Tag: Charlton Pettus

Going Into Q1 with Gratitude for Tears for Fears

Dedicated to The Curry Family and David Bowie’s team of musicians and friends

This week is a memorial honouring David Bowie. Hardcore fans of Tears for Fears understand why that is important to us. Many of those fans are ones who keep Ashes to Ashes, a song the band covered some years ago originally written by David Bowie, on repeat. It’s one of the best parts of Saturnine Martial & Lunatic. Over time, we’ve come to find Bowie fans at concerts, interacting with us online and virtually swaying alongside us during the recent memorial shows. One of those great musicians interacting is icon Kitten Kuroi, who is coincidentally a friend of the award-winning Lady Lauren Evans, Tears for Fears’ most recent band family singer. Kuroi was featured in the 2022 Bowie celebration curated by the honourable Mike Garson. Bowie teams make up one of the many beautiful mosaic roots of our fandom. They are strong foundations that have influenced us, bringing unity to our team in our quest to collectively and respectfully promote and celebrate the work of amazing musicians. Huge thanks to each of them for the ongoing interactions and online friendships.

We’re also grateful for Jack and Dawn Curry who went above and beyond to ensure that fans actually made it to shows in 2022.They helped ensure each one had spectacular seats. When we looked at our meticulous archives and documents, we saw that collectively, the travel fan team mod and in-kind supporters Jack and Momma D, purchased well over 32 VIP ticket packages for fans. They assisted with travel expenses, accommodations, dinners and hosted several warm gatherings throughout the tour. The comfort and ease of the 2022 tour season was due to these aforementioned contributors and their efforts will not be forgotten.

The list of really cool moments in 2022 is long and some of the favourites that we’ve seen include not just concert moments but extra special experiences that happened between shows. Given that we already have documented highlights through last October, let’s focus on the fun from Q4.

Curt Was Healed!

If Curt’s ribs breaking wasn’t the scariest thing that happened all year, we don’t know what was. Curt gave details of his injury during an interview on the BBC one morning. Learning that his injuries originated on the tour bus where he was literally sent flying after a false stop, was devastating to hear. The fact that he even tried to sally forth and keep going despite being in pain was a sacrifice we’re glad he discontinued. The wait and worry was fairly intense o\n the fan forum and in numerous Tears for Fears dedicated groups on Facebook (which now equal over 45 individual ones…). We’re so happy that this is behind us and that he was able to go to the UK and Europe to participate in additional interviews and appearances including the Deutsch Press awards as discussed in the previous update.

Holiday Song

Nearly every year Curt has released a holiday song. This year we got something quite special during Hanukkah. As mentioned in a previous post, Mad World has been used by at least two synagogues in the states during Shabbat service. Most recently, it was featured at IKAR LA, where well-known artist, Hillel Tigay, is the Chazan/Cantor and music director. The video of their Havdalah service featured the song and Curt loved it. He was invited to join them and did so on the 16th of December for Kabbalat Shabbat. For many observant Jews in the fan team, this was extra special and several noted that the occasion officially solidifies Tears for Fears’ music as a perfect accompaniment to prayers. Andye is contemplating writing a book about how much the band’s music has been important in spiritual journeys and healing for so many fans. But let’s let her get through the mini-documentary first.

The Mini-Doc

So, we took every photo given to us, those we collected and captured on tour plus videos and sandwiched them all together in chronological order. We have nearly an hour of photo slides so far if not more. It’s a lot. Next steps include a lot of fonting and finding licensed music to add to it. We had hoped to have it sent out by the 28th of December, but the task is huge and there are just a few people that actually have the time to maneuver through the technicalities of the project. We do not have an ETA on the completion, but it’s been a lot of fun going through all the memories from every show during the 2022 tour season. We’ll be sure to start sharing more BTS photos on Facebook and Instagram.

The World Cup

At the start of the quarter, we learned that the band would be featured in the Budweiser Beer sponsored World Cup Song collaboration with Lil’ Baby. It was a surprise song. As with anything Tears for Fears touches, the song was pretty darn cool and had a lot of new listeners and positive reaction videos from some who were completely new to the band. This, in turn, brought new people into the fold. Gen Z was already on board but now there are even more. Is that why it seems the band is more active on TikTok than Twitter now?

New EWTRTW Video

The band released a new version of Everybody Wants to Rule the World. It’s a compilation of clips from the history of the band on the road (looks like clips from a previous documentary). The video has an emphasis on imagery from the ‘Rule the World’ – Greatest Hits album that was released in 2017. However, we’re wondering why this was created when the band already has an EWTRTW video. Perhaps we missed a memo. Either way, it’s awesome and we love it. Nice to see all the concert footage again.

The Mystery Box of Merch (now sold out?)

