shouldn’t be a horror show and those that find these measures extreme should be mindful of karma. We’ve been following this band for years and have never seen or heard of people being assaulted until late 2014.

One of the reasons we have this team and try to keep in touch with everyone is make sure all who are making such an effort to take time out of their busy schedules actually get decent tickets and can sit together. Many travel fans (aka anyone that travels to see the band outside their home state or even 3 hours down the road) could be spending that time making money or being with their families but instead are spending a chunk of change to go see Tears for fears. However, the passion runs deep and people want to pay their respects to the band that made us cry so to speak. Many take their whole families, this is their summer holiday or in the case of the reschedule, an impromptu trip. Many went with their spouses and made the show a date night (i.e. famous musician Ted Yoder). We deserve the right to stand and enjoy a show without being heckled or abused. Due to the horrible behaviour we encountered last year, some sat this tour out and have no intention of travelling again unless we can be close to the band each and every time. No more sitting in balconies or random out of the way places. That’s over.

We don’t expect to meet the band nor do we beg for those things to happen (at least not all of us). The times that it has happened have been miraculous and we’re grateful for the many times we’ve experienced that blessing. Still, there are hundreds of us and they can’t meet us all. This is a concert, not a fan conference. But we do feel that fans who travel deserve some decent respect. That isn’t always happening. The only way to ensure that is with a fan club section at a show or an organised VIP of which isn’t “officially” available. So we work extra hard to literally “mine” tickets, sometimes paying  horrible prices that are 5x as much as market rate just to get everyone together.

We’ve managed to get decent seats at most shows so far …except Canada. We’ve never been able to really get great seats for everyone due to the fact that these are casino shows for the most part. We have no control over who gets on the front row. The casino often reserves those types of premium seats for their casino winners, etc. Or premium seats get “gifted” or rewarded to other people who are rarely hardcore fans. In the case of Friday’s show, two people in those seats fell asleep…and of course Good Man Curt noticed it…and called them out on it. We support his decision to do so.

Those seats could have gone to any one of the people who drove the long distance to see them or maybe another local fan who has waited years for these concerts. Not sure who those people were that slept. Maybe they were just really tired and didn’t feel well? Hope they are okay but in future we trust they’ll have the kindness to leave and hand over their tickets to someone behind them instead of sleeping through a band’s show. It’s just as bad as people who go to the front row and just sit there. Andye saw that happen at Duran Duran/Nile Rogers Chic too…it’s very disrespectful and a slap in the face to tons of fans who, again, went the extra mile.

Of all the good things that did happen, this tweet from Curt was one of them. He’s done it before (solo show Spring 2011). So Heaven be the faith that moves mountains allowing us to support this band in our merry travel fan way.

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Cheers! Be safe, stand your ground. You paid for it!
-TFF Travel Fans

Rockin’ Out at #HardRock Northfield – Tears for Fears Concert Highlights 2016

*Dedicated to Susan TFFschick

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He knew exactly who he was looking at – thank Susan for this! 🙂

The love of this band has reached an intensity that is hard to ignore. It’s pretty deep. It’s so deep that several complained that the show was not long enough. People literally timed the show at around less than 90 minutes… one hour twenty or so? Hmm…and with a deep concern as to why it wasn’t longer.

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Thanks Becky M for taking care of this! Best set list collector we’ve got!

Well they played all of the ELAHE selections and classics we expect and enjoy on tour. Only thing missing was the Arcade Fire Ready to Start cover…but that wasn’t on the set list last year either. So…all we can say is…those who are longing for more have a classic case of superfanitis. Many of us suffer from it. It’s dreadful. Even after going to shows for nearly two weeks in a row it’s not enough. There’s never enough of such a great band. This is what happens to you…you become addicted. One show is never enough. If it was we wouldn’t have formed this travel team. Big thanks to Susan for initiating a meetup!

And what a show it was! Look at these shares!

EWTRTW

Pale Shelter

Sowing the Seeds

Billie Jean

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK9mNEYB7AS/?hl=en

Head Over Heels

Shout

There were also some great shares on Instagram. As always, leave a little thank you, make a new friend! 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK93DBhBMkd/?hl=en

There were some encounters with the band along the way and some snap shots. Those have been posted to various fan pages. Explore and enjoy. Tweet us if you have any questions. We are out of extra tickets for shows but can perhaps assist with other things. This weekend members of the core team head out to Colorado. Say hi if you see those of us with the yellow bands or VIK badges. Those are the hardcores that made sure people got great seats at shows during the reschedule xox.
-TFF Travel Fan Team