Tag: Curt Smith

Tears for Fears Travel Fan Quarterly Update – Q2 Includes Curt’s Birthday

As promised, we made a mini-documentary of our 2022 Tears for Fears Tour Travels. Now you can see what it is like to literally follow the band around the world. In this set of Rockumemories, we’re in the United States and the U.K. – enjoy!

There is so much that goes into tour planning that one could write a book about it, and we’ve decided that once we’ve finished the larger projects, we’ll likely do that. We scrambled to try to make this one work out for everyone but looks like we can’t go to every single show this time. Depression has set in. It’s not cute. But we’ve got about 10 extra tickets for those who are doing all they can to attend. If you would like one so you can sit with people you know on the first and second row of a few shows– fellow longtime fans – let us know. But first, how about some cake?

Curt’s Birthday is Saturday!

We are so grateful to the Universe for this man that “grateful” is an understatement. He takes absolutely no jive and does not give a **** what anyone else thinks for all the right reasons. In addition to his contributions to the song Break the Man, this man has spoken out for human rights, civil rights, ALL THE RIGHTS! He also did this during times when it was not popular to do so. Curt has taken on controversial conversations and people with finesse and grace. He does not shy away from tough topics and heaven and earth knows he has had to face some irritating situations and people in his life. Still, he shows up and gives 100% plus some in every way. This is not a paragraph to kiss his arse, we are stating facts and we have receipts. The man is good. He has an incredible memory and notes things, people, places and tweets you think he may not have even seen. One could dare say he is heavenly. Change our minds. You cannot. He is overwhelmingly awesome and there is a group of people who pray for him and his family daily. The Smiths are incredibly special people, and we are blessed to have gotten to know not just their individual work but also “them” in that they share some special music and more with everyone. They are top quality. ::straightens our TB neckerchiefs:: #iykyk We like their fashion too.

Curt has gone above and beyond for so many of us. One time a fan did not have tickets to one of his events and she had been standing outside in line with us all day trying to figure out how to get a ticket. Curt found out and made sure she was able to get into the event. The list goes on…and a lot of us have seen his kindness. It is not just toward certain fans either. A manager at a dinner theatre learned of our appreciation for the band and he immediately told us about how kind Curt was to him at a show in 1985. The manager was a kid at the time and Curt caught him hiding out backstage. Curt gave him a Reese’s peanut butter cup and sent the child on his way without getting him into trouble. He could not remember Curt’s name but when he described him we knew which of the two he was talking about. We are so happy that Roland and Curt met, and we love the details of their relationship and life story. It is inspiring and they deserve every ounce of success in their incredibly challenging industry.  

We pray Mr. Smith has an incredible birthday. He deserves all the good things. We will be having a piece of one of his favourite treats, a Coffee Crunch Cake, in his honour this Saturday night. Be sure to send him a message on Twitter or tag him in a loving post on Facebook and Instagram. Let us continue to wish him well…and make sure he stays seated two minutes after the tour bus has completely stopped.

**As mentioned on Twitter, we will include both Roland and Curt in our nightly prayer and meditation services. For those participating in Maariv, we’re saying their names during Mishaberach: Roland bn Margaret, Curt bn Norma plus the first names of each band member and road crew. May the Universe look after the entire team and get everyone safely to and from each city. May all go well for fans, fan family, Bill and the road crew. Amein v’Amein

The Out of the Blue Tour Announcement

It was a surprise. Yes, we were aware the band wanted to do a tour in the states again, but we did not expect it in 2023. Many have written in to say, “I was not prepared. Last year we knew in advance. Remember the tweet?” Yes, we remember. We save everything.

But here we are, and we are going to do the best we can. However, our best this time around might mean only 1-2 shows each vs. the usual 5-6 per person or all the shows like our dear Stephen Marshall, Fan Ambassador. Serenity Now. What we wouldn’t do to just hitch a wagon to that tour bus and tag along. If they ever let us, it’s on!

There are several who are going to sleep in their cars and attempt to make it to every soundcheck in the northeast. We even have one fan who has a family engagement on one of the show days but will try to at least get to soundcheck even if they must miss the show. That is loyalty! As fellow fans, we know it costs thousands of dollars to fund a full trip around the states to try and attend these shows. If you cannot do it this time around, do not feel bad.

For those who wrote in stating serious symptoms of depression about missing out this time around, we wish you comfort and calm. Do not deny yourself professional help if it is needed. Might be silly to some, but we understand. The incredible energy of Tears for Fears events is so unreal it is difficult to even “think” about missing one. So, know you are not alone. Go ahead and get ready for the things they mentioned might happen in the future (e.g. musical, piano compilation, etc.).

Retired Legacy Fan Families

Two longtime fan families (Family C and K) are now retired from full time travel fan life as they prepare to focus on their health and personal plans. Both have said they will be happy to join us again if and when the band adopts residencies. That will allow us all to be in one place and reduce the amount of air travel. Flying from city to city does wear on the body and wallet so we completely understand. Meantime, we are happy some are going to attend 1 or 2 shows close to their primary residences and we know they will have an amazing time.

The VIP Soundcheck Package – It’s worth every dime!

For those who are doing all they can to make sure they go to The Tipping Point Part II, please read your ticket information. There are several types of tickets. Some have told us they have not purchased their tickets yet. When you do, we suggest you buy your tickets directly through the links on the band page because it leads you directly to the VIP Soundcheck options. When you select VIP soundcheck (usually around $450 before taxes and fees), you will see everything that comes with that package. Premium and Hot ticket packages are also available, but they do not include soundcheck. Premium seats are sold by the venue and offer a splendid view but they do not include gifts from the band. Hot tickets have gift bags filled with incredible Tears for Fears keepsakes. If you purchased a ticket and have now decided you want to do VIP soundcheck, you have options. You can go to the band’s official website, select VIP, and buy it that way in addition to the ticket you already have, or you can contact the VIP team and let them know you need to buy the package after the fact. Right now there is not an “add on” button.

VIP Soundcheck tickets are packages that include an actual concert ticket that allows you entry into soundcheck. The VIP team will contact you a few days before the scheduled show(s) you chose and will give you directions on what to do and where to go. We have already spoken to them, and it will be the same as last year. You arrive early at the VIP check-in table. From there they will lead you to the Soundcheck when it is time. Last year it was ridiculously hot outside as we waited to go into the venues. There is not a large, shaded area to wait at a lot of these venues. Sometimes it rained hard. A few times we hired a car to wait with us so we could sit in the air conditioning until we could be allowed back in the venue. It was THAT hot. It was an added expense but it’s better than having a heat stroke and missing the show. If you are taking a ride share (e.g. Uber, Lyft) to a concert, you have nowhere to go so you have to be creative. Wear a hat or anything you can to keep the sun off your face. You may want to bring an umbrella and in some cases you may want to ensure you can get back to your car after soundcheck because it is in advance of the show, and you will sweat a gallon or two waiting for the reentry. Is it worth it? Yes, the Soundcheck and the show are worth every penny.

*Remember to bring valid ID when you arrive at the VIP Soundcheck check-in table. Just saying your name is not enough to get your package. They cross reference with your ID.

NFTs for 2023? It’s a Virtual Commemorative Ticket…

Andye received a notice. So it looks like yes, you do get them but do not forget to download them once you get the notice that it is available. Do not let them sit in Ticketmaster files. We do not know if those files will expire so it is best that you download and save your ticket to your desktop and a backup drive. They look like the below. You will get one per VIP Ticket but it’s hard to tell if it’s included with all ticket purchases.

Please Say Lauren Will Be on This Tour!

She is! It has been confirmed that Lauren Evans will be on the tour. We do not have permission to say which shows. But she will be there, and we are SUPER THRILLED!!!!

Interviews and Promotions

There are promotions in local newspapers so if you like to keep those check your local newspapers’ online options and see if you can get a paper copy of the tour announcement. Long time fan, Deb of TFF Boston, sent one earlier this season and it is posted on Twitter.

Jamie continues to be applauded for his genius.

Be sure to check out the latest article in Recovery Today.

Record Store Day

Record store day was the 22nd of April this year. We were blessed to get a vinyl of Saturnine Martial and Lunatic. So excited to own this incredible piece of work featuring the band’s B-sides from their earlier work prior to ELAHE and TTP. In many cases, record stores only allowed each customer to buy one or two albums per person. So, being who we are, we got neighbours, relatives, and others to get up at dawn to stand in line with us…in the rain. We got our albums. Shoutout to the person who was able to help get records for everyone (legally of course, these aren’t bootlegs)! You know who you are!

The Band’s Family

Let us begin with the eldest son, young Mr. Orzabal and his amazing art…

He continues to impress with amazing pieces that are just phenomenal to stare at for hours. The artwork is so intricate that it is hard to look away. You just want to dive into the photo and walk around its nooks and crannies. The best part is he does sell art. You can buy prints of his work from his website and get them framed for your home.

Quarterboy (Pascal Orzabal)

Now Pascal Orzabal has five incredible singles out and they stay on loop in our world. His voice is just everything! You can support his music by purchasing a track from Bandcamp, Songs begin at .99cents US but you can pay whatever you want. Drop some dough on those beats guys. He is making a name for himself independent of his father. You gotta respect that. He recently posted that in addition to the five songs, he will be releasing even more music soon.

Graduation for the Girls

Curt recently posted that he was at one of his daughters’ graduations. We know both girls are in University but given that Darling Angel Diva is a hair older than Sweet Lady Wilder, we are guessing it was Diva who graduated. Either way, we are excited that his children are doing so well with their talents. We hope we get another t-shirt for a show from Wilder and more music from Diva! They are both so gracious to share their lives with everyone online!

