Tears For Fears were superb last night at the Royal Albert Hall in London. They opened the show with a recording of Lorde’s haunting new realisation of their own hit Everybody Wants To Rule The World, from the Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack, before appearing on stage to kick off the night with their own classic take on the song.
Of course tonight was about their “comeback” and to headlining in their own right. After a massive tour in the US with Hall & Oates (sadly cut short by the death of Roland’s wife) and supporting The Killers (reportedly blowing them off stage) at BST in Hyde Park, they are getting to play the mega venues that they never quite got to play in their first heyday.
Having sold 30 million albums worldwide, performed to countless sold out audiences, and won various awards, Tears For Fears – Roland Orzabal [vocals, guitar, keyboards] and Curt Smith [vocals, bass, keyboards] – are one of the most influential bands from the 1980s.
At The Royal Albert Hall last night, the band played songs from their catalogue of classic albums namely the gold-certified debut The Hurting [1983], quintuple-platinum BRIT Award-winning Songs from the Big Chair [1985], and Seeds of Love [1989].
The show was sublime, the songs lush and sophisticated. When Tears For Fears split up and Curt and Roland went their separate ways as solo artists and to different countries, it was as if the record buying public did not know what they had as they deserted the boys in their droves. Curt moving eventually to New York and Roland continuing carrying on the Tears For Fears mantle. Tonight the audience lapped them up once more.
Songs included all the hits but special mention must go to Pale Shelter, Change, Mad World, Shout & Seeds Of Love all performed with such deep emotion, filling the vast hall.
Tears For Fears recently announced the release of their first career-spanning Greatest Hits album, Rule The World which is out November 10th on Virgin/EMI.
Not only does Rule The World feature all the aforementioned hits and more, but it also boasts the first original music from the duo since 2004, the new single “I Love You But I’m Lost” and acoustic track Stay.
As John Peel once said “The very wonderful Tears for Fears”
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