1986 – What a time to be alive! I was in my teenage prime (no laughing at the back!), still had hair and life was good. It was also a golden period for rock music with albums that would soundtrack so many people’s lives being released on a weekly basis.

One album release though that really stood out was The Final Countdown. It spawned hit after hit and the accompanying videos were on regular repeat on MTV. The title track in particular, transcended the usual rock fraternity and became one of the biggest songs of the generation. Mention Europe to anyone and you will probably get the first few bars of the song sung back to you in reply.

So, here we are, forty years on to celebrate the album and the song that has ensured that Joey Tempest and crew have never had to find a real jobs. For these dates the band had added a couple of great support acts to provide a value for money package and first up were The Damn Truth.

Although the band have toured extensively in the past few years, this was my first encounter, but I had heard good things about them. I wasn’t disappointed as they turned in a short, but very sweet, set. Taking to the stage to the strains of ‘White Rabbit’ by Jefferson Airplane the band looked the part dressed in 60’s style psychedelic outfits. Vocalist Lee-La Baum was also sporting a fetching set of white cat’s ears just to add that quirky touch.

The music though was bang up to date and the band kicked off with ‘Be Somebody’ from their latest self-titled album. Lee-La has a great, soulful voice and she can really belt out the vocals. The rest of the band are no slouches either, and together they are a very tight unit.

‘Love Outta Luck’ gave guitarist Tom Schemer a chance to shine with some blistering solos, before their latest single ‘The Willow’ slowed things down. On this track you can really see where the Jefferson Airplane comparisons come from which is no bad thing.

My set highlight though was ‘All Night Long’. This is an absolute belter of a song and one I was itching to hear live. The set concluded with ‘Tomorrow’ and as they finished off, the last chords were met with a resounding cheer from the appreciative crowd.

This may have been my first encounter with The Damn Truth, but it certainly won’t be my last, and I have a feeling that many in the hall had the same feeling.

One band who are never without a huge Glaswegian following are local heroes Gun. As the lights went down and the strains of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band with ‘Delilah’ heralded the bands entrance, a huge cheer went up. They guys kicked things off with ‘Luck Man’, a track from their latest album ‘Hombre’.

That then led into ‘Don’t Say It’s Over’ which quickly turned into a mass singalong, a theme that would continue through the set. Dante Gizzi had a bit of banter with the crowd, but chat was kept to a minimum to fit in as much as they could to their allotted slot. ‘All Fired Up’ kept the set motoring along nicely, before things slowed with ‘Falling’, again from the latest release.

It was the older hits though, that were the set highlight with ‘Better Days’ and a bouncing version of ‘Word Up’ getting the crowd on their feet to dance along. The guys then brought things to a close with more classics in the shape of ‘Shame On You’ and a blistering ‘Steal Your Fire’, again with the crowd in full participation mode.

This was another great set by a band who never fail to deliver. They may have been preaching to the converted tonight, but the quality and musicianship of the guys would win over any crowd. ‘Everyone’s A Winner’ as the old cover version goes…

We were all here for one thing though, and that was to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of ‘that’ song and album and to relive those heady 80’s days that are so fondly remembered. For most, it feels like 48 hours ago rather than 40 years ago!

Europe chose to open things very much in the here and now with ‘ Scandinavian Nights’ from their just released album ‘Come This Madness’. The album may have only been out for a few days, but the song went down a storm and more from the album would crop up later in the set to ensure this was not a complete nostalgia fest.

‘Walk The Earth’ and ‘Superstitious’, one of my person favourites, eased the band in, and although this was the first gig of the bands latest run they were as tight as always. Joey Tempest still looks ridiculously good after all these years, he could give Dorian Grey a run for his money. Has anyone checked his attic for pictures?

Vocally, Joey has lost none of his prowess and power either and he was clearly loving being back on stage. Another new track, ‘One on One’ was led by the heavy bassline provided by John Leven. This song also brought John Norum to the fore with some great fretwork. John, I feel, is overlooked as a guitar great which is a travesty as his playing is up there with the best rock has to offer.

More classics followed with ‘Last Look At Eden’ and ‘War Of Kings’ reminding everyone of how heavy the band can be in the live setting. I always feel that anyone popping along to a show just for ‘The Final Countdown’ would be shocked to discover what Europe have in their musical arsenal.

Most of the band then left the stage to Joey and Mic Michaeli on keyboards for a stunning version of ‘Prisoners In Paradise’ which was rounded out with the other guys returning to the stage for the big finish.

The last of the new tracks ‘The Cult Of Ignorance’ went down a storm before ‘On Broken Wings’ brought the first part of the evening to a close.

Images were then flashed up on the onstage video screens of a fresh-faced band back in ’86 with the world at their feet, although the gratuitous shots of the band, poolside in Speedos, may have been a bit too much! This introduced ‘The Final Countdown’ album which was to be played in its entirety, almost in track order!

‘Rock The Night’ started things off with the crowd firmly back on vocal duties and singing along heartily with Joey. The crowd participation was also front and centre as Joey handed over chorus duties on ‘Carrie’ to the Glasgow choir, which was sung with gusto.

For ‘Danger On The Tracks’ the band got their roadcrew involved in some onstage roleplay. They took us back to their rehearsal space 40 years ago and the behind the scenes look at the band before they went stellar. All good fun.

‘Ninja’ and ‘Cherokee’ brought back more memories of those big haired, glossy videos from back in the day that made the band familiar faces around the world. The remaining album tracks were great to hear live, especially album closer ‘Love Chaser’ which is a gem of a track that doesn’t get near enough exposure.

The only track out of position on this album play though was always going to be kept for the end. As the intro to ‘The Final Countdown’ rang out, the crowd went into overdrive. If anyone had a voice left at the end of the song, they weren’t trying.

This was the climax of a perfect evening with a band that have consistently produced quality music for well over 40 years and will hopefully continue to do so for years to come. If the new album is anything to go by, they certainly still have the hunger and the tunes to provide the soundtrack for a new generation.

The Final Countdown? Not quite yet…

Review and Pictures by Dave Wilson

Europe GRTR! Greats Feature

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

Josh now hosts “Taerk’s Tracks” as part of the Singer Songwriter Sunday sequence on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.

This is the first show broadcast on 27 September. Josh presents some of his inspirational artists and tracks.

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast 20 September 2026.

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Power Plays w/c 28 September 2026

HARDCORE SUPERSTAR – Halo (Frontiers)
THUNDERMOTHER Bimbo Boost (Napalm Records)
ELYSION Dead Loves (Massacre Records)
CHRIS JOHNSON & THE HOLLYWOOD HILLBILLIES Till The End Of Time (Rustbelt Electric)
LAKE Ordinary People (indie)
CRASHING WAYWARD Bullet For Heart (Golden Robot Records)
DEAD POET SOCIETY Miami For The Weekend (Spinefarm)

Featured Albums w/c 28 September 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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