Europe

Once upon a time being ‘into’ Europe meant that excrescence ‘The Final Countdown’ – all synths and widdly soft rock loaded with big hair and spandex. That was 30 freakin’ years ago! Now they are a hard rock band making huge anthemic music, unapologetic and confident and celebrating with Flying ‘V’s, stacked Marshalls and riffs to die for. I don’t know if this stuff is ‘in’ so much as everpresent but looking at the crowd on the DVD in this set they appeal to all ages and there were 30,000 going ape at Sweden Rock Festival.

The audience for this style of rock is probably as big as it ever has been and with bands like Whitesnake, Foreigner and Europe all striding out there is a sense that now they have thrown off the twee and kitsch elements of the music and started to focus on what they are good at, where they all came from, then there is a new validity to rock music and a new vitality.

In John Norum Europe boast one of the best guitarists around and now that they are basing their music more around the duality of him and lead man Joey Tempest even the older numbers come over with real passion and power. Watching the DVD it is clear that this is a band that really have a handle on their music, working as a band and not as separate musicians and Joey Tempest admitted such when I spoke to him about the release telling me that going in they were nervous as this was a huge gig with no less than 14 cameras but they came offstage afterwards happy that the band had really put it all together on the night.

Musically, it is what you would expect – lots of power riffs and impassioned vocals, huge drum sound and shredding bass lines but that’s all good because this is a live show and excess is expected but the songs come from all 9 of the albums they have released and they show the versatility and experience of the band without coming over like a greatest hits package. The last album, ‘Bag of Bones’ was produced by Kevin Shirley and he imbued them with a new sense of immediacy, the band doing a song a day in the studio, and that has carried over into the show here.
All of the hits are here, even ‘Final Countdown’ but they all sound fresh and rock like beasts. The guests for the night – Scott Gorham on ‘Jailbreak’ and Michael Schenker on ‘Lights Out’ – both accepted invitations almost by return of post and they put in fine performances but don’t detract from the band sound.

Europe will be back in the UK next year and playing Hammersmith rather than Shepherds Bush and I would guess that the bigger stage will suit them down to the ground. The last time I saw them at the Roundhouse iTunes show in 2010 they were constrained by the occasion but it will be good to see them in the bigger venue.

I was lucky enough to enjoy both the CD and the DVD versions of this show – the DVD is essential viewing but if you are of the musical persuasion the double CD is a cracker too.

Europe Live At Sweden Rock: 30th Anniversary Show” is released on Monday October 21st by earMusic. The concert will be available on 2CD, DVD and Blu-ray.
Europe will tour the UK in April 2014 with Foreigner and FM. Tickets can be booked online from www.ticketmaster.co.uk