Just as the year closed, the band’s U.S. store offered a mystery box of merch that includes three items. The box could be purchased by anyone regardless of location it seemed. If anyone had issues ordering it, let us know. But if you’re in the U.K. you should have been able to get a hold of one regardless of it being from the US. store. It was $35 plus shipping and a limited time only offer so no clue when and if such a thing will be available again. We know a few people that have already purchased two. Danny, let us know when it arrives!

The Tipping Point is #1

Classic Pop Magazine released a list of their top favourites for 2022 and yes, agreeably so, The Tipping Point is number one! We were told the band was flattered and thanked the magazine. Let us also say thank you Classic Pop Mag, from a fan perspective, for taking time to recognise that superlative album – very likely their best yet – and that says a lot because we all know they have produced so many hits that are timeless. They have the Midas touch in music! *Thank you, Martin Slade and Danny Cricks, for sharing the photo from the magazine.

About those NFTs

So, the tour packages included an NFT. In the rush and fit of all, we didn’t bother to look at the tax laws around NFTs at the time. So, those of us, as mentioned, who purchased quite a few, in hindsight panicked thinking we were clueless to how much tax we owe on these. However, there is no price tag on the NFTs in the Ticketmaster and LiveNation account. So likely we don’t owe anything. But you’ll want to refer to your tax advisor. From what we can see, one does not owe taxes on the NFTs according to a few tax documents we read.

Band Family & Alumni

Wilder Smith, Curt’s youngest daughter turned a lovely 21 on the 27th of December. Curt also published the URL to her new website. Not sure if she’s taking commissions but we’ll wait it out cause we’ve got some things we’d love to get a quote on and in production for the future.

Little Lady Genevieve (Vivi) Orzabal also had a birthday on the 28th. We wish her a great turn around the sun and lots of love.

Jamie’s daughter Bayley had a birthday on the 20th of December and it’s noteworthy that a lot of longtime fans also had birthdays this month. It was truly a band family and fan birthday extravaganza! Many happy returns to Eileen I, Sheila SheShe, Andye the Moderator and so many more.

Libre Stone sent out a loving note of thanks to fans who supported them this year. That was super sweet!

Supporting singer Lauren’s song “This Could Be” got a lot of air play in December and was trending. Congrats to her on that! Her voice is also featured in New Amsterdam’s Season 2 Episode 6 singing a rendition of “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” It is quite moving! Be sure to check that out on Netflix.

The Smith household got a new puppy named Twiggy. Twiggy looks a lot like sister Ivy Smith and the late Bella Smith of their Vizsla family of dogs reportedly of Hungarian hunter dog descent. That’s admirable. It’s a beautiful dog and Wilder has posted several photos of herself with the sweet new baby. Curt also mentioned sweet Twiggy in his New Year holiday message on the 31st of December.

Oleta Adams wrapped up her 2022 tour in December, but has more shows scheduled for March and April. She’s so loved and sought after, rightly so! Very grateful that many of us got to see her again this past year.

We’ll wrap this up with a shout out to those who took the Tears for Fears Pilgrimage. It does exist. Many fans go to the city of Bath every year and take a photo at several iconic spots including Moles where the band had their first show and brother Shaun Smith did the lighting. They go by Roland’s old home above the pizza parlour and take a walk near Snow Hill. Our lady Tamara got a great extra tour stop this year.  She spent some time with Libre Stone, Radio Bath’s Dave Mason and the fan family stars like Stephen Marshall. Tamara is an amazing Tears for Fears Super Fan and we’re beyond grateful for all of her contributions in 2022!

To say we are grateful for all the amazing things that took place in Tears for Fears’ fan land last year would be an understatement. Despite illness, surgery, treating cancer and dodging Covid, the fan family showed up and showed out! Tears for Fears fans bought a record number of seats at the sold-out show at the Forum in Los Angeles and showed up in droves for every show on the tour…even the ones that got cancelled! Fan family gathered together at local pubs and sang together at nearly every event. Tears for Fears fans are some of THE MOST loyal and dedicated individuals. Let’s keep it going!

Thanks for reading!

TFF Travel Fan Team

Follow the band @tearsforfearsmusic IG, @tearsforfears FB & TW, @curtsmithofficial on FB, @curtsmith TW, @tearsforfears TikTok @thereallaurenevens, @realoletaadams, @jameswollam IG, and @papasfans (travel fan team information)

Quarantined with the Coolest Fans – TFF Travel Fan Q2 Updates

We imagined, by now, we’d be out of quarantine completely. It’s surely temporary, right? Either way, we’re getting on by focusing on one of the main sources of healing for many of us which is Tears for Fears’ music. This update is dedicated to Superfan Shelly who let us know she’s getting through her battle with the COVID19 virus – a virus which makes any other ailment twice as complicated. We wish her continued healing! Here’s a message she recently shared…

Shelly Healed

Another way we are staying focused on the music that heals all ails is #TFFTuesdays. How did this come about? It happened during a conversation between moderator Andye and Superfan Lady Tamara. Tamara lit the fire by deciding that we should all wear our merch on Tuesdays during the lockdown. Andye originally called it  “Tour Couture Tuesdays” because Roland liked the term “tour couture” which was coined back in 2013 but Tamara had an even better idea of calling it #TFFTuesdays because it allows everyone to mention Tears for Fears. So, there you have it! And yes Curt approves! We’ve been participating in TFF Tuesdays since the second week of the quarantine and we’re still going strong. We imagine we’ll be dressing up every week until the end of June or right up to Curt’s birthday which comes to us by the Grace on a Wear it Wednesday – have two shirts ready for that week if you can. But we’re not just wearing t-shirts, we’re in everything from earrings and pins to a field of sunflowers. Take a look at a few of Tears for Fears’ soldiers of sound in uniform!

