Countdown for Tears for Fears Concert On

The countdown has began for the much-awaited concert tour of top ‘80s  pop  rock group Tears for Fears on Aug. 10 and 11 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City and on Aug. 12 at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino in Cebu City in what is expected to be one of this year’s biggest musical events featuring a foreign act.

The popular pop rock duo arrives on Aug. 8 to a massive Tears for Fears fever sweeping the concert scene as millions of ecstatic fans are gripped by excitement and anticipation at the prospect of being reunited with their singing idols more than two years after their successful debut concert here. 

Billed as “Tears for Fears Live in Manila 2012!,” the concert tour to be mounted by Ovation Productions will also feature during the two-night Big Dome performance the voice of Fra Lippo Lippi through  its long-time vocalist,  Per Sorensen.

Considered as a showcase pop rock act for what many consider as a golden era in popular music in the ‘80s, Tears for Fears will treat the audience to a thrilling blast from the past with its collection of hits that propelled it to the top of the music world as one of the biggest and best-loved bands of the post-MTV age.

Among its classic songs that have enthralled millions and transcended generations are “The Hurting,” “Songs From The Big Chair” and “Sowing The Seeds Of Love.”

Formed by teenagers Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith in their home city of Bath, Somerset, England in the early ‘80s following the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate,  Tears for Fears initially made its mark as a New Wave synthesizer band before achieving international success in mainstream pop and rock.

It established numerous milestones that reflected the depth and breadth of its talent, starting with its 1983 debut album, “The Hurting,” a sophisticated collection of inward-looking, synthesizer-based pop songs that included “Mad World,” “Pale Shelter” and “Change,” which became Top 10 hits in Britain.

Its second album, “Songs From The Big Chair” (February, 1985), became an international hit with three Top 5 singles in the United States alone (dual No. 1’s:  “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” “Shout” and ”Head Over Heels”) and ultimately catapulted Tears For Fears to superstardom.

The huge success of the record -- and the extensive world tour by the duo that supported it -- was duplicated four years later by the follow-up album, “Sowing The Seeds of Love,” a joyous, profoundly Beatlesque burst of rich melodic pop accompanied by an equally memorable video.

Featuring the No. 2 smash hit, “The Seeds Of Love,” the compilation eventually soared into the Top 10.

The steady rise to the top of Tears for Fears came to an abrupt end when  professional differences caused the split between Orzabal and Smith, with the latter leaving the band in 1991, moving to New York City and eventually pursuing a solo career.

With Orzabal solely at the helm, Tears For Fears continued on, releasing three new albums – “Elemental” (1993), “Raoul And The Kings Of  Spain (1995) and “Saturnine, Martial And Lunatic” (1996) – and touring internationally to promote them.

In 2004, due to clamor from millions of fans throughout the world for them to get back together, Orzabal and Smith agreed to patch up their differences in one of the most celebrated reunions in music history that paved the way for the successful comeback of one of the greatest pop groups in the past half-century.

Their reunification after 13 years of separation was heralded by the release in the UK and Europe in March, 2005 of “Everybody Loves A Happy Ending,” the first collaboration of Orzabal and Smith in over a decade and which featured colorful and Beatlesque songs.

The release of the album came shortly after the comeback single, “Closest Thing To Heaven,” became the first Tears For Fears UK Top 40  hit in a decade.

Since then, Tears For Fears has continued to conquer millions worldwide with new hits and sold-out concerts as it recovered and solidified its stature as one of pop music’s most productive and successful collaborations.

It was last seen in Manila on May 2, 2010  in the course of a four-date headlining tour of Southeast Asia covering the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan after joining earlier the reformed 80s pop group Spandau Ballet on a seven-date tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The band has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, including over 8 million in the US alone.

Per Sorensen, on the other hand, has been the vocalist since 1983 of Fra Lippo Lippi, a New Wave band from Norway which gained fame for its ‘80s hits “Shouldn’t Have To Be Like That,” “Everytime I See You” and “Light And Shade.”

“Tears For Fears Live In Manila 2012!” is presented by Globe Platinum with the  special participation of Philippine Airlines, Manulife and Top40 T-shirts and in cooperation with Chase, 2^nd Avenue, Jack TV, History Channel, Mercedes Benz and Gerry’s Grill.  It is also supported by The Philippine Star, Edsa Shangri-la Manila, Manila Bulletin, BusinessWorld,  Monster Radio RX 93.1, Inquirer.net, Mellow 94.7, 97.9 Home Radio, Radio High 105.9, Philstar.com, RJ 100.3 FM, ABS-CBN and OptimaSignsolutions.

(Tickets to the Smart Araneta Coliseum concert are priced at P7,500, P5,500, P4,500, P2,500, P1,500 and P700.  For inquiries, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.  Ticket prices for the Waterfront Hotel and Casino-Cebu show are P6,500, P5,500, P3,500, P2,500, P2,000 and P1,000.  For inquiries, call 232-6888 or 0917-6228705.