May 19 / AUSTRALIA / Melbourne / Palais Theatre

Live streaming on EUROPE's Facebook page!

www.facebook.com/europetheband/

Such a great night at the Palais Theatre!!! Well worth the 31 year wait for me! Meet and Greet was fantastic. Show was amazing. Joey even reached out and gave me his pick! Flying back home to New Zealand tomorrow so will post a few pics I managed to get from the front row and link to a couple of vids. Stormwind was a huge highlight as well as Open Your Heart. I used to watch the Hammersmith show from 87 and loved Open Your Heart from that show (especially Kees solo) so being front row for it last night was a dream come true. Interestingly Norums Fender strat broke strings twice during the show, the second time just at the end of Cherokee so he played his Paoletti strat for TFC. More to come....

Hi all!
Some photos and vids from the front row of the gig at the Palais Theatre. I've uploaded a set I took to a unlisted page on my website you can view here: www.oraclemusic.co.nz/europe

I must say I was SUPER nervous for this concert over the last few weeks knowing I was going to get to meet the band I've idolised since I was a kid. The Final Countdown came though and on a plane to Melbourne I went. The gig was at the lovely old Palais Theatre in St Kilda which I had never been to before but quickly learnt how many other bands have graced its stage over the years.
Shortly after 6pm on the 19th of May we were taken into the theatre and seated in rows ready to come up on stage to meet the band. A few minutes later, there they were, John L, Joey, Mic and Ian! Sadly no JN but that's ok. One by one or by pairs we were led up on stage to be introduced to the band and have any item we had signed. My mother and I had made this journey over and she was nervous for me and I was star struck. I remember saying something funny about visiting Solnahallen when I was in Stockholm and Mic having a laugh about it. Click click, photos, sign posters and we were off. Wow!

We went out to grab a drink at the bar and got talking to a few of the other fans which was super cool and made a few new friends! Back into the theatre and front row, right in the centre. 8pm came and the intro the Walk The Earth hit the theatre. The set list was pretty much the same as the previous shows on this leg so I knew when my favourite songs were coming up. Like I mentioned a huge highlight was being right in front of Joey when he sung 'Open Your Heart', a favourite of mine from the Hammersmith Apollo show in Feb '87. Stormwind was another classic I was super thrilled to hear. Norum was ripping it up on the strat and broke strings on it twice during the show, swapping it out for the Paoletti. Europe proved once again how they are such a tight unit and all these decades of performing have show how they instinctively know how to hit the ground running with a show. Joey even came right up to me during the show and reached his hand out to give me his guitar pick....is this a dream!?

Of course, the rumbling intro of 'The Final Countdown' came and tears filled my eyes. This night could go on forever but this was the end although I will replay it over and over in the mind for the rest of my life. As Joey sometimes says... "What a night, what a night!"

The coolest part was that I randomly went off shopping in the city the next day and I see a familiar face lock eyes with me and smile. It was Joey. I turned and said thanks for the pick and he said "I thought I recognised you!" and walked down the street with Mic a little asking a couple questions about the keyboard samples he uses live these days and talking old Roland gear etc then I bid them farewell as I didn't want to take up any more of their time off and I'll never forget, Joey turns round and smiles and waves and says goodbye...my life is complete. 

Mic with a guitar