Fan Family

DJ Rudh Transmission Anniversary Party

So, this past April, long time fan, Lady Tamara was able to go to DJ Rudh’s party and meet the man himself. Transmission is an incredible broadcast that features some of the best music ever released on this planet. The team behind it are big fans of Tears for Fears. During the event, the entire crowd got into it and sang their hearts out. Thank you Lady Tam for capturing the moment!

The Podcast

There is a podcast called History from the Big Chair – a play on the title of the 1985 SFTBC album title. The podcast is hosted by two fans – one who is a second-generation fan in that his parents are fans and he has been listening to the music since conception. He talks about that in some of the episodes. The other host seems to be his girlfriend and she stumbled upon Tears for Fears just before 2020. Their podcast is filled from start to finish with their opinions on various songs, albums, and videos. While there are a few awesome facts shared in most of the episodes, it’s mostly their opinion as self-described “youngsters” who like the band. The Instagram account associated with it is a bit different. It has a lot of great fact posts and highlights every week. The duo is working to make the podcast a very professional broadcast and we look forward to hearing what they do in the future. Always nice to have Generation Z onboard with classic music that is timeless. We wish them the best!

Puppy that Plays the Tipping Point

Krista in Florida is having fun with her new digital dog. It is the cutest puppy that plays Tears for Fears everywhere it goes. It follows her around the house playing all the Tears for Fears songs. We love it and we want one! What an excellent pet!

Tears for Fears Dolls and Action Figures

The Dolls are back! Lady Richards has the doll versions of Roland and Curt ready to roll for TTP2! You can follow their adventures in the fan forum, and we will aim to share them on various platforms so everyone can enjoy the fun. They are super cute and even some of the band members thought they were nice.

Beware of Fake Accounts

There are several bands that have been affected by the fake accounts. The accounts ask for money, they will send you a video of the band and make it seem like they are trying to speak to you but lost connection when it was actually an upload of the band during live interviews. Curt nor Roland are going to solicit anyone to buy gift cards for them or ask for cash. The sad part is these scam artists know how bad fans want to speak to the band and these fans keep conversations with these accounts thinking maybe they have been singled out for a conversation. Please know that is not how this all works. The band does not have a live a chat nor do they single out fans for money. Be aware. Curt has already announced that he will let everyone know if changes his communication method.

Look for the shirts!

Tears for Fears Fan Forum fans are headed out to the shows. This includes the Travel Fans, and many will be in dark blue shirts with the beautiful sun design. You cannot miss them! Be sure to connect in advance on the Travel Fan page or the Forum to hangout. We created meetup invites for every show last year. This year we will post one large invite, and you can note which city you are going to be in if you would like. It is not required to sign up for a show and meetup. If you would like to have a warm family night with your relatives, go ahead. If you would like to go to dinner in advance and have a cocktail you can note that in the invite and all in attendance can meet up with you there. We are giving away a $200 Amazon gift card to the person that posts the best group photo featuring themselves and the Tears for Fears fans together at a show in the invite’s comments section. You can take it in front of the venue, or you can take it at dinner before the show. The photo must feature Tears for Fears merch or identifiers. Winners will be announced AFTER the Huntington Beach show on the 18th of November. Just in time for gift giving season!

ROCKUMEMORIES

Again, our mini documentary of travelling alongside the band for the Tipping Point tour is now ready for view. We will be posting a few more videos and fun moments from fan life before sharing with a wider audience. For now, you get first glance. We hope you will feel inspired to put the joy of Tears for Fears’ music in your life. Follow that band!

SEE YOU AT THE SHOWS! Thanks for reading!

Throughout the tour be sure to follow @tearsforfears and @curtsmith on Twitter and Facebook, @tearsforfearsmusic on IG.

For travel fan tips, @papasfans

Tears for Fears’ Travel Fans Quarterly Update – Q1 2023

Happy Tears for Fears Day 2023!

While Tears for Fears are busy with their calendar plans, we’ve got some time to put the kettle on and chat amongst ourselves plus celebrate milestones and anniversaries of Tears for Fears’ amazing music. That’s what we’ve been doing this quarter.

As mentioned previously, the new album brought a lot of new people and a lot of longtime fans from ‘83 and ‘85 back into the fold. Because people are catching up with all the interviews, week after week, there are newcomers who repost or remind us of things that happened pre-tour season such as this lovely video below from the Sirius XM interview and Q&A. To find out how this took place and how people were chosen you can search the archives using the keywords SiriusXM, Becky or Danny and it should show up for you. Let us know if you can’t find that information. It’s a great interview featuring new fans and those hard core folks who were there in the early days with the band. Enjoy the rewatch!

Anniversaries

Big Shoutout to Danny Cricks of the Tears for Fears Travel Fans, Fan Forum and TFF Florida who took time to help lead the online anniversary celebrations and birthdays. Coincidence or not, the band often followed behind his reminders. Danny didn’t just celebrate albums, he went deep with specific song celebrations. Now that’s fan love! Here’s what we’ve been celebrating with him this quarter.

Birthdays

  • Ian Stanley – 28 February
  • Charlton Pettus – 16 February
  • Lauren Evans – 3 February
  • Nicky Holland – 20 February
  • Michael Wainwright – 6 March

Music Milestones

  • Songs from the Big Chair– 25 February, 1985
  • Tears Roll Down (Laid So Low) – 10 February, 1992
  • The Tipping Point – 25 February, 2022
  • Break the Man – video released on the 10th of February 2022

Today we celebrate The Hurting, the album that started it all!! This is the official Tears for Fears Day and always will be! The Hurting is still available for purchase although some of the recent remastered deluxe options have sold out (if you have one, you better keep it). You can buy a copy of the remastered CD from Amazon, Walmart and music stores. The remastered one has extended versions of several songs so be sure to pay close attention to the version you purchase so you can get the all the goodies!

You can stream and in some cases buy the remastered album here from these sources. As a courtesy we ask that you make a purchase of the album first. Artists are not able to make what they are worth via streaming services alone.

Apple  

Spotify

Amazon

Record Store Day 2023

Speaking of days, Record Store Day will feature Tears for Fears’ Saturnine Martial and Lunatic on vinyl! It’s a UK release so TFF UK and Fan Forum Moderator, Darren, is looking into what he can do to ensure global fans get an opportunity  to buy this. More details to come.

Psych Night on Hallmark Channel

Big thanks to the Hallmark Channel and Peacock/NBC for re-airing Psych episodes featuring Curt Smith. Fans got to enjoy two throwbacks – Shawn 2.0 season 5 episode 8 and Clue from Season 7 episode 5. We tweeted and chatted while watching these episodes – still a little squeamish from Curt’s encounter with the panther among other things. We also remembered the cast members showing up at one of Curt’s events in November of 2010, pineapple in tow. That was an awesome night that has been documented here in the archives. Fans and followers of both Psych and Curt noted they are ready for another Psych movie with more Curt Smith and company including a duet with his daughter Lady Diva Smith. We’re still waiting on Psych on SNL with musical guests Tears for Fears. That petition is not dormant.

What music does Tears for Fears listen to regularly?

So there’s Record Store Day but have you heard of Recommendations Day? Well, along with the fan generated Tears for Fears’ (TFF) Tuesdays (first initiated by Lady Tamara of TFF “Nash” Nashville and the Tears for Fears Travel Fans), the day is now followed by “Tears’ Picks” on Thursdays. On this day, we listen to music the band loves or recommends. It’s not highly advertised nor have we thrown down a hashtag but we’ve noted some of their favourites and will be enjoying those on Thursdays. So far, we’ve listened to Curt’s daughter, Diva Smith’s song ‘Bet,’ Pascal Orzabal/Quarterboy’s 4 tracks available on bandcamp, Apple music, Spotify, etc. and Kimbra who released a new album in January of this year. *Pascal is one “L” – just to clear the record.

Will there be a Tears for Fears tour 2023?

There’s been some chatter from some anxious people who want to see tour info – notably some of it has been from those who do not actually join the tours but love to live vicariously through the many thousands who do. There’s also several who said, “Geez, I hope they’ll return to the USA one day.” Remember Roland’s joke from Shepherd’s Bush. It will remind you that most of the band (including him) have homes in the states. In addition to basking in the fact that they actually have homes in your country, Roland noted they will continue to do stateside tours as they have been almost consecutively since 2005. Along with a big dose of patience, remember, there’s a handful of UK shows to address including Pryzm. Let patience and understanding be our personal theme this year. Once they’ve solidified their calendar and plans, the information will be distributed and those of us who can make it out will move forward.

Oleta Adams’ will be in concert this month and next. Her upcoming show at the Folly Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri is on the 11th of March (this Saturday) at 8pm. She’ll have another show on the 14th of April in San Antonio, Texas. Be sure to keep up with her website so you don’t miss a beat!

Jamie’s in the News!

Be sure to catch Jamie Wollam’s interview in Drum Club Magazine Italy. It’s a great read!

Band Family News

Raoul Orzabal’s art prints are for sale. His latest work was shared this week and it is spectacular. Several of us own pieces of his art and it is worth every penny. These pieces work well in any home or office. Learn more about how to obtain one for your place by visiting his website.

Captain Julian Orzabal, Dion and team continue working on their music. Be sure to join them on Facebook for the latest updates. If you haven’t bought your copy of their previous album, don’t hesitate. It’s great for road trips, commutes and hanging out with friends. Really good stuff!

