Europe gig no.27 - September 24th 2015 - Rockefeller, Oslo, Norway

Back to the start…. Gig 27: The easiest trip.

Saturday, 26 September 2015

I have now been to my 27th Europe concert. In 11 years. You can’t help but get into the «habit» of things after a while. You buy your ticket, plan your trip, whether it’s 2 hours by car, 2 hours by plane, or 15 hours by train, as has happened. This time I didn’t spend much time planning the trip; I live 35 minutes outside of Oslo. I know Oslo. I can even drive around in the center of Oslo without panicking now.

My job ended at 4.30, and the doors opened at 8. I drove directly to Oslo, to stop right outside Rockefeller Music Hall. I found some fans there; listening in on the soundcheck. I wanted nothing more than to jump out of the car and join them. Problem was, there was nowhere I could park.

So I had to park my car near my sleepover place, and then walk back to the venue. By then the soundcheck was done. So I walked back to where I would be sleeping, to say hello to my wonderful friends who had travelled from Finnmark in Northern Norway to see Europe.

I was VERY expectant and excited, to say the least. You would think that after 26 gigs, I had calmed down some. And I feel I have. But this night was special. This was seeing Europe in Oslo again, at the venue I had seen them twice before. Once is an event, twice is a pair, but three times? That’s a pattern.

The first time they played at Rockefeller was in 2004 (http://followingeuropetheband.blogspot.no/...), and that was my second ever gig. Last time they played at Rockefeller was in 2006 (http://followingeuropetheband.blogspot.no/...), which was my fourth gig, and that’s NINE years ago. This time it felt like it did back then, or even back at my first gig. I was 18 again! I was stressed and anxious to get my place at the front row. I was positively squealing with anticipation when meeting the other fans. I was, in short, the scatterbrained girl that left her camera in the car with the windows open on her way to her first concert. This time I left the car with all windows closed, luckily :)

In the line I talked to Stein Vidar, Michaela, Mei, Trude, Nina and two twin guys that were at their second Europe concert :) The doors opened before it got too cold. I secured a space in the front row, next to Michaela and Nina. The support band sounded great, despite the fact that I couldn’t hear their singer. In the rigging time in between the support act and Europe I talked to my surrounding friends; Thomas, Camilla, Nina and a couple of other people. As always, when the time is near for Europe to come on stage, people run a little impatient, and their senses are more focused, and so they notice more the background music. Around ten, the background music was Bohemian Rhapsody. And suddenly there was a mass breakout of song from the crowd down near the stage. I know I started singing, but I soon noticed that there were more voices. And we kept on singing!

«Too late, my time has come Sends shivers down my spine 

   Body's aching all the time 

   Goodbye everybody - I've got to go 

   Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth 

   Mama, ooo - (anyway the wind blows) 

   I don't want to die I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all,»

Just as we were starting to sing «I see a little silhouetto of a man», we noticed the music was no longer playing, the lights went down, and we did indeed see the silhouetto of a man, no two, no five men! I had to admit, I was a bit put out by the fact that I couldn’t sing more «Bohemian Rhapsody», but Europe my Europe soon made up for it.

For me, 5 feet tall and die hard fan, there is no alternative to being front row. I know that my guys will deliver a perfect show every time. I remember back in 2004, when I was standing pretty much at the same spot as I did this time, when I had the thought that «Wow, they are actually even better live than they are on their albums!». For me, the concerts are, and have always been, as much about the visual, and the connection with the band. Back in 2004 I remember Joey touching my hand from the stage. That didn’t happen this time. This time I got many recognizing smiles from John Levén, we even communicated about about a song at one point, through gestures, facial expressions and smiles.

 Flashback:

[Back in March this year, I went to see Europe in Glasgow, 2 nights in a row. I saw them on Thursday, and then I had a Meet and Greet with the band on Friday before gig number two. I approached Joey, who smiled when he saw me, and then he said «Long time no see!». After this exchange e switched to Swedish, saying; "oh, but you understand swedish, isn’t that right?" This took me by surprise, cause the last time I spoke to Joey was in 2008, 7 years previously.]

