Venue: Orpheum Theater / Graz / Austria
Concert date: 29.01.2007
Attendance: 800
Ticket price: €32.00
Remember the days when you absolutely had to look like you’d just pulled your head out of a clothes dryer? Well, Europe were one of the giants of that so-called “hair” era, and one of the first bands to successfully turn weepy lyrics into so-called “power ballads” that conquered the charts across the Atlantic in particular. Now that the eighties feel like a very long time ago, it looks like Europe, like many acts of that era, have become victims of their own success. Labeled way too often by the hits that almost overnight brought them millions of albums sold, the guys definitely have more to offer than just songs like Final Countdown or Carrie. Their last two attempts at following changing musical trends got a mixed response from audiences, but they still showed that the guys aren’t afraid to experiment. As for their live show, they stick to the formula of a sharp, no-nonsense performance throughout the whole set list, very much a “come what may” style. Despite everything, Europe come across as pretty fresh, their delivery is confident, and it leaves no room for slip-ups. Above all, they lean on John Norum the whole way through, whose wizardry at least partly blurs Tempest’s tired vocals.
Europe started warming us up properly around 8 p.m., with two new tracks that gave us a rough look at their new image. Probably none of us had ever imagined seeing Tempest bouncing around the stage with a megaphone in his hands. But above all, Norum’s standout playing deserves a mention. The guitarist’s playing, which is truly astounding, doubles as the main driving force of the whole thing. Interesting — you could call it Europe for the new millennium.. Before the crowd properly sways to the rhythm of the eighties for the first time, Joey uses a break to address the Slovenian visitors in the crowd, among other things, and surprisingly, most of them were young faces. But back to the music, because Seven Doors Hotel and Superstitious come next, where Tempest’s “juggling” with his mic gives the feeling that he couldn’t care less that it’s already 2007. At the same time, the crowd in front of the stage is jumping around as if it were 1988. Norum handles Superstitious with ease, while Tempest’s vocals, which are no longer what they once were, cast a slightly dimmer light on the whole thing. The guys up there test out their newer material with the next two, Let The Children Play and Getaway Plan. This almost Nu-Metal approach still fires up the crowd, and it seems that with this approach, so atypical for them, Europe have at least somewhat hit the mark. Simply put, whether we like it or not, you have to admit that these old-timers make up a solidly functioning and very much alive outfit that looks to the future with optimism.
Of course, it would have been utterly foolish for the gentlemen to shy away from looking back at their past, because, let’s be honest, most of the people there were waiting for exactly that. Their simple, instantly catchy melodies like on Sing Of The Times have been etched into the hearts of millions around the world. This time dressed up in a more modern, rougher look and spiced with a nice piano intro, it sends the crowd into delirium with no trouble at all. Fantastic, no two ways about it. Unlike Carrie, which in its acoustic Joey Tempest version recalled something like Jon Bon Jovi’s made-up look, complete with the obligatory pearly whites peeking happily out from under his lips. I don’t think I need to add that it was mostly the female part of the audience who followed Tempest’s every move with interest. A simple and above all effective escape from the “original” version, which Tempest clearly can’t handle anymore. The festival of 80s hits continues with Wings Of Tomorrow, which takes us nicely to one of the concert’s highlights. Of course, we’re talking about John Norum again, who, while Joey rests his vocal cords, thrills every single listener by wandering from heavy rock to bluesy solos. Insane! Norum is the king of the whole evening, no doubt about it. Somewhere behind him are Tempest and Haugland, while Leven and Michaeli are more or less extras. Girl From Lebanon is once again easy prey for John, and the crowd’s reaction to Start From The Dark is surprising, with the first real stretch of proper communication between band and audience. The colorful set list is wrapped up by Yesterdays News, where Haugland shows up in the role of Rondinelli, and of course the indispensable Rock The Night, after which Europe briefly leave the stage. The “encore” offers nothing from their newer repertoire apart from Got To Have Faith, because the guys clearly leave nothing to chance. Cherokee and The Final Countdown take care of the last eruption of the night, with all eyes once again turned to the right, to Mr. Norum. An energetic finish to a very interesting evening that would have been a shame to miss. On the other hand, Europe showed themselves above all to be a band that, despite flirting with newer musical trends, simply can’t (read: mustn’t) shed its old skin. And that’s also what still makes them interesting today. In any case, it’ll also be interesting to see which path Europe take next.
Setlist
1.Secret Society 2.Always The Pretender 3.Superstitious 4.Seved Doors Hotel 5.Let The Children Play 6.Getaway Plan 7.Flames 8.Sign Of The Times 9.Carrie 10.Love Is Not The Enemy 11.Wings Of Tomorrow 12.Girl From Lebanon 13.Start From The Dark 14.Yesterday’s News 15.Rock The Night Encore: 16.Got To Have Faith 17.Cherokee 18.The Final Countdown