Price of Fandom

Whether the band tours this year or not, we want to re-emphasise how awesome it was to have the VIP options in 2022. They reminded us of the VIP Fan Experience app we worked on in 2019. To those who helped with user research on that app, let’s be clear, the app was a prototype produced by Andye the Moderator but no confirmation from Tears for Fears was given as to whether or not they, Tears for Fears, used this specific prototype to design last year’s VIP options for the tour. Several Tears for Fears fans were involved in testing the app prototype and answered questions to help create the final iteration. The semi-completed prototype was then sent to a band member in 2019. Coincidentally, several of the same features and merch perks were available through their VIP partnership with On the List Presents during the US tour in 2022. These features made it affordable to attend more than one show and we are grateful to Tears for Fears for it!

Tears for Fears’ friends, Duran Duran, our sibling band, also had a very interesting offer for their Ibiza trip for fans. It, too, had similar features to the app. They used the option to book accommodations plus concert tickets, etc. which created a unique upscale fan experience. Much like the features on the app we designed, which featured a Duran Duran option, the Ibiza event included a complete show package from start to finish. Again, we have no proof that they used or were inspired by the VIP app concept. For both bands it was a first in our living memory of having a more curated VIP fan experience where we got great seats, merch and so much more with each ticket! We are truly grateful! We sure hope they continue with these types of packages because it helps with seating. Let’s say that one more time.

WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL! WE SURE HOPE THEY CONTINUE WITH THESE TYPES OF PACKAGES BECAUSE IT HELPS WITH SEATING! aka – for heaven’s sake, please keep the VIP option!

In a coming mini-documentary (TFF Rockumemories of 2022) we note the price of the VIP tickets for 2022. It was more economical If you purchased a ticket using the Tears for Fears presale codes through their site than it was to purchase directly from the venues’ options. A ticket in the same section as the VIP specified tickets (usually the first 10 rows center, right and left), could easily end up being $900-$1700 per ticket depending on the venue. We have receipts forbid someone want to argue. We took this tour very seriously and kept all the documents. While we’re not aiming to discuss “money,” or wag fingers at venues because that is just rude, we do want to say that Tears for Fears’ VIP made this tour extremely affordable compared to what the venues had in mind. We need these VIP options!

Does Tears for Fears have an app? Why didn’t they take the app prototype and use that to manage the VIP part of the tour? Answer: The prototype provides an idea, a suggestion. It’s not a one stop solution for ticket purchases and tour management. Apps also require a dedicated development team. Perhaps their management has devs but their resources were not used to build and maintain such a thing. The app would also require an api that allows the venue to distribute the tickets. Most venues are managed by Live Nation and Ticketmaster – and we all know how that experience can be. No shade on Ticketmaster but it is what it is right now. For some of us, it’s not the most enjoyable purchasing experience. So, we rely on presale codes to get tickets. It would cost a pretty penny to keep an app maintained and it may not really solve the issues and nuances that come with fandom. Not everyone wants to fly on Delta, not everyone wants to use a commercial hotel. So it may not be an efficient tool in the long run. But we had fun putting it together and we’re grateful that the concepts were used by both bands no matter where they got the idea. Other companies have been providing similar services for years so the app idea nor its features were 100% unique. We just wanted to have something for us so we can have a way to go to more shows than just one. Currently another fan member in the forum is looking to build a Tears for Fears ticket app for her school project.  So if you want to play around with that and see what it’s like  to be a part of user research, find her on the fan forum. Her name is Paola Fernanda. Her app is not affiliated with the band, but again, is a school project.

Tears for Fears’ Travel Fans Rockumemories

Yes, we made a rockumentary featuring moments from the tour and a lot of songs that were featured in 2022. We do not have licensed music for it yet and that is the hold up. We may have to release it as it is and put one of those “we don’t own this music” disclaimers at the top. Still, it has to go through a lot of approvals. We look forward to sharing that when all the legalities are done. Again, thanks everyone that provided photos, videos and so much more. It helped make Tears for Fears  – The Tipping Point Tour aka “The Healing Tour” memories some of the best yet to come!

Shoutout to Shannon Green’s kids. Shannon is a member of the Tears for Fears Fan Forum. She recently found her son singing Shout in its entirety and recorded it. If you’re a member of the fan forum, use this link to revisit that fun moment. If you’re not a member, you can join today via Facebook. There is no fee associated with joining the forum.

Shoutout to Michelle “Shelley” for getting one of the false Roland Orzabal accounts removed. She went out of her way to get Facebook and Instagram to remove the fake account which is among several that are actually requesting money. Roland would not do that. Huge thanks to all those behind the scenes, admins and others going out of their way to protect the band. You are seen!

Thanks for reading! More to come as we get the info! Cheers.

Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team

Always follow: @tearsforfears (FB & TW), @tearsforfearsmusic (IG), @curtsmithofficial (FB), @curtsmith (TW), @realoletaadams (TW)  @officialoletaadams (IG), @thereallevans (IG), and @jameswollam (IG)

@kerfuffleofkooks (FB) @papasfans (TW) – for information pertaining to Tears for Fears Travel Fan activities and life.

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)

Tears for Fears’ Travel Fan Quarterly Update Q3 2022

Dedicated to Tineka Rose’s mother who was a long-time fan of Tears for Fears. Her mother and family found joy listening to the band. Tineka and her family loved to play the albums on repeat. The band’s music helped their mother as she battled a serious illness. May her soul rest in peace and the family be comforted during this time.

The Bittersweet

After a very dreadful injury experienced by Curt, we’re grateful for the turnaround of late despite the shows that were halted. We learned from the BBC2 interview that Curt’s fall in the tour bus was the reason his ribs were fractured or broken. Scared us to pieces! Several of us spent quite some time in a state of prayer, adding his name and the band’s to prayer circles and envisioning him healthy and well again.  It was a lose-lose for both sides with the team having to cancel shows and local UK fans plus those from around the globe who flew in losing their opportunity to see the band after 3 years. Thankfully there were show refunds, and most important, Curt recovered!

Then Her Majesty the Queen passed away and services were scheduled during the same days as the Leeds Festival with the BBC and the long awaited Pryzm show in London. This led to additional cancellations. Several fans had already landed in London when many of these unexpected situations occurred. It’s the tough part about being a travel fan. Some issues are totally out of our control. The lesson we learned from this is to do our best to book hotels and options that have realistic refund policies. We also hope that band management can help us out with timely cancellation notices.

Big shoutout to Lady Tamara who, like many, pushed forward and made the most of the situation. She spent a memorable time throughout the UK with members of Libre Stone and the Tears for Fears fan family. She has a ton of amazing photos from her trip. She’s no stranger to the nation(s). She’s seen this and similar situations before. We’re so happy that she got to spend time in Peter Gabriel’s studio where Libre Stone album production has been underway. She also spent time with Radio Bath team members and members of Curt’s family. That is very rewarding!

Tamara with Dion and Gunner of Libre Stone

Another rewarding moment in the midst of some of the disappointment of the UK shows being paused were Daniella’s dolls. She designed this cute set of darlings with various scenarios detailing what things may have looked like behind the scenes. The popularity of the dolls was so intense she got requests to create a set for various fans. We love them and we appreciate the comfort these dolls brought during what for us was a very scary situation. We’re thrilled that Curt is well and look forward to all the good things to come in fan land.

More Honours

Though the 2022 Tears for Fears tour season seems to have come to a close, we got news of some unannounced pluses for the beloved pair and their pals. They were honoured and performed at the Deutsch Radio Press event this month. Throughout the night they were mentioned, applauded and praised by fellow bands, the media and the event hosts. Then there were a few more interviews, commentary about the Queen’s passing and additional appearances that took place in Europe.

Our favourite right now is the session they did with KCRW. In this iconic space, the band sang the first few songs from the set list of the 2022 tour. It was very touching and beautiful.

Long, Long, Long Time Video

On the 18th of August, we were gifted by the band’s new video. The response was incredible but much like the ILYBIL video, the band was just not in it. That upset some fans. They crave a good R&C dance scene and singing. Some fans were slightly militant about it, noting angrily that the video should have featured the guys. ‘Boys of Summer’ was void of their members but it’s still a great song and so is this one. We’re just happy to have a video but yeah, c’mon Roland and Curt, smile for the camera! Take us with you!

Song Anniversaries and Significant Moments:

The month of September is FULL of Tears for Fears anniversaries for the band and the fans. Some of the band’s best and most memorable concerts in the last 10 years have occurred in September. We’re also celebrating the 33rd Anniversary of Sowing the Seeds of Love and the 40th Anniversary of Mad World.

The 11th of September (2001) was the anniversary of the sacred Tomcats Screaming Outside – Roland’s solo album that was filled with timeless mega beats that are still a hit among those fans that have a copy. It’s very hard to get and when one does find it, it’s often attached to quite a price tag. It is indeed priceless so we understand. We have literally asked Roland for it to be re-released along with several solo pieces from Curt (to be put into an album of its own that some of us like to call The Genius Brain).

There was the 17 September (2011) show at the Wiltern where Roland began gifting the microphone to an audience member. The first one was Andye. This is also the commencement (2010) of the Tears for Fears Travel fans commitment to aim to go to as many shows as possible every tour.

Mike B., Pennie and her brother Danny Cricks spent time standing at the gate with fellow fans in line for HOURS to attend the TFF show.

To top it off, the 23rd of September is the day ‘The Working Hour’ showed up on the tour after being absent for yearrrrs thanks to saxman David Moyer of DDHorns. Mr. Moyer joined the band for several appearances including one that night at The Wiltern where fans were overjoyed to tears hearing that song live. It was an epic moment to say the least.