This encounter was very clear in my mind on this Rockefeller concert. During the song «Second Day», the amazing lights in red, white and blue were shining outwards into the audience. The audience could see the stage and the band just fine, but I kept thinking that they had a better look at us in the crowd on this song. I am not a huge fan of this song. I heard it live in Glasgow as well, and it’s better live than on the album, but it’s not my favourite. However, I was quite pleased with knowing the lyrics and singing along to them when Joey stood right in front of me, purposefully bending down to look directly into my face. There it was again, the sign of recognition. The look that said «there you are!» Not «Hey sexy», or «Rock on, dude», but «Hey there, my loyal fan, it’s nice to see you in the audience again» - look.

My favourite songs from this concert was Hole in my pocket, Sign of the times, Days of Rock’n’roll, Firebox, Girl from Lebanon, and the biggest surprise of the evening… The mood lighting together with Mic on the keyboard indicated «No Stone Unturned», even if that was a bit unlikely considering they had played «Firebox», so I reached down to my bag to find my cellphone and start filming, cause the beginning of No Stone Unturned gets to me every time. But it wasn’t «No Stone Unturned». At first, when John Norum started playing this oh so familiar song, I thought «Gary More tribute, now?». But then it dawned on me: Oh my God, he’s playing "Vasastan". Normally I would squeal/scream/jump at the apprehension, but this time I just stood filming, swallowing and almost tearing up. It was so tender and beautiful. A sold-out Rockefeller with crazy rock fans that could make so much noise, and yet John Norum managed to play so soft and tender. It was magical!

The encore began with Rock the night, and in his ad lib-bit, Joey put in a Norway tribute by singing three words: «Take…. On…. Me…», I liked this little homage. It brought me back to when they played a bit of «In the hall of the mountain king» when they were in Skien 5 years ago. 

It’s very clear that the band enjoys their concerts in Norway, and feels a connection to the country. This night, I was attending my 16th Norwegian Europe gig, and I haven’t even been to all of the gigs they have done in Norway, so that’s saying something. Days of Rock’n’roll came all too soon. I say that because there can not be any other song following this new classic but The Final countdown, and that means the show is coming to a close.

But when the band got out after Days of Rock’n’roll, they experienced their first techical hiccup (that I know of) this evening. It seemed to me like the intro to TFC would not start! I heard half a second of the roaring bass, then nothing more. Then I heard it again, and again it stopped. The crew came on stage and fixed some wires and some stuff, the audience continued chanting. And then it finally began.

It had been so hot during that gig, I could see Joey’s hair all wet from the heat, and I was feeling very hot myself. But what happened at the end of the gig was worth all the heat. I had, as I mentioned, had a couple of nods and smiles from John Levén, and at the end of The Final Countdown (which was nearly The Final Breakdown for a few minutes), I mimicked to him that I wanted a plectrum.

After he was done playing, he gave a sign to one of the crew, and then he came back with a handful of plectrums. He tossed it in my direction, I saw it fly, and tried to grasp it, but I didn’t have any real hope to catch it, I never was very good with the whole eye-hand-coordination-thingy. After the band left the stage, I found Camilla, and hugged her, we had rocked together a while during the concert, so I knew where she stood. After I hugged her, she picked at my forehead. «You have a plectrum on your forehead, here you go!», she said. I was sure she was joking, surely she must’ve caught a plectrum and decided to give it to me? But as far as I know, she doesn’t joke with that kind of things. So… Yeah… Caught a plectrum with my sweaty forehead :-p

After that, I was hurrying to get outside, because the place was boiling. Outside I met up with friends from all over Norway. It was so great! I talked like I was being paid for it, at very high speed with few breaks, but the people around me were all smiles anyway.

The night ended in even more perfection, when after a good while, three band members came outside, and took some time to meet with the fans, there were maybe 5-7 fans there. I asked John Levén politely if I could have a photo with him, and he obliged smilingly, at least according to the photos.