You name it, we’re wearing it and sharing it while enjoying great conversations online –  some of which include band members! One really meaningful conversation was sparked when fan, Rodney W., decided to gently nudge Curt that someone wanted to ask him a question. Curt kindly decided to spend what was initially to be 15 minutes (it  joyfully turned into well over an hour – thank you, Jon Cryer “Duckie” from Pretty in Pink and many other great productions) with fans, chatting and discussing all sorts of fun topics. One of the questions asked was when could we expect a virtual show like so many other musicians have been doing with their fans. Curt mentioned that when he starts scratching at the walls, sharing a song was likely to happen. Well…boy did it! World renowned designer Tory Burch and dear friend of the blessed Smith family, got a video of Curt and Diva singing Mad World.

Over 3 million have viewed it in a month! We knew within the first few days that it was going to go big and it was. Ended up on KTLA where an extraordinary interview took place. Lady Tamara grabbed her phone and recorded it for us and Curt sent this link from KTLA.

While on camera, the pups (yes, we know Bella and Ivy are no longer small dogs, but they’ll always be pups to those of us that watched them grow up virtually) sat quietly in the background as the interview took place. KTLA was really respectful (you know what we’re talking about) and focused on the band’s bright future as well as Diva’s current career in music.

Tory Burch also shared some cool pieces from Curt’s second daughter, Ms. Wilder and we love it! While we don’t and won’t focus too much on their children as we like to respect their privacy,  we can’t help but shout our joy in seeing that Lady Wilder has chosen a career in graphic design and perhaps more. We hope to get some things commissioned and designed for our future events. Again, HUGE THANKS to Tory Burch and to KTLA. Be sure to check out Lady Wilder’s work and designs. Here’s one tweeted by Tory Burch.

Wilder's photos

The buzz around that video, the interaction with Good Man Curt Smith and his delightful daughter Diva (she put on a show for @music2meals later on that day after the interview) were some of the most exciting parts of the quarter thus far. We appreciate getting to spend time with Curt and his family especially during this time of COVID19 madness. Speaking of spending time, Curt mentioned he’s down for the fan conference which is a green light for us to continue with the plans and pray that we can move forward with it. Dawn and Jack have agreed to be there too! They’ve been travelling to shows for years and helping create amazing fan experiences – they are part of the original Travel Fans from the 80s. So much respect for these two and how they make sure everyone get to Tears for Fears events!

Dawn and Jack

Right now, all but a few band members and Tears for Fears alumni are spending time with fans in the “Tears for Fears Fan Forum (without the drama)” which can be found on Facebook. This specific group is filled with fans who like to focus on the non-superficial side of being a fan. It’s all about the music, savouring those cool moments of the band’s past and present and talking about how things came to be. Members of the Graduate band (pre-Tears for Fears) are present there and making friends with all in a wholesome, deep and thoroughly outstanding thread of insights into their music. They regularly share photos and video clips. Jamie Wollam just joined as well and participated in a Q&A. And today is his birthday!! Happy Birthday Jamie! Check out the drummer cake on the Tears for Fears Travel Fan social media channels.

To join the group, come with a focus on the band. No band family photos are allowed including the public ones that Roland’s fiancée, Emily, shares. It’s all about music. No long ballads of “Dear Charlton Pettus how I love thee, let me detail the ways in this long post and 40 photos of you in cute jeans.” Nope. That will get you warned and removed as it should. Both the Travel Fan Team and The TFF Fan Forum are strict about content and purpose. We stick to our mission statement: “it’s about the music.” If you truly love the lyrics, the shows, videos and the fun that comes with being present alongside fellow fans and the band, then you’ll love these teams and can link up with them via the connect tab on the header. Again, no one is allowed to rule the world except the band members in the forum and we’re super happy about that. These two groups are also where the majority of the #TFFTuesday photos are being shared in addition to Twitter and Instagram. You can find those when you search #TFFfanFamily and #TFFTuesday. Focusing on the band’s music been a great way to stay healthy and this dear fan hopes you’ll stay home and help flatten the curve so she can make it to some shows when this is all over.

Covid Response

Has “The Tipping Point” tipped?
Not yet. That teapot of tunes hasn’t steeped thoroughly. We did try to wait on that musical brew before going into the Q2 updates but we’re still excited about the new Music that was released from Roland’s son Pascal and Blessed Queen Oleta Adams.