We also celebrated three birthdays. Curt’s gorgeous wife in August, then Diva Smith, Curt’s darling first child, celebrated a birthday on the 14th of September! You can get her music here. The third of course was last month on the 22nd, the Good Sir, Roland Orzabal began his 61st turn around the sun with lots of love and well wishes in tow.

What’s everyone up to right now?

Lauren is out and about. We saw a video of her this summer singing one of Whitney Houston/Dolly Parton’s famous ballads and it was so beautiful. We pray her schedule will be filled next year with Tears for Fears busiment. Carina’s schedule is filled with her band Puscifer. She was also at the #DRP22 ceremony.

Oleta Adams‘ tour has begun and several fans have their tickets, some having already seen her to start off the autumn months. Her summer tour was amazing and we look forward to supporting her upcoming shows as well.

Neil Taylor has lot of cool shares online and interactions. Be sure to check those out!

Raoul Orzabal’s art and work was featured in the Financial Times.

Libre Stone are super busy with their next album. Several fans and supporters were allowed to be in studio during some of the recording. The legend, Chris M. Hughes was also on hand. The band then had their first show as a group at Komedia in Bath. The audience was packed with top names including notable producers, travel fans and a young Mr. Raoul Orzabal.

Photo by Paula Smith featuring Jamie Wollam of TFF, Andy Carr of ABC, Julian Orzabal of Libre Stone, Chris Hughes the Legend, and Dion Smith of Libre Stone

Many thanks to Darren for providing live video from the show and big welcome to Chris Nichols and Danny Cricks as Libre Stone moderating team members. The band also did a Q&A available on YouTube. One of our favourite moments was in July when the band joined media member and Bath Radio icon, Dave Mason at Radio Bath for a great interview.  We’re excited about the future for LS! Gonna be a good one!

Many fans are still working on their thoughts from the tour, putting together summaries video collections and looking at their finances wondering how to do this again. It’s an ongoing question as we do our best to support the band. We’re hoping residency shows are on the list for the future. The band is busy with next year’s plans, more promotions, conversations and the World Cup FIFA collaboration with Lil Baby! Checkout the song here:

Lots of former fans still finding their way through the new material and material post SOL. That means lots of questions and surprised finds. In some groups, you’ll see people who are returning after the successful marketing of the The Tipping Point but are not aware of ELAHE, TSO, RATKOS or even Elemental. As shocking as it can be, we’ll continue to be patient and flood their threads with all the new info so they can sing along at the upcoming shows. There’s also the new fans in their teens and 20s who are discovering photos, interviews and information that many of us archived years ago. It’s exciting to see them discover it for the first time and share the moments when we were there for those super special events. The Tears for Fears fan family has grown to well over 1 million with over 47 groups on Facebook and multiple fan accounts on IG. The fandom may be close to 2M at this point. Cheers to the good years and those to come! Enjoy this great set from the summer and leave a comment for Mr. Javaruski – he’s one of us! More memories and fan fun moments to share in the coming months.

Thanks for reading!

-TFF Travel Fan Team

Follow: @tearsforfears @tearsforfearsmusic (IG) @curtsmith @therealoletaadams @thereallaurenevans (IG) @stone.libre/@librestone (IG) @papasfans @tfftravelfans (IG)

*Shoutout to Chris Wave for updating the Media Page featuring all TFF TV appearances available from 1982 to present day. There’s also the Band Members in the News that we’re updating.

Tears for Fears Travel Fans in Atlanta
Love this crew! Tears for Fears fans for life!

Tears for Fears Touching Hearts in Texas

Dedicated to Keanu and all the kids at the shows! May your light shine and your dreams take you to all the great stages of the world!

Keanu and his Dad “Bblaze” – long time Tears for Fears fan driving nationwide from show to show!

Despite the devastating news of the day, Tears for Fears stepped in as a comfort in Dallas. The band lit up the night along with the accompanying thunder and rain in the region. Fans flew in early, many knowing that the night might be sullied by torrential rain. VIP Soundcheck went unscathed but the wind and the rain made it impossible for concert attendees to stay on the lawn. The venue ushered in as many as they could to a safer area of the venue so they could watch…however, it has come to our attention that some were turned away and told they can get a refund.

Earlier, a fan noted that her assistant had sent a photo of a sign noting that the lawn seats were likely a no-go. If you have not gotten your refund or need assistance let us know. Happy to research that for you and perhaps connect you with others in the same situation. That is painful and unfortunate as we know many brought their kids in hopes of a family night out to watch the band live and in person. Don’t lose hope, Texas has been on the tour list for several tours. They’ll likely return and, of course, there’s the TFF travel fan team to help you get to the next concert destination should you like to try and see them this year!

The crowd was incredible! From the start, Tears for Fears Travel fans like, Bblaze and his son Keanu were present as were two other ROCSaTears, Becky and Carolyn. They were there for soundcheck and Roland noticed some of the Libre Stone shirts it the audience. He also seemed to light up at the familiar faces, recognizing fans he had seen many times, flying out to support the show. Soon after, fans began sending in photos of themselves with other fans, the fan family reunion was in full swing. Shoutout to the lady who came to the Winstar show in 2014. She and her husband made it to this one as well!

The effervescent energy of this show has shocked so many. One of the first things several fans have noted is how energetic Roland and Curt are on stage. They mentioned time and time again how animated everyone is and the entire concert is absolutely electric with euphoria. There were some solemn but soulful moments, such as when ‘Suffer the Children,’ was sung. Carina Round gave it her all as the majority of the room stood standing very still ensconced with her voice and perhaps out of respect for the lives lost that day. ‘Mad World’ was particularly precious and Curt tweeted about it after the show.

“That concert was the biggest therapy session I have ever seen,” noted Bblaze who has been driving nationwide to shows for more than decade. Others spoke up about how they felt healed and one lady said she was so touched, she walked home in the rain. Tears for Fears will do that to you. They always have music that suits the times…at the right time.

The next day fans travelled to a suburb just outside Houston called Sugar Land, Texas. This is the former home of one of the Travel Fan admin’s uncle, who introduced her to their music as a toddler. Shoutout to the late Uncle Hurley. This is especially important because there were MANY kids there with their parents getting to hear Tears for Fears live for the first time. These kids are likely to go on to take their kids to shows. They may even be front row for Diva Smith and Pascal Orzabal, who knows! Kudos to all the parents who had their mini-mes right beside them singing and dancing along. What a blessing to be able to share Tears for Fears music with the next generation. How exciting is that?!

The excitement at this show was from start to finish – from the time the fans arrived to the finale. Big props to Jamie Wollam for coming out in the lobby. The Curry Family and Tania M. were able to grab a photo with him. Jamie also went above and beyond as he always does. Very grateful for him and we appreciate him infinitely.

Soundcheck was superbly solid. The Houston show also gave fans a perk. Tears for Fears debuted the music video for ‘My Demons.’ Danny C., admin for a Tears for Fears fan groups online, marveled at it. He and others are super excited about its release…and what a treat to be able to see it first before anyone else.

My Demons Previewed in Houston

Fans noted that this specific show was filled with fans who had been supporting the band’s music since The Hurting. They were very much into the hits as shown on Marshall, of TFF UK’s video of ‘Head over Heels.” Fans sang that song with so much passion and rocked out to the “Broken” version ending as we all are known to do. That ending alone should land the band a spot in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Accoutrements

As mentioned, multiple times, one of the best things about these shows are the segues between the opening act and the commentary by Roland and Curt during the show. It has been verified that the music everyone is hearing are covers of the band’s songs during the segue. The songs were reproduced by a young man that Roland discussed during an interview. He goes by Brothertiger. In particular, he covered Songs from the Big Chair in its entirety – including the infamous line in ‘Listen’ that was deciphered during a BBC Song documentary on the band some years ago. There are three versions of the line, “Wrap me up a tikka chicken take-away” and “Cumpleanos chica, no hay cuperse.” The line is neither. It’s actually Swahili and …well, it does have to do with a chicken. Please be sure to watch that documentary for the correct line or find one of the travel fans, who may be wearing the slogan on a t-shirt.

The commentary from Roland was particularly funny – he’s been telling a lockdown joke that has left the crowd giggling and in stitches lol. We live for those moments. He could do a 30 min joke set before the show and we’d pay for that too.

Videos, photos and more trickled in slowly after this show. Fans were up bright and early the next morning loading tons to the fan generated TFF groups on Facebook and loading multiple videos and clips from the show to Instagram. Exhausted but happy, the Travel Fans are headed to the next show in Phoenix…many are already there. Let’s see what happens tonight!

Many thanks to Mr. Curry for the photos. Huge thanks to everyone who called and participated in the post-show discussions and superfan sessions. We had a lot of fun despite lack of sleep! Safe Travels!

-Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team

Follow @tearsforfears @curtsmith (@papasfans for fun travel news)

Tears for Fears Serenade Cincinnati & Cuyahoga

Dedicated to Stephen and Sean (TFF UK), Andrea M., Lady Tamara, Cathy, Laura O. and Sharon

Let us take a moment to thank the Almighty Universe that the band completed their first two shows flawlessly. Tears for fears spent the weekend in Ohio, first in Cincinnati (20th) and then Cuyahoga/Cleveland on Saturday (21st). Big thanks to the fans who helped fellow fans get VIP tickets and premium seats. Some fans literally gifted 2-3 seats to fans to ensure everyone that needed a ticket was able to get one. Fans flew in from all over the globe to attend this show. Big shoutout to the Tears for Fears Travel fans and fan forum members who came out in full force with the blue tees! What an incredible way to represent the soldiers of sound!

