UK 80’s new wave band and synth pop pioneers Tears for Fears join us for a night at Fox Theatre this September. Formed in 1981, Curt Smith (vocals, bass, and keyboards) and Roland Orzabal (vocals, guitar and keyboards) had actually known each other while growing up in Bath, England. After their previous band Graduate disbanded, they met up with drummer Manny Elias, with whom they also previously played with in a band called Neon, in addition to keyboardist Ian Stanley, and thus the band’s formation was complete.
Their first major single to gain international success was Mad World, which was released in 1982, reached # 3 in the UK, and was later covered by Gary Jules for the 2002 Donny Darko Soundtrack. Their 1983 debut album The Hurting featured popular tracks Change and Pale Shelter, and is notably more synth-heavy than their latter albums, while also lyrically covering darker subject matter inspired by Orzabal’s traumatic upbringing. The 1985 album that followed, Songs from the Big Chair reached international fame with iconic tracks Shout, Head Over Heels, and Everybody Wants to Rule the World (winner of a Brit Award for Best British Single in 1986); each of these tracks was highly successful in Europe and North America, and this album reached #1 on Billboards’s Top 200 for five weeks in 1985.
The album that followed, The Seeds of Love was successful, peaking at #1 in the UK, but also marked a split in the band due to tension amongst its members a couple years later. The sound of this album is a bit more experimental compared to their previous material- you can definitely hear the blues-inspired and Beatlesque shift showcased in this album.
Smith and Orzabal eventually started collaborating once more in 2000 for their 2004 album release Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, and they are currently working an a new album set to be released in 2015.
Whether you were alive or grew up in the 80’s or not, you will have an absolute blast at this show- when else will you have a chance to sing Head Over Heels and Shout out loud with the band right before your eyes? Don’t miss out on this one!
Tears for Fears
Fox Theater
Sept 24th
8PM
$50
Leave a Comment