Pascal Orzabal_Andye Find_IG

Pascal Orzabal released two songs this year – two singles that are absolutely incredible. We by no means want to compare him to his father. But the music is as powerful as several pieces on The Hurting. We’re in absolute LOVE with the work he put into his music. Yes, we’re also begging for merch so we can wear our fandom. The best way to support Pascal is to follow him on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram (search @Quarterboy ) and on Bandcamp. Now, when you use Bandcamp, it’s important to make a profile for yourself. Once registered you can listen for free a few times and then you get cut off. So, we suggest you buy the music at the equivalent of $2USD per song. Just for disclosure we paid about $10 for one track and $15 for another because it was THAT good and worth more than $2USD. No matter what donation, you can listen to it without restrictions when you pay for it. That’s how Bandcamp works. Make sure you get registered and enjoy. We look forward to hopefully a full album and some appearances by Pascal/Quarterboy. As much as we don’t encourage lusting and expressing “desire” (Lady K in Atlanta, we’re looking at you and your undie flashing friend from 2010), if somebody drools or passes out over him we’re gonna look the other way and understand because Quarterboy and his music are 100% fine as…(af)! 

Trope band did a cover of SHOUT! Many feel they made it their own and rightly so as it was not the exact same but a glorious tribute. We’re happy to see such a band with special history (and legends assisting with their production and success) find the same joy we do in the song. You can watch the video below and follow them online @tropeband. They’ve been very responsive and we’re happy to have them in the fold. Trusting they’ll be at shows in the future.

Our Queen, Oleta Adams has also released new music (complete with Spotify interview ) and has shows scheduled for summer 2020. We’re praying the July ones will be saved because we’re so ready to see her again and plan to meetup in Atlanta like last year. Be sure to download the song, follow her at @realoletaadams on Twitter and Facebook. Continue to support her and yes, we’ll always pray she shows up on this side of bandland  just like she showed up for interviews in that Tears for Fears BBC documentary. That was so cool! She also celebrated a birthday this quarter – 4 May!

Oleta Adams

Click here for another preview with a link to Apple Music where the release can be purchased

WonkyWoo

Here’s a release you can read – it’s from Captain Julian! His Wonky Woo series published a new book “The Wonky Woo & Friends Lockdown Adventure” and it’s ready for purchase. It was illustrated by his team member and fellow Tears for Fears fan Lady Rise of California. We love that all proceeds go to help great groups like the NHS. You can follow the Wonky Woo on Twitter @thewonkywoo and also follow the incredible @antonyedensays – the voice of the Woo family series. Buy your copy here.

How about that app?!
The Fan App is going through the complications of copyright laws. Our hope is that we will have a clickable prototype to play with this year. Much like the album, we’re not giving an exact release date. So many things to refine and get just right. Quality over speed and quantity in this case. We’re not asking for it to be implemented immediately but instead it will be a “a nice to have,” or something extra in the pocket of the band that they can use when they see fit.

We’ll pause for now with this great piece from the Cello Covid Project sent to us by Rob Bethel and shared by Curt Smith. Thanks for reading! Cheers!

-Tears for Fears’ Travel Fan Team
Follow: @CurtSmith @jameswollam @charltonpettus @dougpettyla @TearsForFears @carinaround on Facebook and Twitter

Moderator: Andye Andinha

P.S. If your superfanitis is flaring up, watch this video and visualise a healthy 2021 with fellow fans and the band. Ms. Diva Smith made it.

TFF Travel Fans’ Quarterly Update

It’s been kind of quiet in band land. Aside from the continuous 365 chatter on various fan boards and group pages, there really hasn’t been a lot of news. Big shoutout to Curt for being so near and to Ms. Emily, Roland’s fiancée, who drops a share or two of she and Roland out and about. Big salute to Charlton for giving us a deep peep into what it’s like to tour from their perspective. We as travel fans spend so much time behind the bus or in the air, we really don’t know much about the comfort (or discomforts) that they may experience. This article made us feel it’s best that we start going to them. It’s not going to be easy for everyone but we did visit Curt during that residency of 2011 at the Whitefire Theatre. That was fun. We should consider carrying part of the load and give them a bit of a break with all that hardcore travel.

So FAN WISH 2020 – travel to L.A. or maybe NYC and watch the band at one venue for a couple of days (back to back shows at the same venue). Several of us have come to agree that this is best for their health. 3-4 shows back to back in one location, we fly to them, they stay in a nice hotel, relax, no early flights. It’s a win-win for us all.

In other news:
This past summer, we got the word that DD Horns’ Mr. Moyer is now teaching at the Herb Alpert Music Center. He’s now faculty. We first met him in 2014 at the Wiltern when he wow’d the crowd accompanying Tears for Fears on The Working Hour. We’re grateful that Roland helped us get to know him and now we’ve stayed in touch. He’s a great guy and we’re excited about his band and his teaching. If you’re a Tears for Fears fan in the area, checkout his band and register for a class through Los Angeles City College. Here’s a link to his biography.