The goal of the synopsis is to give fans who are travelling and those who may not make it, a chance to understand what it’s like to follow a band from city to city out of love and support.

The trek to get to Cincinnati included a lot of flying and driving. Tamara drove from Nashville. Stephen and Sean flew in from the UK. Might as well let it be known that Stephen is the official Tears for Fears Fan Ambassador and Guest of Honour. He’ll be at every single show. We’re so honoured to have him representing us at each event. The teams battled the blazing heat, humidity and lack of shade during VIP check-in. It began at the specified time and then there was another hour or so of waiting around to be able to go in. The trek over to VIP was a bit much. Way too much walking if you’re injured or in any kind of pain. Not saying that injured individuals should think twice about this option but you need to know that there was a bit of walking at this specific tour stop. So, look at the maps and the distance from various points so you can plan accordingly.  We have quite a few people in our fan family of diverse abilities and so we may need to start hiring assistants to get from point A to point B if amphitheatres are going to be the norm. We’re not implying that the band need to provide it with VIP we’re just collectively discussing how we’re going to manage this in the future.

Once inside, fans were asked to line up single file in no particular order. So if you were the first one to buy a VIP pass, you may not necessarily be the first person in line. They are not numbered. Fans were then led into the amphitheatre where the band came out and welcomed them to soundcheck. No phones, no cameras, no media allowed. Just the fans and the band. Roland and Curt made some fun, warm and cozy conversation with the VIP audience. For several, they kind of wished this was the whole show, an intimate, fun cozy set with the band. And let’s just throw this out there…we’re here for it. If Tears for Fears wishes to have several shows a night in one city with under 100 people at a time…name your price!

After the soundcheck, which included Carina, Lauren will be on the east coast shows and half of the UK (so excited about her joining – heaven bless this tour), amphitheatre staff led the fans out of the area to wait for the show. This part was uncomfortable because it was hot. You couldn’t sit in the amphitheatre and wait for the show to start. You had to go in the heat outside unless you had a car to sit in. Given that many are flying in from around the world and getting dropped off by car services like Uber, it is very uncomfortable for them to sit outside. Not sure how to remedy that right now. So, bring a hat, sunscreen and whatever comfort you can get. Not sure why we can’t stay indoors but again, this is not a complaint and we don’t want this to detract from the euphoria that is Tears for Fears tours. The band members do not have a say in these types of decisions.

Merch table included a variety of new things that are not all on the official website. There’s the official Tears for Fears 2022 tour tshirt with all the cities. There’s a different version of the sun emblem long sleeve shirt and a few other items that you’ll have to attend the event to purchase or ask a fellow fan to buy for you. You may want to download cashapp so that fans can easily accept payment for the items you want and then have them mailed to you. Because there is so much new merch, buying one of everything meant we had loads of stuff to carry around into the amphitheatre. So, we let them know that this is a bit difficult. We can only bring in a clear bag that is 12x12x6 (see the official measurements on the venue page please – don’t quote us). But all that merch plus a breakable enamel Tears for Fears mug does not fit in that bag nor does that mug travel well in a busy venue with people dancing and singing. The venue understood our concern and said we could take our merch back to the car. Thank goodness!

After that, all was great! Venue opened, people got their seats and we had a blast!! Garbage as an opening act is incredible! Several fans reported they felt they sounded as amazing as an actual recorded album. Shirley Manson, their lead, wore an incredible ensemble and sounded as awesome as ever! We don’t have the full set list of songs she sang but many of the hits were performed (e.g. Stupid Girl, Only Happy When it Rains).

One of the biggest treats of the time between an opener and Tears for Fears is the music played in between. That usually consists of Stand or Fall, Ashes to Ashes and a few other cool songs. Fans noted they themselves were in such a state of euphoria that they don’t remember if any of these favourites were played on the sound system.

Tears for Fears Take the Stage…

The band entered the stage to ‘Stay.’ This worried some because here it is…that song is the most beautiful worrisome ballad outside of the other two worrisome songs which shall not be named (hint: fish and Sun). When people don’t know why something happens, they make something up. So here’s what we came up with… This tour is promoting the new album. Seven new songs are on this tour. The band opens with ‘No Small Thing’ which we knew was going to happen so what other walk out music were they going to use? ‘Listen’ would be ideal as a walkout and lead into ‘No Small Thing.’ However, ‘Stay’ it is… What we want fellow fans to try to do (and this will be difficult and may require supplements like a B-stress complex vitamin) is to not make assumptions or feel like there’s a hidden meaning in using that to start a show. Because right now, that’s how several feel. They’re worried the band is trying to give us a message. Here’s what we do know. The band said and expressed repeatedly how much this album meshed and reignited their collaboration and brotherhood. Let’s believe them and trust that ‘Stay’ was used because it’s a great lead in to ‘No Small Thing.’ *Update, fellow fan says they heard ‘Listen’ before the encore at this show…we’ll confirm.

The show then continued with several top favourites from The Tipping Point (see set list – thank you Lady Tamara and King of Cool Cuisine Posts in California). The show also included one or two quick conversations with the crowd. One led by Roland and another by Curt. Now…we usually get a little more than that and we look forward to it. But we also understand this is a concert, not a speech. So…we’ll gladly enjoy the music. But as we often say, they could come out and sit down and just stare and we’d swoon and scream. If they followed that sit down with a cup of tea and had a conversation we’d be all in it and ask for more.

Carina performed Suffer the Children in what has become a very special and anticipated part of the show. Carina’s approach to the song is so perfect. We’re not sure if Lauren will also be given the song to sing. Her professional singing career and from what we’ve heard so far on her published work make it clear she can handle anything. So…throw down the challenge to the band. Carina can keep STC and Lauren can tackle “Me & My Big Ideas” on this tour. We’ll bring the salts to revive all those who may faint.

At the end of the Cincinnati show, fan teams  headed on out pretty quick. The day had been long, the earlier heat had worn them out. Not much by the way of fan photos post show. But there were plenty before. Enjoy!

Day two in Ohio brought with it the other elements for which Tears for Fears are known. If you noticed, at least 2x a week since 2010 during a tour there’s a day where the city or skies above the venue experience The Sun, The Moon, The Wind…and The Rain! Cincinnati had the Sun and the Moon. Cuyahoga had the Wind and the Rain…it POURED! It was so bad, they had to delay VIP by one hour. No one was allowed in certain sections of the event area until 6:30pm. Fans were caught out in that mess and had to attend the concert completely soaked. So, we guess that it’s crucial to bring a poncho after all.

But once it cleared, fans lined up for merch and soon found their way to their seats. There was a sound check and all went well. It led to an incredibly beautiful clear night and the fan family came out tenfold to support the band. They sang at the top of their lungs and the energy permeated through to the band members themselves. Curt noted it on Twitter how loud the crowd was and that’s a good thing. All that love flowed out like a river! And that, dear fan family, was the show!

We do not know who the men are that recorded the concert with professional broadcast quality cameras. There was one on each side of the stage in Cincinnati. Perhaps there will be a concert DVD? We’ve seen that before but never actually saw anything come of it. We sure hope this time someone is putting together a reel we can buy. One thing we do want to note is that if you’re on the first or second row…it’s best not to hold up a camera in Roland’s face. We’re just going to flat out say it, it makes him uncomfortable. Several of us noticed it and have noticed it for years. It’s also kind of rude. He likes for fans to just enjoy the show…and in all honesty it’s hard to enjoy a show when you’re fiddling with your phone. So please keep that in mind. Let’s give them our full attention.

If you do have photos and snippets you want to share please let us know. We will not accept full video of a song from up close. You can email us or contact us via Twitter or Facebook. We’ll gladly add them with your name credit and include a page about you and your experience, if you’d like, on this site where we archive our fan life with Tears for Fears. Be sure to check-in before and after the show on Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram. Use hashtag #TFF22. We can’t wait to see and hug you in person! Safe travels!

-Tears for Fears Travel Fan Team

Follow @tearsforfears on Twitter, @tearsforfearsmusic on Instagram @curtsmith on Twitter (for fan shenanigans follow @papasfans)

*more footage from Ohio may be added at a later date. Some of the files were so large we couldn’t edit them in time. We don’t want to make people wait too long for a synopsis.

Tears for Fears Travel Fans Q2 Update

Dedicated to Lady Tamara and the Friday Night Fry Up Team who led us up to the day of the release. Their team and many at Radio Bath (i.e. Dave Mason) continued to play Tears for Fears’ music as well as provide amazing in-depth interviews with the band. We remain grateful for it. *Featured photo is Gwen of TFF UK with Roland and Curt at an event celebrating The Tipping Point’s release.

The album is a roaring success. It’s in the hands of a lot of long-time loyal fans as well as returning fans plus new ones and an additional generation of music lovers. The album came out at a very important time and right near the anniversaries of that which started it all.

The Tipping Point led to even more fans celebrating the band’s first official album under the name Tears for Fears – The Hurting – released the 7th of March in 1983. It is still being incorporated into events, sampled by so many artists and still being sung today- even in schools, choirs and important political movements. Alongside the new album, The Hurting has been highly discussed/mentioned in recent interviews by producers, podcast hosts and tweeted by fans, some of whom stateside noted they discovered it after SFTBC.

