Intermission - The hows and whys

After a certain time - it can be after your third concert; your thirteenth; or even your thirtieth - people will start to ask you why you keep going to see Europe, surely you know their setlist by heart by now? My mum will sometimes comment on how I shouldn't really spend all that money on going to gigs. Well, this is a quick sum-up of my gigs so far, and the reasoning behind deciding to spend my hard-earned money.


2004

Stein-Vidar (October 6th, 2003): Happy birthday! Europe is back!

Me (June 11th): Oh my god, oh my god they're playing in NORWAY! I have only had my driver's license for 4 months, but I'm driving there!

After : Oh, I got a speeding ticket. Ooops. Guess you shouldn't drink and drive. Or in my case go-to-your-first-Europe-concert-and-then-drive.

Me (Summer 2004): Ooooooh, Europe is coming to Drammen! My hometown!

Life: Not so fast...You move away and start a new school that day (on a Saturday of all days), you can't go. And to make matters even worse, you're moving very close to that place you saw Europe play in June

Me: *Sad*

Classmate at new school: Hey, Tone Irene, Europe is going to play at Rockefeller, Oslo!

Stranger on the internet, shortly after: Hey, I see you like Europe, and live around here, would you like a ride down to see Europe?

Me: *Happy-go-lucky*

2005

Europetheband.com: Europe is coming to Norway, this time Bergen!  

Me: Oh, that's far away

Girlfriend-at-the-time: We can make it a road trip, we will stay at my friend's step dad's place.

Me: Hooray!

2006

Internet: Europe is coming to Oslo

Me (having started college in Tromsø): Yay! That's only 1 789km from where I'm living now! And I'm afraid of flying. But I'll go!

2007

Internet: Europe is playing in Sandnes in May!

Me: I love that Europe shows me my home country. That'll be one flight to Oslo, then to Sandnes, then back to Oslo, then up to Tromsø. I'm a student, so that should be easy and affordable...

Internet: Welcome back from Sandnes, Europe is playing a festival in Mo i Rana on July 21st.

Me: *looks at map* *checks for flights* *checks for trains*: Hooray, I love trains, I'll just book this 15 hour train ride to Mo i Rana. I love that Europe shows me my home country!

2008

Camilla: Europe is coming to play in Lakselv on July 12th

Me: I love that Europe shows me my home country! That'll be one flight from Oslo to Alta, then one ride with a teeny-tiny-airplane to Lakselv. Still afraid of flying, but who cares?

Internet: Europe is playing in Kopervik on October 4th

Me: *checks map* I love that Europe shows me my home country! And it's so close to my birthday!
*goes to Germany for autumn break, takes 3 trains to the airport in Bremen, flies back to Oslo, gets on a bus, sleeps over at a friend's place, takes the plane to the closest airport* 

2009

May

Internet: Europe plays in Norw...

Me: Gimme! I love that Europe shows me my home country!

December

Internet: Europe is doing two shows in Sweden during the Christmas holidays, when you're normally home with your fam-

Me: Wooohooo, I'm gonna see Europe in Sweden, their home country!

2010

Internet: Europe has a show in London

Me: Yaaaaay, everyone I know from the forum will be there, I must go!

Life: How are you feeling?

Me: Satisfied. I've been to 4 gigs in the past 10 months, now I can go a long time without seeing Europe again.

Internet: What if I told you that Europe is playing in Skien in June?

Me: Europe is playing in Norway, I must go! I love that Europe shows me my home country!

Me (after): Wow, this gig was soooo gooood, I crave another one, gimme!!

Life: Karlskoga, end of July Ok?

Me: Hooray! Wooohooo, I'm gonna see Europe in Sweden, their home country!

2011

Europetheband.com: Europe will be back in London to play on the same venue as last year, touring the same album as then. It's basically the same show again, but we call it Balls'n'Banners now

Me:  Yaaaaay, everyone I know from the forum will be there, I must go!

Internet: It doesn't look as though Europe will be playing in Norway this year

Me: *finds and goes to the Swedish Europe gig that is closest to Norway*

Internet: Oh, looks as though I was wrong, Europe is playing in Trom-

Me:*books flight*

Internet: -sø 

2012

Internet: Europe is playing in Langesund July 12th

Me: Oh my, that's the closest gig I've been to in 8 years! And it's on the same date as the one in Lakselv 2008. Dates are important!

Europe: We are going to play 3 dates in Norway in December

Me: Europe is playing in Norway, I must go! *books all 3 gigs, sadly the last one is cancelled*


2013

Europe: We are celebrating 30 years since we started by doing an anniversary gig at Sweden Rock

Me: A SPECIAL show! Take my money!

Internet: There's a gig in Norway, it's just a little over a month since you saw them last...

Me: And it's on the same date as the one in Lakselv 2008 and the one in Langesund 2012. Dates are important! In Tysnes you say? That's outside Bergen, is it? Europe is playing in Norway, I must go! Hooray, I love trains! *travels 6 hours by train* 

2014

Europe: Now we are going to celebrate the 30th anniversary for Wings of tomorrow

Me: Another SPECIAL show! I'm going! Take my money! I can't go to Stockholm on Monday, so I'll just travel 640km to see them in a place I've never heard of. Wooohooo, I'm gonna see Europe in Sweden, their home country!

Internet: Europe is playing in Norway in June

Me: I can't go, I'll have to work :(

Internet: Europe is playing in Upplands Väsby

Me: Another SPECIAL show, in their hometown! Take my money! 

Karoline/Atle/Ole: We're going to Glasgow to see Europe next March, do you want to come? It's two concerts two days in a row there

Me: I can't afford it, sadly. My economy is really bad


2015

Karoline: Hey, I can't go to Glasgow after all, do you want my Europe tickets for free?

Me: I'm going to Scotland. Yaaaay! I can't really afford it, but oh look, there are some really expensive VIP-tickets left. I wants it!

Me (after): Oh... I just got back from a VIP meet and two fantastic shows in Scotland, but now I can't pay for my car parked at the airport..... hey... STILL worth it!


Internet: Europe is playing in Norway in June.

Me: I can't go, I'll have to work :( In Spain. All expenses covered. *sad*

Internet: Europe is playing at Rockefeller!

Me: Oh my god, oh my god, it's just half an hour from home!

2016

Internet: Europe is playing in Halden

Me: Oh my god, oh my god, it's just an hour from home!

Internet: Europe is playing in Ålesund!

Me: I love that Europe shows me my home country! Hooray, I love trains!

Internet: Europe is celebrating their 30th anniversary for The Final Countdown

Me:  Another SPECIAL show, in their "hometown"! I must go! Hooray I love trains! They're probably going to London as well. Yaaaaay, everyone I know from the forum will be there, I must go! Take my money!