Another A+ moment was this great award won by Roland Orzabal’s son, Raoul. He has been gracious to share with the world his incredible artwork that makes you want to crawl into the picture and walk around. Many of us have been absolutely smitten with his online showcases and are thrilled to know he was the co-winner of a $15,000 award or his work “Carbon Deck” featuring an amazing city scene that takes the image of urban stillness to a whole other level. See it here:

The Smith Family Angels have some things to sing about…Lady D and Lady W are both heavily involved it the art and design scene. Lady D’s music has been shared on Instagram and Lady W attended a great design program this summer in the northeast, USA. Both seem to be doing really well and that makes us feel good too as we want the best for them and their family.

Today, being Black Friday, the band’s merch team participated in the global sale with up to 50% off on merch from the store. It wasn’t clear if all the items were on sale but the hoodies were and some of us were finally able to get one in our size! If you click on the link provided by the band during the tweet you’ll see just a select few items but click on apparel and you’ll see even more.

We were going to add a nice montage of photos from the past quarter but Charlton took care of that in his article so we’ll just reshare this lovely tweet of Curt’s amazing Thanksgiving dinner with his friends and family (angels at the head of the table). 🙂

Thanks for reading!
Don’t forget to follow the band @tearsforfears @curtsmith
Chat with us online and plan band travel via @papasfans (Twitter) and Tears for Fears and Kooks (Facebook)

Tears for Fears Touching Hearts in Europe (Tour 2019 Part II)

Dedicated to Lael, Valerie and Patricia – long time fans (over 20 years)

Snippet from Lyon

Europe was blessed with some absolutely incredible Tears for Fears shows this year. The reactions, reviews and full on dedication by so many fans to follow suit with more than one show must be acknowledged. Of course people have been going to multiple shows for many years but this time it’s documented, we know who is showing up and being present. It’s not easy to take off that much time from your job and head out on tour. For me, the moderator, that’s part of my contract when I take a role. I want the opportunity to be with my band. I’m not working toward much else so I admire those who make Tears for Fears a priority as so many of us have. What is the benefit? Healing! There’s no other way to put it. It’s HEALING! This band has healing properties in their music, the experience of seeing them live is equal to a miraculous visit from the heavens. Let the photos and videos speak for themselves. Huge thanks to Lael, Valerie and many others who kept in touch throughout the summer to share photos, keep us posted on meetups and truly created an incredible community that Tears for Fears can be proud of 365 days a year.

As shown in the schedule, Tears for Fears visited the following European cities: Luxembourg, Amneville, Bohn, Den Haag, Tilloloy, Rokslide Festival, Zottegem, Herouville-Saint-Clair, Rome, Lucca, Munchen, Bruchsal, Mainz, Nimes, Lyon, Charhaix, and Valencia. Please enjoy highlights from these shows and connect with other fans who shared the material to form tighter bonds. We are ONE TFF Fan Family!

There’s a lot of content here so please take a moment and let it load so you can enjoy it all. Cheers!

Luxembourg (25 June 2019)

Amneville (26 June 2019)

Bonn, Germany (28 June 2019)

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𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚏𝚏𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚏 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐😊 𝚗𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚝, 𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠. 𝚃𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢, 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜. 𝙸 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚖. 𝑅𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛-𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚏 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛🍀 ♥ ️𝙽𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚛, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚋𝚎 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚒 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚞𝚞𝚞 😘✨𝙰 𝚙𝚎𝚜𝚊𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚏𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚛 𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚌í𝚊 𝚊𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚕 𝚍í𝚊 𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚒ó 𝚕𝚊 𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚊 𝚕𝚊 𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚊 𝚍𝚎 𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊😊 𝚗𝚒 𝚎𝚕 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚛, 𝚗𝚒 𝚕𝚘𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚘𝚜 𝚍𝚎 𝚕𝚊 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎 𝚙𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚕 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠. 𝚃𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚊 𝚙𝚘𝚛 𝚕𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚍 𝚍𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚜 𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚊𝚛, 𝚊𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚛 𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚜𝚞𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜. 𝚈𝚘 𝚊ú𝚗 𝚗𝚘 𝚙𝚞𝚎𝚍𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚘 𝚗𝚒 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚛 𝚊 é𝚕😍𝑅𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚒 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛-𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚏 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛🍀♥️𝚗𝚘 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊 𝚌𝚞𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚢𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚘 𝚘 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚜, 𝚜𝚒𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚛á𝚜 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚘 𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚒. 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙á𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚘 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎 𝚎𝚕 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚍𝚘 𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚞𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚓𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚞𝚞𝚞 𝚖𝚒 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚞𝚒𝚗𝚘 𝚁𝚘 💞💋💋💋✨𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 #rolandorzabal #TearsforFears #kunstrasenbonn #live #fronstage #concert #FOS #amazingnight #bonn #germany #cologne #summer #legend #RolandOrzabal #tearsforfearstour2019 #frontstage @kunstrasenopenair 📸@lorylaura_