I think that was the best smile I have seen on him ever :D I got a photo with Ian as well, and the photos turned out very well! At last came John Norum, and when he saw me, he made a gesture clearly inviting me to a hug. And what a nice hug it was. While there, I asked very silently «So, you remember me still?» And his reply was just as calmly and very friendly «Of course, of course. How are you? All good with you?». At this point Thomas was holding my cellphone, cause I wanted to ask John Norum for a picture. A bit later on, Thomas showed me the picture of me and Norum. Not the one where we are posing and smiling for the camera, but the picture of John Norum hugging me so closely! I was SO happy :D Now I have the memory AND the picture to prove it for when a couple of more year passes, when I start to imagine that I dreamt it all :)

My third gig at Rockefeller was a real treat :D

I am looking forward to the next!

Europe gig no.4 - November 14th 2006 - Rockefeller, Oslo.

Written and last edited on November 17th, 3 days after the gig. I'm 20 years old, studying at the university college in Tromsø. This review was written directly into the Europe forum, by the means of severals posts. The people mentioned are Iren, a good friend and fan from Holmestrand, Atle, a fan I met on my last gig, and Thomas (how I met him, I have explained in the text)

"I have just come back to Tromsø. It's been 26-27 hours since I last slept, so I will probably

edit some of this blabbering tomorrow. I am still numb. Overexcitement hasn't found it's way into my body yet, I am so full of impressions.

First: Fan meet-up at Hard Rock Café, with 6-7 Norwegian fans, all lucky winners of

backstage passes to the gig. While there, someone in our group requested Europe to the DJ, so we got to hear: In the future to come, Open your heart, Rock the night, Carrie and Prisoners in paradise in that order (5 songs from 4 albums, not bad...) We didn't leave at the same time, some of us were a bit more eager than the others of getting in the line

But still, I think most of us ended up in or near first row, or at least decent spots.

I was benched at the same place as the last Rockefeller gig, in front of John Levén, he gave the press a real treat by standing there posing and looking gorgeous.

I was standing on front row with Thomas, Sara (Italy) and Alessia (Italy)

Oh, rushing now, first, Stereolith! They played.

Now then: Europe.

Still no dangerous amount of pressure, no more so the ENTIRE gig (at least for me, I cannotsay much for the others) There was just one moment where a really drunk guy came up to me and jumped up and down thinking he was best friends with everyone (sounds familiar, ey?) But the guards where pro and sent him away.

The guards were also really nice. Didn't say anything about the cameras that was brought in after the purse-check (how come they missed mine??) So, a little amount of pictures taken. One or two of John Norum, a few of Mic, some of Joey, and lots of John Levén (it must have been the posing...) Ian was a bit hidden, as always. But he played great  

I am not sure what you want to know about the setlist? Well, here goes,

in the order of the albums they originate from:

Seven Doors Hotel, Wings of tomorrow, Carrie, Rock the night, Cherokee, TFC,

Sign of the times, Superstitious, Let the good times rock, Yesterdays News,

Girl from Lebanon, Flames, Gotta have faith, Start from the dark, Getaway Plan, Secret Society, Always the pretenders, Love is not the enemy, Let the Children Play, Bass solo, Guitar solo, and Keyboard solo/intro.

You can count for yourselves, I have tried really hard for an amount of time, but I just can't

manage to count them.

Meet and greet: all got their VIP-passes, waiting, waiting, and then some more waiting,

then suddenly Mic was there. I was really surprised, he just mixed in with the crowd

(9 Europemania-Norway winners, creating maximum of maybe 20 VIPs)

STILL GOT THE PASS INTACT!

Then we met, and greeted, and took pictures and had hugs and signatures. I can tell you more about some of the stupid things I said some other day.. or maybe I wont...

I LOVED IT, simply. And by the way; yes, the guys were great  

Now my bed is calling for me... I think... My senses aren't working properly, after

spending the night with Thomas, one of the Norwegian backstagers, and a new friend since Sunday //the concert was on a Tuesday, after that Sunday// (that's when I first met him, but we've been speaking on msn for a long time, thanks to... yes..this vandervool forum), and then having breakfast with Atle at the airport and talking about the gig and meet and everything.

