Europe have on occasions been on the receiving end of less than complimentary comments from some quarters for no other reason than for having the audacity to have a #1 smash hit single while being in possession of a pretty boy image. Rock bands just can’t go around doing such things now, can they?
Yet, if you looked behind the media image, here was a living, breathing Hard Rock band with a pedigree based more on Deep Purple, UFO, and Thin Lizzy rather than the Hair Metal floozies of their peers. Since their rebirth at the turn of the millennium, Europe have worked tirelessly at progressing musically as a band, culminating in arguably the finest release of their career in last years Last Look At Eden, a bona fide contender for album of the year.
On stage, Europe have reached new heights… particularly on the festival circuit where they have converted the most cynical of doubters with their hard-driving energetic performances, including a triumphant show-stealing headline performance at the UK’s Bloodstock Festival where they stood toe-to-toe with heavyweights such as Cradle of Filth and Kreator… and won!
The following UK tour played to sold out halls across the country, proving that the band was not some washed up bunch of ’80s has beens, but still a creative force in the industry. Because of the success of those shows, Europe added a string of gigs to the end of their huge world tour to revisit some of those cities for a second dose of mayhem on a trek dubbed “The Balls ‘n’ Banners Tour”.
Any fears that the band returning to the same venue so soon after their last appearance would impact ticket sales were quickly allayed on entering the packed hall. Those who witnessed the show last year were back in droves… many along with friends wanting to see the band for themselves after hearing what a great show they missed last time around. They certainly were not disappointed.
Kicking off with the brooding “Last Look at Eden”, an epic so far removed from the public perception of the band, it’s unreal. The barnstorming, pummelling “The Beast” and the Whitesnake-esq “Superstitious” swiftly set the tone for a fine night.
By mixing the old (“Wings of Tomorrow”) with the new (“The Getaway Plan” and “Start From The Dark”, with its Alice in Chains crunching riff), and the ballads (“Carrie” and “New Love In Town”) with balls to the wall Rockers (“Love is Not The Enemy” and “Seventh Sign”)… and then chuck in the mega-hits “Rock The Night” and the roof-raising “The Final Countdown”… no doubt there was something for everyone.
Europe also found a spot to pay tribute to the much missed Gary Moore with John Norum’s moving take on “The Loner” from Moore’s classic Wild Frontier album. Throughout the show, Norum shone brightly and delivered biting riffs and supremely melodic solos, a la Schenker. This guy really is a fantastic player and is greatly underrated in the guitar world.
Joey Tempest is a frontman with some pedigree. Never still for a moment, he dashed from one side of the stage to the other to ensure every last fan is treated as the only member of the audience. His microphone acrobatics match Paul Rodgers and David Coverdale every inch of the way, and more importantly his vocal performance is immaculate, strong, powerful, and melodic. His versatility was clear on the acoustic mini-medley featuring “Open Your Heart” and “Prisoners in Paradise”, where his voice was superb and his impromptu “Newcastle Jam” featuring the immortal lines “You’ll get no hassle when you get to Newcastle… and “You can’t fail when you drink Brown Ale” were a real hoot and the crowd simply lapped it up.
Europe are not content to live in their ’80s shadow and continually strive to progress musically as a band. Check out the three releases since their rebirth in 2000, if you are in any doubt. To reinforce this, the crowd were treated to a new number called “Dog House”, which had a riff similar to “Fat Bottomed Girls”. It sounded great and certainly looks like the forthcoming album is going to be one well worth the wait.
With a greatly changed set-list from the previous year, Europe yet again proved beyond doubt what a fine live band they are with Rock credentials that would put many of their peers to shame. Armed with an impressive repertoire of songs, great musicianship, and oodles of charisma and showmanship, Europe ensured that no one went home disappointed.
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