Lisebergshallen in Gothenburg is bigger than I remember, and I find myself reliving old memories. This was the place I went to the first time I braved seeing Europe outside of Norway, in December 2009. The last time I was here was in 2012 to see my second favourite band Nightwish. And now I'm back for Europe, seeing their final concert this year, touring an album that's still growing on me after nearly 2 months!
I am next to my friend Bente from Norway, on the other side is Emma from Sweden, a girl I haven't met many times before, but we still give each other hugs. Michaela from Italy takes the spot behind me, and I know she won't be drinking beer and spilling, or push to get a space in the front row. Michaela is a skilled concert-goer. The only thing I "worry" about is that I won't get any recognition from stage now that she is behind me, because the moment the guys look towards where I stand, they will surely see her and give her a wave. I am not jealous, because if there is someone who's earned a token of affection from the guys on stage, it's Michaela - she goes to every show worth going to, and then some!
After waiting for half an hour the venue has filled up pretty good I think, with my 5 feet I can't see very far behind me. I hear my name behind me to the left. It turns out it's Uffe, a guy I met at my first Europe Fan Meeting, which took place in this very city. We've stayed in touch since then. And next to him is Jarno, which I met at the same fan meet, and whom I have met every time I've been in Liseberghallen since, if memory serves. So good to see their smiling faces waving at me. How cool that they found me, 5-6 rows behind, with lots of tall people blocking me!
The support band is Blues Pills, and although I shouldn't be, I'm really surprised when their last band member enters the stage and turns out to be a woman! Halfway into the first song I'm completely in awe of her, she can really sing! Her voice is one thing, the things she does with it is another. She is skilled for sure! It's hard to look away from her, because she is all over the place, interacting with the audience and really rocking out. The rest of the band are a bit more laid back, but they are tight! I'm in front of their guitar player, a sweet guy with lots of hair. He seems shy, but he is interesting to look at. His guitar has this mark that could easily be mistaken for the Europe E. Cool coincidence! During their set I have several moments of what I call music chills; goose bumps all the way to my feet, and chills up and down my spine. At the end of their set I'm jumping a bit up and down. And when they're packing up their equipment, I ask the cute guitar player if I can get the setlist. He picks it carefully off the floor and hands it to me!
The stage is being transformed for Europe's set, their new and absolutely stunning backdrop comes into place, and I notice the amps are different than I'm used to. There are some cabinets behind Mic that looks really cool. It's nice to finally see them on a big stage again, lots of space for Joey to run and dance on! When all is set up, the lights are prepared. A beautiful blue light on the "Walk the Earth" album cover backdrop makes it that much more mesmerizing, and now I'm almost jumping in excitement and anticipation!
Now the lights over the crowd is being dimmed, and the room fills with sound. Even though I very specifically told one of my friends in the Europe fold "No Spoilers!", he let slip that one of the newer songs had been performed on one of the other shows with a "new flavour". He doesn't get why I don't want details like that, but I'll try to explain it here, very briefly. Every drop of information that is given does something to my perception of a concert, book or movie. It takes away the possibility of being a blank slate just processing the then and there, and instead my brain works the information into the show. Like for instance when "Walk the Earth" started, and the intro was ... different, my mind went "is this it? Is this what he meant? Or is it another song?" So, for all readers' future reference: every little word you give about the movie you've just seen, the book you've just finished, or a band's tour can potentially alter someone else's perception of the same one.
'WTE' is just as epic as I expected it to be, and I'm not surprised when it is succeeded by the next track on the album, namely 'The Siege'. The latter isn't my favourite like it is everyone else's, but I was expecting to hear it, and the guys really likes playing it. It is a good song for a live show.
The "pit" is crawling with photographers, and the band really shines. A big stage really suits them! The last song the cameras capture are "Rock the night", and even though I've heard it live at least 34 times before AND promised myself to remain cool in this concert, the presence of photographers mean I have to let loose, to show how devoted us Europefans can be, even those that is not donning a Europe shirt!
Even without a Europe shirt it doesn't take John Levén or Joey very long to spot me. Joey just glances at me, gives me the briefest acknowledgement he has seen me. John smiles, like he does. Good smile on that man.
"Hole in my pocket" is the first song they play after the photographers are gone. This is one of my favourites from their previous album "Walk the Earth". Back in 2015, I hadn't had time to listen to the album properly before seeing them live. The album came out March 2nd, and I left to go to Glasgow March 5th. Anyway, one of the songs they did back then was "Hole in my pocket". I knew the melody, but to me it made more sense that the second line was "snow in my shoe". I never questioned it. Being Scandinavian like me, surely the band must know how horrible that is. A stone in your shoe is easy to get out, but snow in your shoe? You better have a pair of dry socks in your bag if that is the case. And even if you change your socks, there'll still be a little puddle of water in your shoe still...