More impressions, added later on:

a few things I managed to say

- I asked John Norum if he practised scales and technique studies or just songs, he answered it was just songs

- I asked Mic if he could be my keyboard teacher, cause that would be my dream, dunno if

he catched it, cause then another thought hit me, being that I wanted to tell him I played the saxophone. It was just.. that I wanted to ask them all at once, but hadn't prepared (even though I had promised Iren I would...)

- Asked John Levén if they needed a sax, and he joked it away (which he was supposed to, of course, I didn't mean it seriously), but he toldl me he DID like saxophone sound, and something about listening to it when he was younger.

- Scared away Joey, I think, by being so wanna-talk-and-wanna-do-it-now-with-my-way-too-intense-expression (or so I can imagine). Later on I apologized. And in the end I asked for (yes, asked for it...) a hug, and when we hugged I said to him that he was my biggest hero ever!

-Think I told all the guys to come to Tromsø (thank you Stein, for reminding me )

-Mic remembered my name (Tone Iren, at least ) and was really nice patting me on the

shoulder, hugging me (didn't ask for it.. at least not the first time, I think I'd forgotten that I had

already got one earlier, mind not working properly)

- Videotaped Ian while he talked to a friend of mine about drum stuff.. paparazzi, I know.. but I am just so taken aback by these five guys, I adore them.. and just standing there looking at them talking just put me in

euphoria, so figured I would tape it with my cellphone...)

- Snuck in on Thomas' picture with Mic, which I deeeeeply regret, since I ruined Thomas' pic completely, by looking like an ***...

One more thing: I am sober, have been for weeks. So, no blaming all this babbling on my

drunkeness!)  (December 21st 2012: I meant here that I hadn't been partying or

drinking alcohol for weeks, I did NOT mean for it to sound like I was a 20 year old girl in need of rehab)

(Picture link) http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y114/A ... er%202006/

Europe gig no.2 - October 19th 2004 Rockefeller, Oslo

Note: This is not the typical blog about how the music sounded, how the band looked or played. What is worth remembering equally is the feeling. So as I post here my old tour reviews, I try to change as little as possible from the original.
At the time I wrote this, I was 19 years old.

Oslo, October 19th 2004

My second gig is so far the last and absolute best Europe gig I've ever been to.
I had just started school (which started the same day Europe was in Drammen, my home town.. I chose to be at the beginning of school) well, where was I? yes.. I had just started school, and was in front of the computer when an old class mate of mine says "you know Europe is playing at Rockefeller?" I did a bit of research, and he was right!! So I made a friend of mine come, not a fan, (well, NOW she is) but a good friend. She looked forward to it. I started to chat with a Europe fan on the web at the same time, without knowing where he lived. And he says "Hey, I see you're from Hamar, maybe we should drive together?" And risky though it was, driving with a guy we'd never met,  we joined him and his friends in the 2 hour drive to Oslo October 19th.
We arrived several hours before the concert, to avoid rush traffic. So we went for a pizza. Then we looked in a few record shops, with no Europe items at all, before we had a few drinks at a pub nearby the Rockefeller arena. Of course, it was only coke for me that day as well, music is my drug! I had problems sitting still with the rest, so I got outside and joined the line outside the entrance. I could see several 80s inspired people. And the people I talked to really understood that I wasn't there by coincidence. I met a girl, whose friend had told me was a real fan, and I could clearly see. Her hair was...80s!! I thought she was 25! But she was one year younger than me. Also at this concert I met Stein Vidar, who had come once again all the way from Båtsfjord, in the Northernmost county in Norway.
My heart almost stopped when they opened the doors, and the guards denied Stein-Vidar entrance, cause he had no ID on. That had been my nightmare thoughts all day, that I wouldn't get in. You had to be 18, cause there was alcohol sales there. Stein Vidar was 21 years old. (born at August 19, Joey's birthday!) So I tried to argue with the lady who stood guard at the door, but she was pretty hard on me. We had to pass to let people in, but later, the lady guard came to the stage to ask me how old he was, and I said 21, and his birth date. She said she would let him in, but on the condition that he would not touch alcohol. He, like me, wouldn't need it, I said.