Unlike other albums and releases, we feel The Tipping Point was brought into the world in proper fashion. Huge thanks to Tears for Fears management’s marketing team or whomever on the management side that ensured this album was highlighted on all social platforms including sponsored hashtags. The best part of all the highlights and countdowns were the numerous interviews, Q&As and in-person events in which the band participated. From Graduate to present day, the interviews with the band touched on every nook and cranny of their history. This list may not have all the interviews but it does include some of the agreed upon top favourites!

Bespoke Interviews

The top favourites were Dave Mason of Radio Bath and Nihal Arthanayake of BBC radio 5’s as they gave listeners incredible listening experiences. If you haven’t heard them you missed out on an incredible moment!! Schedule time to dive into the replays tonight or sometime this week.

Listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/radiobath/tears-for-fears-album-special-the-tipping-point-part-1/

BBC’s Nihal Arthanayake conducted another stunner that is deep, well-executed and brilliant on every level. Mr. Arthanayake did his homework and research so thoroughly that he was able to touch on some of the even earlier beginnings of the band which prompted Roland and Curt to go even further with glimpses and descriptions of their childhood that went far beyond knowing that Roland was appreciative of Curt’s voice after hearing him singing a song by Blue Oyster Cult. It goes MUCH further than most interviews. There are so many new pieces of info and memories shared than previous years. It’s certainly worth the listen.

Additional gems include the following and don’t miss out on Drummer Genius Jamie’s interview on The Real Hope podcast noted below.

Sunday Morning on CBS:

Good Morning America

The Colbert Show

Break the Man Debut with Band Q&A on YouTube

TFF articles

France:

GQ

Creative Independent

Vulture:

Reset Podcast

Kyle Meredith

Newsweek

Full Cry

https://recordcollectormag.com/issue/february-2022

Pocket Mags

Zoot

Dreams of Children

Tape Op

Audacity: (Facebook)

Associated Press (AP):

BBC

Classic Pop Magazine:

Deezer:

iHeart Radio – Inside the Studio:

Irish Times

Another from Irish Times

Metal Talk:

Music Week:

New York Times

NPR:

Nostaligie

Parismatch:

PurePopForNowPeople

Record Store Day Podcast:

SiriusXM –

Spin Magazine:

Sodajerker:

The Afterword:

The Independent:

The Post:

The Real Hope Podcast (featuring Drummer Genius Jamie)

The Star: https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2022/02/11/tears-for-fears-discuss-the-long-road-to-the-tipping-point.html

Tidal:

Variety:

Vertigo: (may be over)

Virgin Radio UK:

These interviews have been extensive and while most of us hardcore folks know these answers to the questions, we did learn something new with each one. Yes, we knew Roland heard Curt singing a song by Blue Oyster Cult but we learned more about their interactions prior to Roland hearing him sing and the things that led up to the blessed day these twin flames kindled their bond of musical brotherly love.

It’s worth it to listen to each interview twice – they’re THAT good! It’ll take you a month but if you’re a loyal lover of music you’ll be glad you did. Lots of good stuff!! (There were also podcasts and newspaper articles (i.e. Songcraft and Sacramento Bee newspaper))

The Arrival…

The Tipping Point released right on time. We got it at midnight Friday the 25th – same day as SFTBC in 85. Like New Year’s Day, we watched it come into existence starting in The Philippines with Joyce from the Tears for Fears Phils Kook group and eventually to the states with Andye.

As part of the release, several fans got to hear more than just the singles at events. In addition to NST, TTP and BTM, fans heard the remaining songs from the album. At a Q&A in Hackney, several fans got to ask questions including Tears for Fears Fan Forum members Gwen and Darren. Both of their questions were referred to on separate occasions not long after the Q&A. Darren’s ended up in the newspaper. Certainly a really cool moment compared to the last time one of our fan conversations made headlines (i.e. Q1 2019 Andye and Curt re: some discomfort Curt was having – of which we learned more about in the subsequent interviews of 2021 and 2022 and the backstory to the song Stay – track 10 on TTP. That conversation, of course, will go down in history like SK and FOW – insightful, but let us lay it to rest. We’re focusing on these guys’ loving future together).

Thankfully, in this process we learned that the two angels were not fighting but moreso they, in the end, were not excited with what they were working on. Musical “speed dating with some of today’s most notable musicians” did not produce the results and quality they wanted. This lack of satisfaction with the early songs led to conversations with one another and the two had a sit down in Curt’s beautiful and blessed house with their acoustic guitars. There, they began these miraculously sublime songs – ‘No Small Thing’ being one. The two bonded and deep dived into all the feels. The result, with the help of Charlton plus a few others, we, the fans, were gifted with 13 songs. Each one is performing a ton of emotional surgeries virtually for fans who were longing for the band’s healing voices. In the fan forum, testimonials about how The Tipping Point is getting followers through some tough times are peppered throughout the comments. Their voices are the medicine we need.

The spot where the healing began…beautiful!

The mental image of fans resting with their eyes closed, headphones on while the lyrics mend their hearts, minds, past and present hurts is a phenomenal scene. Tweets, posts and videos discussing the magnificence of it all made it clear that the magic and blessing of the band is still as strong as ever. CDs plus several of the colourful vinyls sold exponentially leading them to the #1 and #2 spots on a variety of charts for a little over two weeks. Some fans don’t even own a record player but bought the LPs anyway. Thank you Chris Hammond, Matthew Stewart and others for sharing your vinyl photos.

The reviews have continued to pour out the praise!

DJs from back in the day to present spent a lot of time discussing the album. One of the best online dedication events was with Jake Rudh. His Transmission show was hours of Tears for Fears music videos including Graduate plus TFF peers like Kate Bush and Yaz/Alison Moyet. He even played ‘Russians’ by Sting/The Police. Imagine being at a video party with a big screen and every gem from the decade’s UK based bands playing alongside deep cuts by Tears for Fears and Graduate. It was incredible!!!! Thank you DJ Rudh!

Fan Interactions/Band Chats

As mentioned, the band took time immediately following the release to hang out with UK fans. And when you think it’s all over…it’s not over…it’s not over ::takes a bite out of this tangerine::. Tears for Fears went further by partnering with various records stores and dedicated music locations. They met up with fans AGAIN, answered questions, signed autographs and got to meet even more of their loyal base ahead of the tour. It should be noted that hundreds have bought, not one ticket, but, as we encourage, multiple so they can follow the tour from start to finish. The band will see a lot of their dedicated Travel Fans in the audience. Maybe we’ll all fill up our gas tanks at the same station along the way. Big shoutout to Darren, Gwen, Stephen and team for getting out to these UK events and ensuring the soldiers of sound are well represented.

There was also a chance to chat with Curt on Reddit. Sadly if you didn’t already have an account, your questions did not appear. But we suggest holding on to your account in case there’s another Reddit chat opportunity. Listen: https://reddit.app.link/3fVKoq1V4nb

Tim made good on the listening party opportunity. We got to sit with Curt and thousands of fans on Twitter and go over each track together with backstory information on every song. It was an amazing hour! Tim made good on his word – Twitter Listening Party

Tears for Fears also hosted their own “Twitter Q&A” by allowing us all to send in questions. One of the highlights was learning about the lone woman in BTM. She does represent the fact that some people will go along just to get along. BTM is a powerful song that we hope will be used in anthems to come as the globe pushes for more equality on multiple levels including women having more of a say in healthcare laws that pertain to issues that only women are forced to deal with due to biology (e.g. ovarian cancer, etc.).

Reactions to the album have prompted several to dedicate themselves further to the band. Lady Tamara got a TFF license plate and a new tattoo. Body art seemed to be the most popular way to show one’s love for the band. Others made their own merch in addition to that which was provided by the band.

All while the album was being celebrated, lots of other cool things were going on simultaneously. Charlton and Michael Wainwright celebrated a birthday, Jamie joined A&F Drums. Oleta Adams started her 2022 tour and several fans got to see her and get their merchandise signed. We also learned that Doug Petty put together some piano arrangements of the band’s work and Curt mentioned they’d likely be releasing that in the future. We expect a residency show to accompany it where we can dress to the nine’s and listen in a grand theatre setting. We’ll likely nag them to pieces until this actually happens because…well…that’s kinda what we do. We were swept off our feet with the BBC Piano Room show and there’s no way on earth we can settle for just that one occurrence. We can’t wait for more.

Watch Tears For Fears Play Three Songs With The BBC Concert Orchestra

If you somehow have to miss this tour, more shows have been added for the fall. There’s a Banquet Interview and Q&A to come. It is sold out but we do have some spare tickets. Contact us on Facebook or Twitter if you need them. Also, if you didn’t hear back from the band personally, that doesn’t mean they didn’t see what you said. The response to the album and all that went on was INTENSE and overflowing. They sent out a thank you. See these kind words from the band…

The Returning Fans

As mentioned, the band’s management’s marketing teams brought in a ton of returning fans. Some mentioned their fandom kind of dropped off after Seeds of Love. And the headlines around the band’s album have all been about a “comeback” as if the band has been hiding away in some cave for the last 20 years…and we know that’s not true. The band has been touring almost annually since ELAHE was released. So at the top of the Tears for Fears’ Travel Fans accounts you’ll find a summary and guide that helps new people and returners.

Examining the Music

As much as we want to move forward and not hold the band to their early hits so we can enjoy all that they are providing for us in the present and future, it’s hard not see Rick Beato’s video on Everybody Wants to Rule the World. He’s done another featuring Tears for Fears but this one specifically really touched our hearts. EWTRTW hits different…it has a universal power that has been blessed. Mr. Beato really digs in and lays the song out in layers. It’s like looking at the anatomy of something great. Enjoy this. Leave him a note and let him know you appreciate it! He’s fan like the rest of us.

