May 22 / AUSTRALIA / Sydney / Enmore Theatre

Mic is playing guitar again?? Didn't see that since the PIP Tour in 1992! (Right?...)



(Picture is from the review posted by Leedama in the review section)

Nice one!

So it's been over a week since the Sydney concert, and I have finally managed to get myself to write a review. For the rest of last week, I was on cloud 9 and above and beyond, still trying to let the feeling sink in that it was actually REAL! While it's taken Europe 30 years to come to Australia, and most people will say that they were teenagers when the Final Countdown came out, I was about 7 months old when all that happened. So I can say, I've been waiting all my life. Also, while growing up, most of kids my age used to listen to girl/boy bands, while I used to listen to all that 80's stuff...from you know - bands that were no longer around. So to actually be able to see EUROPE live for me was something that only dreams are made of.

My sister was supposed to join me but was still recovering from a leg surgery, so I once again found myself attending a concert all alone. It's not all bad because you can go as crazy as you want with no-one you know judging you, but it does still lack that feeling of sharing an amazing experience with someone - though to the lady in front of me, thank you for making a great night out of it! Rocking with you on Carrie and several other songs was fantastic!

Unfortunately, the budget wouldn't permit a meet-and-greet so I decided that the best next thing would be to be up front next to the stage - which was mission accomplished! I ended up second row, right in front of John L (hence all my best pics are of him). I also managed to get one of his guitar picks - it's like owing a piece of history Thank you!! It is now one my most prized possessions.

As soon as the intro of Walk the Earth  started, it was like being transported to a different dimension - for the next two hours there would only be those 5 guys on stage, putting on one hell of show! Joey had the crowd in his hands, singing along, clapping. He is one amazing frontman, and certainly owned the stage.

Seeing Mic play guitar was unexpected (and now I know very rare!) so extra special. John N's solo was amazing - all that emotion and feel. Ian was having a blast - he was like a kid in a candy store during his drum solo - I have never seen someone so excited to be playing drums! (vids not mine because mine has terrible sound)



Joeys' voice was top notch and he apparently never stops moving - most of my photos of him turned out a blur! And John L - well, interacting with him was a whole other level of magical!

Although they played 27 songs, it seemed all too short for me! And the Final Countdown had one extra super special moment for me. Having seen the Scorpions a few years ago (yes, another unbelievable event...which to my mind may have helped this tour happen), someone passed an Australian flag to Klaus Meine at the end the show. So I go this idea in my head...so when Joey came over my side of the stage, together with the lady in front, we manage to get an Aussie flag far enough in front of him. He picked up, put one end in his pocket and the rest is history. So in most vidoes of the Final Countdown at the Enmore when Joey reappears with a flag in his pocket after the guitar solo - that was mine Thank you Joey!!



Overall, an incredible night to remember. They guys certainly looked like they were having lots of fun, and the audience did too. Hopefully we won't have to wait for another 30 years until they come back again!

Here a few of the photos I took. I only had my old faithful little camera I take to all concerts - apparently these days one can walk in with big professional cameras, but in my experience they usually get taken away, so I have a little compact one I can fit in my bag.