In the year 2001, at the Derby Assembly Rooms, a mere 700 people attended the inaugural Bloodstock. It’s hard to believe, that in nine short years, Bloodstock has become the mightiest metal mayhem annual event on every true hard rocker’s calendar. This year’s three-day event, taking place at Derbyshire’s Catton Hall to a mammoth 10,000 strong crowd, and boasting the likes of Carcass, Sodom, Saxon, Arch Enemy and Apocalyptica, the heavy metal and hard rock line up was stronger than ever. 

Not surprisingly then, in the build up to B.O.A. 2009, there had been heated discussions whether Europe, the 80’s hair band renowned for the classic glam rock anthem The Final Countdown, were ready or not as a fitting finale headliner. 

Now the time has come to see, if the Swedes can silence the sceptics, and perform in front of one of the toughest, roughest, rowdiest hard rocking crowds ever assembled. Menacing chants of “Countdown” eerily echoed from within the throng, patiently waiting in a field akin to the battle of Agincourt (Historians amongst you will know the two-fingered V sign originated from this battle when Henry V’s English longbow archers defeated the French), in anticipation for Europe to take to the stage.

  Not wanting history to repeat itself, Europe immediately set out to prove that with them there’s ‘more than meets the eye’, grabbing the metalheads by the scruff of their necks’ by opening with the powerful title track off their new album ‘Last Look At Eden’. Only two songs in but already slickly moving up through the gears, and with the crowd firmly now onside, the band sustained the crowd in high spirits with a trio of classics, ‘Superstitious’, ‘Scream Of Anger’ and ‘Sign Of The Times’. 

‘Girls From Lebanon’, ‘Seven Doors Hotel’, and ‘Let The Good Times Rock’ followed. John Norum, having already displayed his signature guitar riffs, then took the opportunity to shine in the limelight with his jaw dropping guitar solo ‘Optimus’. ‘Seventh Sign’ and the self-titled track from their 2004 comeback album ‘Start From The Dark’ maintained the momentum of this Bloodstock juggernaut. 

‘Ready Or Not’ showcased the great chemistry between Norum and Tempest, whose first class vocals know how to convince from the get-go, and you could see the band’s delight in playing rubbing off on an audience, who were now unashamedly ecstatic and in awe of the glam boys. Charismatic vocalist Joey Tempest, undoubtedly the focal point of the band, cemented his ever increasing bond with the Bloodstock Boys & Babes, with one of the highlights of the set ‘Rock The Night’ from the multi million selling album ‘The Final Countdown’.    

Encore time… Ironically Europe didn’t need one but still came out with ‘The Getaway Plan’. And finally, the moment that the thousands had been waiting for had come…‘The Final Countdown’ and the band didn’t disappoint.  From the first note delivered from Mic Michaeli’s keyboard the crowd were uncontrollably jumping up and down, fists punching the air and there wasn’t a single person in the heavy metal crowd who wasn’t singing along to Europe’s anthem. Unbelievable.

 Europe had a fantastic sound throughout the set, owned the stage from the first to last note and proved they were skilfully adept at maintaining a great rapport with an initially sceptical audience. The set list may not have been conventional Europe but it was a powerful one that fitted in with and captivated the Bloodstock faithful. 

Let The Good Times Rock! 

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