Curt reminded us that 1 April is the original Tears for Fears Live Concert Day. Tears for Fears had their first show at Moles 40 years ago this year. That’s the age of many of us (or close to it) in the Toddlers for Tears for Fears sub group. We were running around in our little dresses, short pants and tiny t-shirts singing the words all wrong. Meanwhile an amazing review was written and was preserved. So grateful for this wonderful digitised keepsake.

More Amazing Artwork

Another piece of fine artwork was created during this time. We thought it was a unique one time thing but apparently the artist made several copies. Lady Tamara and others were able to get one and it is stunning!

That nearly sums it up for Q2…there’s lots more and you can find it on the Tears for Fears Travel Fan & Kooks page and the Fan Forum. Also checkout a new group “The Tears for Fears Gratitude and Appreciation Group” on Facebook. We’re looking forward to partnering with them on a cool fan generated project. Big thanks to The Curry Family and the Tears for Fears Fan Forum for all their work to ensure everyone got an album, the deluxe set, Raoul’s new artwork and so much more during this time. Members and the Curry family went above and beyond to make sure that teams got tickets, travel accommodations and so much more. The Tears for Fears Travel fan team has distributed all the tickets except the VIPs which will have to be picked up at Will Call with the designated ticket holders. We’ll be having additional meetings and logistics discussions along the way. We’ll be tweeting along the way. We do not expect to do any M&Gs with the band this time around but if you see “Roll Call” on our Twitter or Facebook accounts get in touch right away to check-in for a fan activity.

So what’s next? The live shows! See you in a few weeks! Big thanks to management and the local authorities for making it possible for more people to attend the shows. Thanks to you, our readers, for reading! Be sure to follow the band on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. They’re also on TikTok.

@tearsforfears on Twitter | @tearsforfearsmusic on Instagram | Tears for Fears on Facebook – use the official account. Follow the travel fans excursions @papasfans on Twitter and ‘Tears for Fears & Kooks’ on Facebook

–Tears for Fears’ Travel Fan Team

The Tipping Point …A Summary of the Single’s Release

Dedicated to Shaun Smith and the Friday Night Fry Up team at Radio Bath! Thank you for making release day a two-day party! THAT was awesome!

It’s been an exciting three weeks to say the least. First Tears for Fears win an Ivor Novello award on the 21st of September 2021. Then we get a single release of Tipping Point from the anticipated album whose title the majority of us who huddle daily had solidly confirmed as early as 2017…and really, there was hinting of it prior to that. Music writers were discussing in depth by 2017. Many of us have had a sixth sense about the album. For example, we took one look at Curt’s tweet featuring Cinta Vidal and her gallery and said, “That has a Tears for Fears feel to it…possibly the cover artwork?” And what do you know? There it is…

Artwork by Cinta Vidal

Many thanks to Robert for confirming our prediction the morning of the release! We were right!

Much like Libre Stone featuring Captain Julian Orzabal, Roland’s brother’s band, the guys came correct with it by having not only the CD ready but all merch in place plus the video. All dropped simultaneously and we lept on that immediately. Note that they obliged us by having their names down the side of the sleeve. They know we LOVE that! We always want the name of the band on as much merch as possible. Represent!

One of many official items in the merch store…

There’s also the Super Deluxe option which includes the colourful vinyl and the cd plus the bonus tracks.

Standard copy will include:

  1. No Small Thing
  2. Tipping Point (the single)
  3. Long, Long, Long Time
  4. Break the Man
  5. My Demons
  6. Rivers of Mercy
  7. Please Be Happy (revised since we last heard it sung by Roland)
  8. Master Plan
  9. End of Night
  10. Stay (revised since we last heard it)

Deluxe copy will include:

All of the above plus ‘Let It All Evolve,’ Secret Location,’ and ‘The Shame’

That Video! It was directed by photographer and director Matt Mahurin. Many thanks to David Wild for that confirmation.

Two of the first radio stations to announce that they would play the single from the album were Radio Bath in Curt’s hometown and BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast show. Zoe had Curt as a featured guest. From what we learned from him, he was able to join the broadcast from his home in Los Angeles. While he and Zoe spoke, fans from all over the globe tuned in awaiting this moment. Fans as far away as Malaysia were tuned in and kudos to them. High five to everyone stateside who stayed up almost 48 hours planning and prepping for the moment. By 5am ET, we not only heard the new song, but had purchased our merch and shared the release on a number of Tears for Fears fan huddle spots (e.g. Tears for Fears Travel Fan page, Tears for Fears Fan forum, Tears for Fears Peru, etc.). From Facebook to Twitter and beyond, the Tipping Point single was spreading like wildfire to much praise and adoration. The random few who dared to deny its excellence were quickly shut down by numerous people including some negative guy who thought he was special because he had 10K followers on YouTube. That lackluster count was also shut down and he was left looking like a clown. Everyone else has not only applauded the Tipping Point but are writing about it within media and corporate circles.

Messages reflect that the band is multigenerational

“A fair number of corporate leaders in various industries got in touch with me by phone and text noting how much they loved it – including one from a certain famous soda company. I heard from colleagues past and present and made sure to share it with fellow media peeps. However, I do hope they are remaining vigilant in their entertainment news beat and will reach out to the band or management without prompt. I also plan to gently check-in with producers to see if they have any interview plans.” – Andye

Meanwhile, the print media in music has jumped right on it. The best thus far is The Guardian interview, first shown to us by Gwen of Tears for Fears UK. Take a moment to read it. It is important.

More articles featuring the band’s release:

Rolling Stone

NME Japan

Spotify has them on the cover of the Legends category playlist.

“Omgahd, Like Where Have They Been?”  RIGHT HERE, THEY NEVER LEFT! PAY ATTENTION!

The number of people coming out of the woodwork on Instagram with this question is astonishing. The good thing is none of those people self-proclaimed to be their number one fan…cause if they did we’d need to have a serious intervention to bring them off that high horse. The band has been producing music and they have given us all kinds of treats and music since ELAHE. Curt was kind enough to re-release Mayfield AND put together an incredible bundle for us with candy and keepsakes. He even put a full long-sleeved shirt in some of the bags. If you go to shows you’ll see people with yellow bands on their arms, lanyards that say VIK and they’re probably carrying a bag of Skittles because that is the official unofficial candy of Tears for Fears. He also had several events in L.A. and was a featured guest at Brit Week 2012. There was also this album ‘Deceptively Heavy,’ online chats and promotions around his frequent appearances on Psych with James Roday and Dule Hill. Roland joined Twitter for a few years and released Sex Drugs and Opera: There’s Life After Rock n’ Roll which included a book signing at the Winstar Hotel show in Oklahoma. Then, there were 2 Record Store Days where we got ‘Ready Boys & Girl,’ Massey Hall Toronto concert. There was also The Greatest Hits with ‘I Love You But I’m Lost’ and ‘Stay.’ That’s not something to ignore, it was fresh new music! They did this ALL WHILE caring for their families – with pets, two children each, getting their now young adults to University and helping them with their careers in music and art/design. Roland’s wife passed and he somehow pushed through the tears and found a way to create steeped in grief. No, they haven’t gone anywhere. We’ve all been walking side by side this whole time…which brings us back to the article.

If you note, the article describes how the band is living their life all while managing a music career. Meanwhile, in fan land, several of us are hilariously in our “between concerts routine” …like birds on a wire we’re perched and ready with our packed bags, checking the time for the daily Tears for Fears fan huddle hour online, checking Twitter for official band member tweets, and putting away travel money so we can leap up and get to a show at the drop of a hat.

The Family Is on a Roll!

As mentioned in the quarterly update, Libre Stone’s album has arrived in the mailbox of many and fans are loving it! Be sure to join in the fun!

Andye has put this playlist together featuring not just (the) ‘Tipping Point’ but also the aforementioned that the band released since 2013. There’s also Quarterboy – Roland’s son Pascal’s music as well as ‘Bet’ by Curt’s eldest daughter Lady Diva Smith. Be sure to purchase their music and enjoy the Spotify Playlist so the analytics behind it all will capture our enthusiasm for their music. The algorithm will work that into featured areas of the site and more will begin to listen to it as well. It has also been advised by fan forum moderator and members that it sounds even better when you listen with a good set of headphones…like, the real deal headphones. Try it and see the difference for yourself.

What’s next? Curt is going to be on Psych 3 singing “Thong Song” with Mr. Hill. Get your cold water ready…just kidding. Seriously, Curt will be on Psych 3: This is Gus (The Sequel to the Sequel). The movie streams on PeacockTV on the 18th of November, 2021. Peacock is currently free but you can get a premium membership that is so worth it! Check it out!

Courtesy CD/Silver Kitty Twitter

And of course, the band noted that additional concert information and plans will be coming up in some weeks…so, watch their space, this space and subscribe to their site so you don’t miss out. We’ll be here with summaries but it’s always great to see that email in your inbox from Tears for Fears!

For those in the Tears for Fears Fan Forum, there will be a t-shirt coming out soon. It looks really good. We’ll discuss that more when the purchase link is ready. Thanks for reading! Enjoy your band merch! *Little tip – that merch might release before the cd…if it does then you’ll want to make two separate orders. One for the merch and another for the cd. Read the fine print when you purchase.

Thanks again,

Tears for Fears Travel Fan Moderator Andye

Follow @tearsforfears (TW) @tearsforfearsmusic (IG) @curtsmith (TW) @stone_libre @LibreStone (IG) @pascalorzabal (TW) @papasfans (TW) @tfftravelfans (IG)

Another BIG THANKS to David and Mr. Mahurin as well as Shaun Smith and team at Radio Bath!!!