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Den Haag, Netherlands (29 June 2019) (Parkpop)

Tilloloy, France (30 June 2019)

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Roskilde, Denmark (3 July 2019)

Zottegem, Belgium (6 July 2019)

Herouville-Saint-Clair, France (7 July 2019)

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Rome, Italy (9 July 2019)

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Lucca, Italy (10 July 2019)

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Munchen, Germany (12 July 2019)

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Bruchsal, Germany (13 July 2019)

Mainz, Germany (14 July 2019)

Nîmes, France (17 July 2019)

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Lyon, France (18 July 2019)

Coussins de Lyon from Valerie

Big thanks to Valerie for the gifts and candy the band enjoyed!

Bill in Lyon
Bill works hard! He’s been with the band for many years, helping make sure they look and sound great on stage. He’s currently enjoying a month in Japan.

Please be sure to join Valerie’s group if you’re in Europe and speak French. She provides a great service to our Francophone members

Carhaix-Plouguer, France (19 July 2019)

Valencia, Spain (21 July 2019)

Special thanks to Mario from the Lucca show, Rita Durant (may you and your sister be well) and again huge thanks to Lael and Valerie for assisting so much for keeping in touch with us throughout the tour. Thank you Marie Lafleur for this great photo!

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Tears for for Fears also spent a day in Tel Aviv – we appreciated Curt’s arrival photos and great pictures of the beach. It was beautiful!

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– TFF Travel Fan Team

Rock Royalty Playing the Palaces & Canterbury

*Dedicated to Gwen, Darren, Wendy, Tamara, Bobo and the amazing fans who did everything they could to be present at each UK show! Also a big shoutout to those who joined in online to celebrate Curt’s birthday!

Carris Birthday Card
Thanks Carri for creating the 2019 card.

The past 6 days have been filled with celebration as Tears for Fears’ fans in the UK and those who flew in from the Americas came together to enjoy shows at pristine, immaculate venues. People who’d never met before shared accommodations and cars to make sure they arrived present and accounted for visible to the band. Tamara even got a shout out from Good Man Curt after flying in from Minnesota. Poor baby, despite losing her dog to illness, she’s been literally flying around the world supporting them. She finds the shows very healing and comforting to say the least. This was her 5th or sixth show this year in 3 different countries. Gwen and Wendy are breaking records as well by going to 16 shows and Darren got the guys together for group hugs and hanging out. Members of the band joined in as you can see in the photo. Big thanks to Reverend Charlton Pettus, Ms. Carina Round and Drummer Genius Jamie Wollam for taking a moment out of your packed schedules for some fan hellos and handshakes. We live for this!

*It should be noted that Curt Smith came down with a TERRIBLE cold that he referred to as just a flesh wound. He sacrificed his health so he could perform for everyone. We owe him! He enjoyed a lovely birthday with his family on the 24th and we were happy to celebrate it virtually as a group.

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Photo from Good Man Curt Smith – 24 June, 2019

For several fans this set of shows meant the world. Another hug fest broke out and people were loving on each other, their eyes filled with tears of joy – the band does that to people you know. They evoke emotions that are so strong and powerful, it’s difficult to write these synopsis and keep a dry eye. Tamara sums it up well.

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Words from Tamara:
It’s been a short, eventful, educational, entertaining, emotional, healing and unforgettable experience! I am forever grateful and thankful to have had this opportunity to come over on such short notice. It was a pleasure to meet so many of you I see online often and put a face with a name. Also so wonderful to spend the past few days with two fabulous fans who take this stuff seriously! I have no idea how I am going to function on the little sleep with all the traveling and running around from city to city, standing in lines for hours and doing it all over again. I managed for 3 shows in a row. My travel mates are going to 16 of these and have already been to 13 so far. Wow! That’s dedication! We shared a lot of laughs and other shenanigans. Those I probably best not mention 😂 I will never forget the kindness by so many like I’ve known you forever. Many of us already share one commonality with our love and appreciation of Tears For Fears music, but I find with every person I meet and talk to, I have a deeper connection with them on some other level which just validates another sign that I was meant to come here. There were many signs on this trip for me. Some of you may or may not believe in that sort of thing. I was moved to the words of Woman in Chains as I expected I would be. This trip was booked only a week before I had to make the decision about my BoBo. So again thank you Gwen, Wendy, Curt, Roland, Jamie, Charlton, Doug, Carina, Bill, Gooch, Andy and crew and Andye. Also my work for giving me the time off short notice and my husband for understanding why I needed to go. And so nice to meet all of you at the shows and I’m sorry if I leave anyone out as I’m a bit teary eyed being Ms Sensitive Pants that I am 😳Darren, Paula, Dion, Paula’s mom, Liz from New Zealand, Martin, Martin’s lady friend and all of the others. Someday I hope to come back to visit again. Until next time…#bunnylousadventures #tearsforfearssummertour2019 #tearsforfears #tffff@bunnylous_adventures @tfftravelfans

Trip Highlights from Derik Robins

Highlights from the TFF Travel Fans & Soldiers of Sound

(few more videos from the Hampton Court Palace shows)

Delamere Forest

Click here for Delamere Forest Show Review written by Chester Standard UK

Clip from Blenheim Palace

Gwen drove the official Tears for Fears Travel Car everywhere with fans in tow. This was day 6 with Paula S.

