At one point during tonight’s The Final Countdown 40 Year Anniversary at London’s Eventim Apollo, Joey Tempest asks the crowd how many of them have seen Europe before. As a large contingent raises its hands, the frontman concludes that they must be doing something right.
Europe – Gun – The Damn Truth
Eventim Apollo, London – 3 October 2026
Words: Bogdan Bele
Photography: Robert Sutton
Aside from whatever Tempest is doing to continue looking and sounding the way he does, the band is obviously doing a lot of things very right, some 47 years after starting, albeit with a long break in the middle.
Europe: Something Old, Something New
I was lucky enough to see Europe once before this year, as an excellent headliner of Stonedead Festival. You can read the MetalTalk review here. And it was Europe, as well as The Damn Truth, another act that is on tonight’s bill. But more about them a little later.
With that said, on with the show. This is billed as an anniversary show, celebrating 40 years since the release of Europe’s most successful album, The Final Countdown. And that it is. However, it is also a launch show for Come This Madness, their most recent album. It came out a week ago, receiving a lot of critical acclaim, including from MetalTalk. Doing something right again, it seems.
It is a part of that record that kicks off tonight’s show. Scandinavian Eyes, one of their new singles, is the song Europe start their set with. Its orchestral part leads into that riff that would make Deep Purple proud, and it is business as usual.
The band is an absolute machine, and Tempest is all over the stage, an absolute bundle of energy. It continues with Walk The Earth, the title track of their 2017 album, and one of the heaviest riffs the band has ever put out. And there is a lot of competition on that front in the second part of their career.
This set has a few things in common with the Stonedead one, but it is very obviously designed to preach to the converted, way more than a festival set would, which is exactly what you expect in this context.
Still, this is a band that has written more absolute bangers than legally allowed. So, how can one be surprised when they throw in a track like Superstitious, that others might use towards the end, so early in the show?
One On One, from the new album, showcases that bass riff from John Leven, leading into two more heavy tracks, Last Look At Eden, and War Of Kings, with John Norum, a man you should find in any list of top rock guitarists, truly shining. Not to mention a mini-solo moment from drummer Ian Haughland, looking like an alien behind his drum kit, large sunglasses and all. It is like they are set to blast everyone away.
But nothing could prepare you for what is next. Keyboard player Mic Michaeli launches, together with Tempest, into a goosebump-inducing vocals-and-piano rendition of Prisoners In Paradise, joined by the band halfway through. Tempest’s vocals are exceptional throughout, but this moment is simply disarming.
The new album makes another appearance with a very catchy commentary on the age we live in, The Cult Of Ignorance. If I have one bit of criticism, it is that the band has not played the title track (and most recent single), Come This Madness. I would have loved to hear that one live. There is always a next time, I guess.
And we get to the second, Final Countdown anniversary, part. It starts with On Broken Wings, released as a single at the time, which shows their early, Heavy Metal attitude.
From then on, it is the whole album, and what a treat it is. It is played mostly in order, but a certain obscure track that gives the album its title is left for the end of the show. No idea why.
Rock The Night is a singalong moment, more than the rest of the show is, and that is saying something. Carrie follows, with another “how the hell does he still sing like that?” moment, and the faster Ninja or groovy Danger On The Track seem to have aged quite well.
At one point, Europe truly acknowledges its crew, the people making all this possible. As Joey talks about their early days and rehearsals with mattresses on walls (funnily, the screens behind illustrate this), they also take a moment to acknowledge their crew, some of whom have been with them for decades.
Then, over the course of a track, the crew starts coming on stage and performing various tasks like bringing the singer a chair and a lyric sheet, setting up a bass guitar, wiping the dust off the drums and other such things. It is a great way to see the people who have such a major contribution and are rarely in the spotlight.
Cherokee is another audience participation moment, and how can you not jump to that riff? Not to mention those Mic Michaeli keyboards, transporting you right back into the ’80s. Pictures of the band in those days are constantly shown throughout this run-through of the album. It is interesting to remember how many very good songs there are on it.
The night ends, as one would expect, on The Final Countdown, the whole room jumping to it. And, I must say, no matter how many times you hear it, hearing it live is a completely different feeling. No encore. Not that one is needed after such a night.
The only conclusion is that Europe remains one of the most consistent bands in the industry, whether we are talking about new material or performing their classics.
They could easily stick to the latter but prefer to reconcile that past with a quality present. Considering the form they are in, I hope they will continue for a very long time.
Gun
The Scottish veterans are second on the bill tonight, right before the headliners. They get a great reaction as they take the stage, and they manage to keep the enthusiasm going in the room throughout their performance.
Singer Dante Gizzi leads them through what is a direct rock ‘n’ roll set, simple and to the point, that takes the crowd through some highlights of their long career.
I must admit that, while I cannot say I am a fine connoisseur of the band, the reaction of the crowd is perfectly understandable. It is an energetic performance from a tight band that knows what it does and does it well.
All Fired Up is an early highlight, and they could not avoid possibly their most popular song, their version of Cameo’s Word Up. Falling, a more sensitive moment, is the best moment of the set for me.
The Damn Truth
As mentioned earlier, tonight’s openers are Canadians The Damn Truth. Due to this, they play to a much smaller crowd than Gun, but manage to prove that their recent surge in popularity is well-deserved.
The same ’60s image, combined with an energetic set, very good instrumental chops and Lee-La Baum’s excellent vocals. This is a band that seems to really enjoy being on a stage, with a bonus point for bass player Pierre-Yves Letellier, as he looks like the happiest person tonight in the concert hall formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon.
And that is saying something, considering the atmosphere.
The Willow is, in my opinion, one of their best songs, and it gets a worthy rendition. Their energy is contagious, and they get better every time. I guess that is what happens when you play live a lot.
This Is Who We Are is also one contagious song, part of a set that seems to have convinced quite a few in the room.
