Tag: Lauren Evans

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!