Classic Pop April 2019

O

pening acts often fi nd

themselves playing to

a scattered or drifting

audience, biding their time

before the headliner rocks

up. But not so here as Alison

Moyet deservedly fi nds herself

in front of a full house for a

mesmerising ‘warm up’.

Flanked by a multi-

instrumentalist and percussionist,

the black dress-clad Moyet

delivers a dramatic set.

Part-Weimar cabaret singer,

part-blues belter, part-electro

doyen, against deep grizzling

synths, staring out into the arena

abyss, she could out-brood Gary

Numan. A stark All Cried Out

and upbeat Love Resurrection

are highlights, as are Yazoo’s

Situation, Only You and

Nobody’s Diary.

It’s a revelatory performance

that lasts just 45 minutes, and

concludes with a well-earned

standing ovation. Moyet seems

genuinely surprised by the

response. She shouldn’t be.

She earned it.

After that commanding

showing, the half-hour it takes to

reset the stage for the headliners

gives us all a much-needed

breather. Rescheduled from

last spring (on doctor’s orders),

Roland and Curt’s fi rst UK tour in

12 (now 13) years is introduced

by Lorde’s histrionic cover

of Everybody Wants To Rule

The World. Reminding us of

Tears For Fears’ growing

infl uence on younger

generations, it’s something Curt

notes later having observed a

rising number of fresh-faced fans

at their gigs charmed by the

band’s angst-ridden The Hurting.

“It makes us want to continue,”

TEARS FOR FEARS

RESORTS WORLD ARENA,

BIRMINGHAM

12 FEBRUARY

★★★★

ROLAND AND CURT ROLL OUT THE BIG HITS FOR THEIR RESCHEDULED

UK TOUR. BUT ARE THE DUO STILL SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT?

© Andrew Benge/Redferns

CLASSIC

APRIL 2019

BEST LIVE SHOW

(^1) Everybody Wants To
Rule The World
(^2) Secret World
(^3) Sowing The Seeds
Of Love
(^4) Pale Shelter
(^5) Break It Down Again
(^6) Everybody Loves
A Happy Ending
(^7) Change
(^8) Mad World
(^9) Memories Fade
(^10) Suffer The Children
(^11) Woman In Chains
(^12) Advice For The Young
At Heart
(^13) Badman’s Song
(^14) Head Over Heels/
Broken
Encore
(^15) Shout
SETLIST
Curt says sincerely, “we’re not
ready to retire just yet!”
Largely dismissing fancy
arena trappings – there is a
digital screen, but images
never dominate – the six-piece
concentrate on the playing,
beginning with their ...Rule The
World. And it’s worth that wait.
Sure, Advice For The Young
At Heart is a little bland,
Badman’s Song slightly messy,
and Secret World and Everybody
Loves A Happy Ending (from
2004’s Everybody Loves...
comeback) are passable, but the
highs far exceed the ho-hums
with Break It Down Again
(from Curt-less long-player
Elemental), underrated Woman
In Chains (with backing singer
Carina Round), and the majestic
Sowing The Seeds Of Love all
hitting the mark. Same, too, for
a run of tracks from The Hurting:
early fl op single Pale Shelter,
Change, Mad World and
Memories Fade.
TFF are a well-oiled machine.
If there’s any bad blood between
the core duo nowadays, it’s not
on display tonight.
They leave the stage to a
sturdy Head Over Heels/Broken,
prompting much stomping and
chanting from the crowd: “Shout!
Shout! Shout!” And Shout they
do, as the band return for their
1985 Top 10 single and the
night fi nishes on another high.
Ya gotta love a happy ending...
Dave Freak