Happy Birthday Curt!!

We’ve been waiting’ for this day! We counted down, we got well so we could live to see the day, we worked out to be fit enough to party hard and we made it! We are with you Curt as you take this 60th turn around the sun!

While Curt is over in Italy lookin’ fine and fit as ever (We see you! Alright now!), fan pages have been jumpin’ all week with celebrations! Katie Sunflower got so excited she just threw her face in the cake! 

We ain’t mad at that – we get it! It got her 2nd place in our Curt Smith fun celebration fan fun! Speaking of cake, you all know that one of Curt’s favourites is the Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake from Valerie Confections. That thing is KING! Click here to order one. We’re getting another this weekend. It’s worth every cent!

As mentioned, Curt is living his best life this week in Toscana, Italia, his home away from home. We’ve seen him on a fun run and his daughter also shared some blissful moments with her majestic Papa Smith. Don’t forget to download Diva’s new music. Subscribe to her YouTube channel, hit that like button on ‘Bet’ and be sure to follow her on Spotify!

While we can’t possibly fit every single birthday wish on the page because this would be an update that lasted for several days, we do want to draw attention to the beautiful Penny Dahl who went all out in one of her iconic album cover remakes. She didn’t know we were giving out prizes! She got first place and her gift card was sent this morning. Cheers Penny!

Shoutout to Sharon and her classroom of kids who helped her create a Happy Birthday Curt collage! Karla Amaya gets a high five from us as she has taken on the challenge of learning how to play ‘Pale Shelter.’ She did this in honour of Curt. Well done, Karla!

Aileen honoured Curt with this cool remake of him in Head over Heels. She’s even sporting Doc Martens! She knows what’s up!! She was also a winner today and received a cash bundle in her currency today! Congrats Aileen!

We enjoy celebrating 🥳 Curt’s birthday annually and one of our faves was in 2011 when we got to spend some time with him at Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. This wonderful man even bought several fans dinner. What a phenomenal memory that stays with us and thank you Sheila “Sheeshee” for helping us get a chance to sing to him on stage. To say we love our dear Curt and his family is a huge understatement. We ADORE AND APPRECIATE Curt & The Smith-Pennington family to the NTH DEGREE!!

Speaking of love, what’s not to love about the many fans who rushed out at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning in the rain, humidity and stale Covid air to get to specific record stores for Tears for Fears Live at Massey Hall Vinyls! Darren, moderator of the TFF Fan Forum was the music magician this year! Much like Carri and team helped fans get copies of ‘Ready Boys n Girls,’ Darren made sure many were able to grab the limited Massey Hall masterpiece! Thank you, Darren!

Go out and get some cake, share Tears for Fears music with the world the rest of this week and right on through the weekend! Get copies of Halfway Pleased and Deceptively Heavy for your music collection! Let’s keep the Curt Smith celebration going! Honourable mentions to JT of Duran Duran who also turned 61 this week! Curt and JT go way back! Love that! And hey…if somebody asks us how old they are the response will be, “They’re 60 and SEXY AS F***!”

Cheers everyone!

Laissez lês bons temps rouler!!!

Long time fan, Danny Cricks shared his keepsake from Curt’s Soul on Board album in honour of Curt’s birthday!
Adrian Perucho wishes Curt a great birthday from his home in Argentina!

We’ll be partying all weekend, join us online @papasfans on Twitter

– TFF Travel Fan Team

Moderator @andyeisthenews

Band @tearsforfears on Facebook and Twitter, @tearsforfearsmusic on IG

Curt – @curtsmithofficial on FB @curtsmith on Twitter

Some Cool Stuff Featuring Curt

This post is dedicated to James Colah, who is featured next to Roland and Curt in the photo above. We’re happy to welcome him back to the world of Tears for Fears. Read more about him and his music below…you’ll want to check him out! He’s pretty cool!

Yesterday, Curt was featured on SiriusXM’s 1st Wave sharing his amazing playlist with stories and commentary. Big thanks to Richard Blade for notifying all fans about the amazing song filled weekend featuring incredible artists that we’ve loved most of our lives! Big shoutout to a fan on the Tears for Fears Fan Forum hosted by Darren Hull. That fan (we didn’t catch her name) started the conversation about it and we shared the link.

Richard Blade Curt Smith Schedule 1st Wave

Why 1st Wave/SiriusXM is Important for TFF Fans
We understand that some fans had issues accessing the spectacular. While it’s too late now to catch the live-ish set on the livestream, we want to give you information for the future. First of all, Richard Blade is the reason these great things happen. He is a well-known DJ and host of 1st Wave programming. Richard Blade was important and instrumental in featuring Tears for Fears on air since the early 80s. Please follow him, read his book and learn about his influence. We wouldn’t have the amazing bands we follow today if it weren’t for Richard Blade. He helped keep them in the public eye. He still does. Richard Blade provided the link we shared the night before the show. When you select the link, three stations appear and the first one is 1st Wave. From there, you select the 1st Wave icon and it will stream for you. If you do not have a SiriusXM account it’s free through 31 May. Curt was featured right at 12pm ET on the dot. His amazing voice soothed us through the airwaves like a peaceful stream. You can hear just a snippet of it here:

Curt took us on a journey through his childhood with stories of why these selections are important to him. There was a lot of really cool information that he shared and we’d like to hear that again. Some of the bands (and songs) on his list are below. Please note these are not all in the order as they aired:

-The Sex Pistols’  The God Save the Queen 
-The Jam Going Underground

-Madness One Step Beyond
-Adam and the Ants Ant Music
-Gary Numan’s Cars
-Blondie’s Atomic
-Peter Gabriel’s (with Kate Bush) Don’t Give Up
-David Bowie’s Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
-Talking Heads’ I Zimbra
-Elvis Costello’s Everyday I Write the Book
-Julian Cope’s World Shut Your Mouth
-The Stranglers’ Golden Brown
and to our double delight the Mad World Duet featuring Curt and his daughter, the incredible, Diva Smith

(From Andye) I’m very sorry I couldn’t list every single song or the specific songs not listed next to the band name. I was just so into the music, only got so many of them written down.

If you missed it, Curt will be a host for Tim Burgess’ “Tim’s Twitter Listening Party” (Alison Moyet was just on) in just a few weeks – 14 June to be exact. You can find Tim on Twitter @Tim_Burgess.

MORE MUSIC

Jamie Wollam has new music that he released on his recent big birthday celebration. The amazing drummer genius turned 50 years old earlier this month! Give his music a listen and let him know your thoughts.

Play Jamie’s new music here

Play Carina’s new music here

Shaun Smith (Curt’s brother) is also a musician and had a band called RAKA – they are quite a sleek and sophisticated group from the 1990s. Shaun shared it with Andye and Andye asked to post it in a few places. Shaun gave permission and the response from fans was very nice! Have a listen and spot Shaun throughout the video on guitar (e.g. 03:09-03:11).

After we all enjoyed it, Darren suggested that Shaun join the TFF Fan Discussion Forum. Andye asked him and Shaun joined within the hour. We were all ecstatic! Shaun has some great stories from as far back as the Graduate band. He also helped us out with our band fun facts (enjoy those at the end of the post).

MORE COOL PEOPLE FROM THE BAND’S LIFE AND TIMES ON TOUR

Speaking of cool people joining the conversations, this month we are joined by James Colah, who is now in two Tears for Fears fan groups including the fan forum. James was with an opening band called The Adventures. James writes:

“I was the keyboard player in a band called, ‘The Adventures’ that opened up for TFF throughout America and Canada. It was probably the biggest tour of that year and we did around 32 shows and basically lived with TFF staying in all the same hotels.”

James was often stopped for autographs because people thought he was Roland! We can see that. He’s super nice, has a production company and is noted as the UK’s #1 indie Smooth Jazz artist! Get his music here and subscribe to his YouTube channel!

James Colah

TFF Tuesdays – the Next Level
So many have been sharing creative photos of themselves posed like members of the band – a sort of tribute photo or recreation of their album covers and iconic pictures. Tears for Fears Tuesdays featuring the t-shirts are still encouraged but if you’d like to go a bit further and recreate your favourite photo by grabbing your favourite salmon coloured polo and circle specs to salute EWTRTW that’s cool too. We’re giving away a prize (cash to use in the TFF store) to one person for their cool photo of the album or band photo of their choice. Continue tagging your photos #TFFTuesday on Facebook, Instagram and or Twitter. We’ll find you and add you to the drawing!

Pam Roden

We appreciate everyone who has helped make the quarantine bearable with your amazing weekly photos and check-ins! This was a hard time for so many and we were thankfully able to focus on the band and fun in fanland!

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read and stay updated on fun band and fan news! See you shortly on Tears for Fears Tuesday!

-Tears for Fears’ Travel Fan Team
Moderator Andye
Follow the band @tearsforfears @curtsmith @jameswollam @chartonpettus @dougpetty @carinaround

For fan and concert travel updates follow Tears for Fears Travel Fans @papasfans on Twitter and Kerfuffle of Kooks on Facebook

SHAUN’S FUN FACTS

Did you know Curt’s beloved mother is in the Mad World video? May her sweet soul rest. Shaun also noted that he would have been in it as well but he was headed off to college that day. Shaun also directed the lighting for Tears for Fears’ first show at Moles. He only had one lighting rehearsal which is significant because that is super important to get correct! Way to go Shaun! We appreciate your band facts! Cheers all!