Europe
Academy 2, Manchester
25 February 2011

Birmingham’s Voodoo Johnson opened the gig tonight, and gave a refreshing reminder to those watching of what playing music is really about. Forget the women, the drugs and the hedonistic lifestyle, because without the fans all of that is an afterthought. The guys played their brand of slightly heavier rock’n’roll, which contrasted nicely with the lighter side one might expect of Europe. Even better was Voodoo Johnson’s genuine sincerity in thanking the audience for turning out. They meant it. What endeared every person in the crowd to them was not a facade, or lashings of ego, but an eagerness to play their music to a room full of people and relish every moment of it. At times, a Nickelback-esque sound came through and this didn’t put anyone off.

And as the lights went down, the excitement amongst the crowd was only amplified. A completely sold out room for a band who had their heyday in the Eighties was truly a sight, and it wasn’t long before the band took to the stage to show why people will still part with their hard earned wages to see them. Opening with ‘Last Look at Eden’ from the eponymous 2009 album, Joey had the room in the palm of his hand. A rip roaring and note-perfect solo rounded off the opening perfectly.

For a band with some of their members nearing Fifty, the age just doesn’t show, in their performance or their song writing. Some of the newer tracks of the night sounded just as current and crafted as any younger band selling records today. Old favourite ‘Carrie’ brought the lighters out of the pockets and into the air, while football banter was the only thing to divide the crowd, which was quickly reunited by Joey’s declaration for his love of Boddingtons!

Further into the set came a beautiful tribute to the recently passed Gary Moore, in a fantastic and fitting rendition of his song ‘The Loner’. Not a hand remained un-clapped in the room and it was great to be reminded that while some people would write these guys off as a gimmicky band, that at the end of the day some of their influences were so deep-seeded in the very heart of rock. A highly entertaining drum solo to the William Tell Overture was followed by a sneaky keyboard tinkling of ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’. Surprisingly it had most of the audience singing along!

And as everyone was waiting for it, finally it happened. ‘The Final Countdown.’ It should be wrong, it should be groaned at because it’s played SO often, often more for nostalgia’s sake instead of pure musical enjoyment. But it paid off, in a way that’s hard to understand if you weren’t there. It was fun, it was energetic and the ultimate way to end a gig. The verdict? They’ve still got it. And whatever ‘IT’ is, Europe have got even more of it now that ever.

Review by Katt Ball