The rest of the evening will be spent in the presence of legends, starting with Europe on the main stage. Having seen the band before, I had high expectations and they were met with ease. This was a top class set from an excellent band who came to do one job and did it extremely well. , Yes, they have had their doubters over the years, but it can’t be denied that they have great songs and put on a totally entertaining performance, with a set mixed between old and new material everything is getting lapped up by an excited crowd in the scorching sunshine. Thankfully with a knowledgeable crowd of punters shouting for “that song”, Europe show us why they didn’t disappear for 20 years, they continue to strive in creating new music, with a few slight changes in styles here and there (the last couple of albums having a a more blues infused vibe) and of course 2012’s Bag Of Bones and last years War Of Kings drawing from a more heavier influence. Today Europe are showing us exactly just how much they still has to offer – and the crowd is loving it. Joey is a master of his craft, prowling the stage, still has all the moves, mic stand moving in every direction, and the voice is better than ever, kicking things off here with the title track from War Of Kings, it has everything you want! The heavy beat, wonderful guitar work and a more aggressive Joey than maybe some people expected. Spinning through some of the classic 80’s tunes, with rousing renditions of “Rock The Night” and “Cherokee”, I still wish that John Norum would make more ventures from behind his pedal board, as great a guitarist as he is that extra bit of crowd interaction would add even more to their set. One more track from the new album and their set comes to a close all too soon, with the song that gets the majority of the crowd jumping and singing with gay abandon, yes “The Final Countdown” brings down the curtain on another hugely successful performance by a band that’s often underestimated. A class act.
(To view a larger version of an image just click on any image thumbnail below)
