Europe

There are very few songs that anyone, anywhere on the planet, of any age, can recognise after just a few seconds. One of them is certainly "The Final Countdown" by Europe, one of the greatest rock anthems ever written, released exactly 40 years ago. The song, introduced by that epic synthesizer riff, tells of humanity's departure for another planet, Venus, capturing the emotion of leaving and the hope for the future through the image of a countdown. Although the lyrics were purely science-fiction, the atmosphere of 1986 was heavily shaped by the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War and the nuclear nightmare (which would materialise just months later, with the disaster at the Chernobyl power plant). Many listeners at the time read the flight into space as a metaphor for the need to escape a world at risk of self-destruction.
"The Final Countdown" was an instant global success, going gold and reaching number one in as many as 25 countries. The song carried the album of the same name, the third by the Swedish band led by Joey Tempest, which also contained other unforgettable hits like "Carrie", "Rock The Night" and "Cherokee". All songs that thrilled the Cavea of Rome's Auditorium Parco della Musica last night, in the second date of Europe's summer tour, which will also stop in Brescia (8 July) and Forte Dei Marmi (9 July).

The huge open-air space designed by Renzo Piano was last night set up with standing room in the parterre: a wise choice for a rock show made for dancing. Europe, still made up of Joey Tempest on vocals, John Norum on guitar, John Levén on bass, Mic Michaeli on keyboards and Ian Haugland on drums, remain a formidable live band. Devastating guitar riffs, cinematic keyboards, tight rhythm section, an aggressive voice and plenty of fun to be had. These, in short, are the ingredients behind the Swedish band's forty-year success: a group that doesn't just live on nostalgia, but is still active in the studio. On 25 September their twelfth studio album, "Come This Madness", will be released via Silver Lining Music/Hell & Back Recordings. Judging by the live rendition of the two singles "One On One" and "The Cult Of Ignorance", the record promises to be one of the most interesting hard rock releases of 2026. "'One On One' is definitely one of my favourite tracks on the album", says Joey Tempest. "The power and the atmosphere are fresh, but some of the melodies take me back to our roots. These lyrics reflect the times we're living in today".

In a setlist built mainly around the 1986 masterpiece "The Final Countdown" and 1988's "Open Your Heart", the two new songs held up remarkably well, showing that Joey Tempest's knack for writing great rock songs is still intact. The evening opened with "On Broken Wings", famous as the B-side of "The Final Countdown", a fast track with a contagious chorus. A roar of approval from the crowd greets the blistering riff of "Rock The Night", whose chorus is sung by the entire Cavea of the Auditorium. It's curious to think that music critics back then looked with scepticism (to put it mildly) at so-called "hair metal", yet the test of time proves unequivocally that these were great songs.

Joey Tempest no longer has the bleached, teased hair of the Eighties, but he still has a powerful voice and a stage presence that's the envy of any (almost) sixty-three-year-old. As a seasoned frontman, Tempest is skilled at keeping up a constant dialogue with the crowd, who respond to every invitation to sing and clap along with great enthusiasm. Europe have always been loved in Italy, and it's always rewarding to play for an audience that knows every song and has followed them for years with unwavering affection.
John Norum's guitar solos are a perfect blend of technique and melody, while Mic Michaeli's keyboards remain one of Europe's most recognisable sonic signatures. The rhythm section formed by Ian Haugland's drums and John Levén's bass is, as ever, powerful, tight and metronomic. After the dark, Eastern-tinged atmospheres of "Walk The Earth", Joey Tempest greets the crowd: "How great to be back in Rome! How are you doing? Are you ready for the new album? Do you want lots of ballads, to listen to together with your mother, or do you want to scream?". A rhetorical question: the crowd wants to scream, dance and have fun with "Scream Of Anger" and "Sign Of The Times", two classics from the Eighties.

The new songs "One On One" and "The Cult Of Ignorance" are also warmly received. The latter is a direct, engaging rock anthem, with lyrics that reflect the times we live in, written with a touch of irony. Then comes the long-awaited moment of "Carrie", one of the defining ballads of the Eighties, which sets off a singalong across the whole Auditorium, in a moment of great emotional intensity. Tempest moves close to the parterre barrier and sings the chorus together with the fans, amid a sea of hands reaching out to touch him. On "Open Your Heart" the frontman has fun personalising the song with "Rome", while the irresistible "Superstitious" is interpolated with segments of "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley".

A brief pause, then comes the long-awaited encore. And what an encore. First "Cherokee", the fourth single from "The Final Countdown" album, with its raw lyrics recounting the extermination of Native Americans.
The truly memorable finale is entrusted to the epic "The Final Countdown", one of those songs that, at least once in a lifetime, need to be heard and screamed along to live. During the song, a spectator unfurls a banner from the stand reading (in English): "We've been waiting for this moment for 40 years". When a song enters the collective memory in this way, it means it's truly special. Last night's show confirmed once again that Europe are a top-notch live band, led by a charismatic frontman like Joey Tempest. The Swedish band not only boasts a back catalogue that few groups from the Eighties can match, but is still capable of delivering fresh, worthwhile new music. Rock isn't dead, long live rock.

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