Tears For Fears had no “desire” to ever play live and admit that mastering performances was a challenge under the public gaze.
The 80s pop duo – comprising Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, both 63 – were quite happy to never set foot on a stage in their early days with the recording studio being their comfort zone.
However, the ‘Everybody Wants to Rule The World’ hitmakers have come to embrace live shows, which have become integral to their band’s identity.
Speaking to promote the release of their live album ‘Songs For A Nervous Planet’ – which features four new tracks – and the accompanying concert film ‘Tears For Fears Live (A Tipping Point Film)’, Roland told Classic Pop magazine: “We started off with an absolute desire to never play live.
“It was just Curt and I, one synthesizer, and a drum machine in the recording studio.”
Their global tour for the iconic 1985 album ‘Songs from the Big Chair’ catapulted them to fame unprepared, but they learned from their “mistakes.”
Curt said: “It’s not like you regret it, because in the end it’s led you to where you are.
“The unfortunate thing is we were learning in the spotlight.
“Had we known all these things prior, it probably would have been better for us emotionally and mentally.
“But that wasn’t the way it was, so you have to take what you can from it, move on, learn, and not make the same mistakes again.”
After their next jaunt, in support of 1989’s ‘The Seeds of Love’, the band parted ways and reunited in 2000, and released ‘Everybody Loves a Happy Ending’ in 2004.
Despite being seasoned live performers, there is one song Roland refuses to do live, because he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions, admitting singing ‘Please Be Happy’ would “kill me”.
He said: “When you’re in a live situation and you do feel things, all you have to do is just relax and not hold onto it. You can get sad, you can get emotional, but what you can’t afford to do live is let that emotion affect your voice. There’s one song which we don’t do live because that would kill me, which is Please Be Happy. I don’t wanna hear that one!”