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Canterbury – The Spitfire Grounds *ABC Opened For TFF – follow @ABCFry

*We’re especially grateful to you the readers. You support the band by being present online and in person. You are appreciated! Adam H in Atlanta, we’re thinking of you and Lisa! Thank you both for being amazing! See you soon!

-Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team #ThankfulAF

Having A Blast with Tears for Fears at Hampton Court Palace

**Dedicated to Tamara, Gwen, Wendy, The Coopers and Shaun Smith.

The first two shows of the Tears for Fears Rule the World tour part II – sizzling summer edition left fans quite satisfied, to say the least. More like…THRILLED TO BITS! Roland brought back the Flying Wombat and family members in the UK, like Curt’s brother Shaun, were also in the audience. The venue is quite fitting for our Rock Royalty. It was an impeccable two days. Big thanks to Gwen, Wendy, Darren, Simon and many others who shared their entire experience from start to finish.

One of the highlights of the fan experience were fans, Gwen and Wendy’s, cool AirBNB that was right next to the venue. They were able to hear soundcheck loud and clear. Little Lulu was dancing along and is carrying the torch for Toddlers for Tears for Fears – and there are many. For the Millennials of the group (Gen Y) do you remember when that was us?!!

Little Lulu – Toddlers for TFF team lead

Roland’s jokes were fantastic and funny! It was great to see him in such great form. Curt was kind to pause for some pictures with fans and kept us on his own stroll as he arrived with daughter, Lady Diva last week. Enjoy all the highlights and moments from this magical show. Connect with fellow fans and be good to each other. This is a fan family motto! We’re soldiers of sound, loving Tears for Fears as we sally forth through this life.

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Mini Montage

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Lady Tamara is on her way. We wish her safe flight!!

Thanks for enjoying!
-Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team

Tears for Fears at the Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta #Shooketh

*Dedicated to Angel Dawn of Louisiana who went out of her way to get fans to this specific show! Big hugs to Bobby R in Oklahoma and all his efforts as well!

Wow! What an awesome show, performed with perfection and all the cool things you dream of when it comes to Tears for Fears. The crowd was mixed with all ages. The VIP section where many long time fans stood faithful, singing every word, was filled with the sweetest fans a band could ask for…Dardy, Ms. Wooten, Kendaly, Adam H, Lisa and Patty…just phenomenal people that many of us, as fellow fans, love to have right next to us. We were also graced by some serious icons that work globally but are based in Atlanta – Model Cairo and singer/songwriter Michael Roland Magno. We were thrilled to be with some of our favourite friends and family. We missed those who were not able to make it including some of the core travellers – you know who you are! May the love train fly again with you all included! Happy Anniversary to Jim S and his wife! Thank you for being so loyal!

Tears for Fears Michael Magno
Michael Magno and his wife Meg

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VIP Platinum and Tier 1
We’d been thinking a lot about this show since it was announced. After the Jan UK & EU extravaganza we had time to really sit down and think about the logistics. After countless email back and forth with Shaky Knees Festival staff, we were convinced that going all out for VIP Platinum just for one day at $750 or 3 days at $1600 after tax and shipping – was the best option for fans to have a really wonderful experience. We also suggested VIP Tier 1. We were under the impression that Tears for Fears would be on the main stage. The app showed the band to be on a sponsored stage of which several of us thought was a main stage. The main stage allowed fans to stand there on the side of the stage at the band’s discretion and watch the show. However, the Piedmont stage was not a main stage and their VIP Tier 1 and Platinum area did not have the comfortable chairs, shade or the perks of the Platinum area like the main stage which was called Peachtree. So if you followed our suggestion and hung out in the Piedmont VIP you probably got a bad sunburn and your legs hurt! Great music but…we expected all VIP lounges to be the same and they were not.

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Dinner provided to Platinum VIP

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So, some fans went to the VIP lounge at Peachtree to relax and others, our dear Adam, made sure he was perched and ready in VIP Piedmont. He literally held down the fort for a few hours and we’re super grateful. An hour or more before the show, he was there with several other amazing friendly beloved fans. Shoutout to Adam for taking care of business and looking out for others. We were all able to bunch up together to the left of the stage (Roland’s side – that’s the only place VIP viewing was set up for this stage). No, we didn’t get to stand side stage because, again, this was not the main stage, but the band saw us and knew their hard core soldiers were there…some of us with our books so Charlton would know we support his work as well.