The arena was a little and cozy one, and me and Ingri found our spot right in front of the stage, a little to the left. That, it occured, was the spot right in front of John Levèn. But first came the warm up band. They were called Hellfueled. Nothing very impressing, just long haired, black clothed, playing and screaming and really making a fuzz out of having long hair, so that they nodded and had hair in the face on the riffs :/
But you can't have luck all the time, in finding good warm up bands. But after tree quarters of their hair touching the floor, it was time for....

Rearranging instruments on stage. You know how it is, the crowd getting even tighter behind you, and your high heels starting to nag your feet. Some of the best things with this concert was that there was extraordinary little activity from the wanna-be-fans-with-too-much-beer-consumed trying to come to stage and jumping up and down and pushing aside every true fan in their attempts to do so, and smashing fists and stuff into other crowdmembers. We had them this time too, but only once. And this concert we didn`t get our tummys, heads and other parts of the body pressed into the fence by the crowd. We kept our place at the fence the whole concert! The crowd was actually polite and mature.

Well, after an hour of waiting, our men finally hit the stage, and I really felt.. HOME.. this was my crowd, an extension of me rocking in my room, but with more intensity, and of course, LIVE Europe. I don't remember the set list, I just remember I was totally satisfied with everything they did, and when one hour had passed, I had not thought ONCE "are they gonna play The Final Countdown?". I had no worries about that matter whatsoever. 5 months before I would have died if they had not played their major hit, but if they didn`t this time, I would have been just as happy, I'm sure of it. But hey, concert review is not finished yet...
They had amazing surprises for us, like Carrie acoustic version, where you could hear the crowd singing louder than Joey, and lifting the spirit up to another level. And Joey did this (usual) call and response-thingy with his audience during Rock the night (I've seen it on videos), and you could hear his voice was beyond good, it was... oh, heavenly (and that goes for Carrie acoustic as well)!! They did Got to have faith, Start from the dark, Flames, Hero and Spirit of the underdog from the new album, and I don't think there was much difference between their old songs and their new songs. They had a whole new touch to their old songs, making them just as melodic, but a bit harder and more rock-like! But I would have liked everything they did (except rap...)

I should maybe remember during what song this happened, but I don't, and it's a real pity.. But during one song, Joey bent his upper body to touch the waving hands of the fans first in line at the fence, and I was really close to being touched by him. But then he touched Ingri instead. I was so dissapointed, I had been THAT close to touch my nr.1 Hero. I forgot it pretty quickly, I was still having my best time ever by being there. It's just that a touch of his hand would have made the little extra for me.. And so it did, when, during another song (Carrie? Rock the night? or even TFC?) He had his hands in the crowd's reach again, and touched my right hand! I was in the seventh heaven. Oh, I almost forgot, that Levèn smiled at me. Looked me in the eyes and smiled at me! :D
Something I forgot? Hmm.. well.. After an hour and tree quarters (or nearly so), they did play The Final Countdown. And this time, no one touched my boobies, like happened the last time. And... woow... Orgasmic sensation. They really make people happy...

I thought, during the entire concert: "why isn't my stomach turning and twisting with joy?" Well, after the concert, it certainly did. I jumped up and down, I talked to everybody, I gave some money to a streetwalker, I jumped some more, and was totally happy. This guy comes to me and shows me his T-shirt, and it's the same one I'm wearing. That would not have been strange, if it had been a Europe T-shirt. But it wasn't. It was the T-shirt with the tiger on (look at the Vallset gig). Of course, his shirt shoulders were intact... And I met the girl with the 80s hair again, she had gotten Joey's water bottle. I wasn't all that jealous, I had been touched by him!
Well, I had a coke (probably my 5th that day) and my last cigarettes (probably nr 30), and went with Ingri and Per Erik and his fellows back to Hamar, the next day I stopped smoking and drinking coke, just like that. And I'm still not smoking (except New Year's Eve)!! (this last sentence is probably added a little while later)