Where was I? Oh yeah, I love this song. So I rock hard. A little extra for a good friend I met in January. Wish I had insisted that he had come along at the point this song is played, 'cause it's one of his favourites. And the band really sounds good tonight. Joey's voice is on form, and he's taking chances!
Next song is Last look at Eden, and the intro sounds superb in this venue.
My cellphone is a battery eater. Even though I charged it in Thomas' car on the way down to Gøteborg, it's draining fast, and I haven't yet taken out my cellphone to film anything. I want the concert experience of being there, feeling it! But I end up doing what I always do; record a verse and a chorus. And this time it's "Prisoners in paradise". I am reminded of the first time I heard it live; in October 2008. It was the first time Europe did "PIP" since 1992. Hearing it again brings back memories to all the times Europe shook up their setlist. Did something completely new. 2017 Prisoners feels better than the 2008 one. This time I'm not soaking wet after the rain both outside and inside the tent they played in back then. This time I'm warm, and have some space around me. The quality of the cellphone camera is 100 times better too; even if I think it's a bad phone camera, it's aeons better than a mobile phone camera from 2008.
The crowd is much better too. In 2008 we stood together like what we in Norwegian refer to as "sild i tønne", or "packed like sardines." This gig is really nice. Enough room, and a good crowd.
Only once is there an incident of someone pushing from behind. And the dude who comes to the second row to try to casually start a chummy conversation with someone in the front row he doesn't know while at the same time squeezing past second row, is told very friendly but firmly no.
Now the gems comes pouring out of the bag. "Firebox" - where Joey lets it loose and sings the extra high notes after the guitar solo and I cannot refrain from screaming with glee - "Sign of the times" - with the ever mesmerizing keyboard intro (except this time it's preceded by a very out of character jaunty tune first) - and Vasastan. My throat is threatening to swell shut again, like so many times before. It is as soulful as ever. I love it when this song fades out, and John Norum keeps playing himself into the intro to "Girl from Lebanon".
Joey has a tendency to forget lyrics. Especially to the new songs. That's okay. There's so much else he needs to focus on. But when an oldie like Girl from Lebanon comes into play, he can let the words come naturally, and focus instead on other things. I don't know all the lyrics either, but my lips are constantly moving, even when I'm not actively singing along. I don't know what we're singing when he comes towards me, and I really think my mind shortcuts when he lets me know VERY visibly that he knows I'm there. He comes to where I stand, bends down, and sings right into my face. For a LONG time. Or that's how it feels. I don't know whether to meet his gaze and sing, smile, give a thumbs up or what. But after he leaves to go and sing to someone else, I look right and left from confirmation (even though it was pretty clear) that this actually happened. Both Emma and Bente beams at me. I think I squeal and jump up and down. Hopefully none of the band members notices. Oh my god I love it when he does that!
It feels like my mind is never returning to normal. It's like I can't focus on what's happening on stage, because my head is filled with the fact that Joey came to let me know he had seen me. Again. Call me presumptuous, but I have no reason to doubt that he knows me by now. (And remind me I wrote this when I start doubting that it's anything other than dumb luck)
It takes me until the middle of the first verse to realise that the next song is "GTO", one of my favourites from the newest album. Damn you, Tempest! But now my head is in the game again. I never imagined they would play this one live. And here they are, and it works! Even on the album, this song is vocally impressive. Chills are playing elevator with my spine at this point.
After this song, I get a hunch for the next one. Bente agrees to film this one for me, because my phone shows 6% battery. It's "Turn to Dust", perhaps the best song Europe has done since their reunion. It's beautiful. Now my throat is even more swelled up, I'm almost choking, because the emotions brought on by the harmonies. By the end of it, I'm nearly hyperventilating (yep, I'm over exaggerating, but only a little bit.) This song alone was worth going to Gothenburg for!
Hearing "Wasted Time" and "Danger on the Track" again really lets us know that Europe has started mixing things up a bit. I love it! The concert seems to never end. Until it suddenly does, announced by the roaring introduction to "The Final Countdown" Once again I jump up and down after the initial "It's the final countdown" that announces every chorus. Every chorus I'm bouncing even though I'm positively sweating by now.
When the concert was done, I was smiling and hugging people, which is becoming a tradition after really good shows, apparently. When I find Julia, I tell her that Joey bent down and sang to me. And she said, because she hadn't seen me as she was further along the front row "Oh, I thought it could be you he sang to when he sang 'Carry on, my little one'..."
I think my eyes widened when I either aloud or internally whinnied "Is that what he sang?"
[I will write a separate blog post about the people I met. Friends and band members alike.
Hopefully (?) it will be shorter than this :) Thank you for reading all the way down to here!]
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