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Prior to the start of the show, Bill was out working. Andye grabbed this photo and shared it with him. We really like him and have always appreciated his kindness. There was a moment in the show where Curt’s guitar cord or something was falling out and there was Bill, like a vigilant angel, to hurry and get it reconnected. He did it with a smile and it was beautiful.

And big thanks to Jamie for taking a nice photo with Patty!

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The Show
Let the photos and videos speak for themselves… still speechless. These are from awesome fellow fans. In some cases you can hear a chorus of people of a variety of ages singing along. *Note that Roland did say he would have been happy if Weezer was there too. We’re okay with a Weezer – TFF show. So…next year?!

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Professional Capture

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After the show, fans didn’t move from the area. They stood there and chanted, “One more song, one more song!” It wasn’t a small group, it was like…the whole crowd that got into it. It was wild and one of the most loving gestures. These were people of all ages just chanting in unison with energy and fervor the likes we’ve not seen since Duluth 2017. Fans at other venues stick around but this was like an army or what you’d see at a protest. It was intense, that was strong love. People were crying, one larger group stayed until every set list had been distributed. We finally left after taking some photos of Lisa and Adam with the set list.

Huge thanks to all who showed up and went that extra mile. That was an investment and one of the most expensive shows we’ve paid for in years. It was super glamping and I think we’ll be better prepared in the future. I don’t know if this is a precursor to Coachella or what but this all happened for a reason. We loved spending time with EVERYONE. It was incredible…just incredible and unforgettable. A few of us are going to need some time to really let this sink in because this was just…very spiritual and overwhelmingly beautiful.

One of our goals was to help create that sense of community and fun along with drinks and food. However, VIP at Shaky Knees was a little hard to navigate…and sometimes things just didn’t have a lot of clarity. Several of us are still in absolute shock at what felt like lack of consistency for the Piedmont stage. We understand that people work hard for their money and for some of us this is our only holiday time. We want to encourage fans to enjoy these deluxe packages and it just didn’t feel like a Platinum experience at the Piedmont stage. The band’s performance made up for a lot of discomfort in the earlier part of the day. We were able to overlook some of the things we were expecting to a degree but consistency is crucial when a festival is asking for hundreds or over $1000 per person for these experiences. We’re happy the band was there and that matters most but some of us will need some additional assistance for future in order for things to go smooth.

Lots of love to all who were there and your beautiful faces! You all are such beautiful people! Adam, Patty, Lisa, Dardy, Cairo, Kendaly, Michael and Meg, Joe and Katie – the energy was a blessing in itself!

Cheers!!
Follow @tearsforfears @curtsmith (@papasfans for travel info and unique details)

P.S. we’re going to check on the TuneIn app to see what on earth happened. The festival noted that they’d live stream but in hindsight, if it’s just one radio station they can’t do every stage. So, we’re checking to see if it was archived. Hugs to all!

*written by Andye

Awesome Moments from TFF in Antwerp

We’re super happy to know that so many fans came out for this show. As travel fans we understand all the work that goes into just getting to the concert. Tears for Fears are more than just an exciting 90 minutes to an hour…they are an experience. Not only does it feel like your 80s cassette tapes have come to life, you, too, feel a euphoric and uplifting sensation that can’t be described. We try to capture the moments but no words can be assigned to explain it. You have to be there. If you haven’t had a chance to get a ticket to a show, reach out and let us know. We exist to help you get to shows!

Enjoy the photos from the shares earlier this year. Big thanks to Lael for helping us out with this recap.

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TFF Making People Happy in Hamburg

As we get ready to move into part II of the Tears for Fears Tour Season, we’re going to take a moment and remember earlier this year. Europe and the UK were super delighted to have the band in their presence. It was such a great start to the year on so many levels. Fans who hadn’t seen Tears for Fears since their teens were there with their families and longtime friends. You couldn’t ask for a better beginning to 2019 than spending it with Tears for Fears.

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If you had a great time in Hamburg and wish to share your story with fellow fans, email us on Facebook or tweet us @papasfans on Twitter.
Big thanks to Lael for her assistance in gathering information and the show synopsis.

Tears for Fears – Perfect in Padova

To say the Tears for Fears tour part I was fun is an understatement. Not only did people attend more than one show and in some cases literally follow them like loyal soldiers of sound, the band was warm, kind and caring from start to finish. It gives us a lot of hope about part II which begins in just a few weeks! Get ready to sing, go over the set list and show up! Arrive early, meet with fellow fans and make some of the best memories of your lives with Curt, Roland and team leading the way! We’re so excited as fans to have this opportunity to follow the band around. Don’t take our word for it…check out these videos and photos from Padova (Padua), Italia! These fans had a blast!

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Curt Smith #curtsmith #tearsforfearstour2019

A post shared by Riccardo Artico (@albisardua) on

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