Artists: Europe / Gun / The Damn Truth

Venue: Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Date: 2 October 2026

At the end of last year Europe announced that they would be playing three special shows in the UK to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of their seminal album ‘The Final Countdown’.  These days I’m loath to purchase concert tickets so far in advance especially with the number of cancellations since the COVID pandemic five years ago. However, for Europe I made the exception as I knew these shows would sell out, and the tickets would make a great present for my wife, Carol. The added bonus was the addition of two exceptional support acts to the bill, Canadian rockers The Damn Truth and seasoned professionals GUN.

This was my first visit to Wolverhampton’s  Civic Hall, and what a beautiful venue it is with excellent acoustics. Tonight's attendance was circa 2,400, with every seat occupied, including those in the stalls. This was obviously to the annoyance of some in attendance; however, it must be remembered that many fans of this type of music are getting older and are not in the same good health they were in during the eighties. Even I, despite still being able to stand through an entire show, much prefer enjoying the performance from the comfort of a seat these days.

At 7.00pm, the intro music of Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’ heralded the arrival of Canadian quartet The Damn Truth. Looking as though they had just stepped out of the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo, they treated us to a thirty-minute, six-song set of Southern, Psychedelic Blues Rock. This was my third time seeing the band, and they truly seem to get better with every performance. The last occasion was at a rain-soaked Stonedead Festival, where they somehow managed to bring a ray of sunshine to an otherwise miserable day.

Opening with ‘Be Somebody’, it was immediately apparent just how tight these four musicians are, delivering a retro sound straight out of the late sixties and early seventies. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Lee-la Baum possesses a fabulous voice, think Grace Slick, Ann Wilson and Janis Joplin rolled into one, and is ably supported by her partner and lead guitarist Tom Shemer, looking very dapper in his red suit. Completing the line-up are the mighty rhythm section of bassist Pierre-Yves Letellier, sporting striped trousers and odd shoes, and the bearded, Fedora-wearing drummer Dave Traina.

They continued with ‘Love Outta Luck’, featuring more guitar histrionics from Shemer. This was one of four tracks taken from their self-titled album, which has been re-released this year via Frontiers Records with additional material. If you've never heard The Damn Truth, then I implore you to check out their latest single, ‘Willow’, a Zeppelin-esque classic in the making.

With limited time available, between-song banter was kept to a minimum. ‘This Is Who We Are Now’ took us back to their 2021 studio album ‘Now Or Nowhere’. Another personal favourite, the foot-tapping ‘All Night Long’ went down equally well with established fans and those experiencing the band for the very first time. The thirty-minute set concluded with ‘Tomorrow’, which opens with a touch of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ before evolving into yet another irresistible Blues-Rock anthem.

Keeping their promise, the band thanked the crowd before heading to the merch desk to meet fans. It was a fantastic start to the evening and, in a nutshell, that's The Damn Truth.

Setlist: - Be Somebody / Love Outta Look / The Willow / This Is Who We Are Now / All Night Long / Tomorrow

The strains of ‘Delilah’ heralded the arrival of Scottish rockers GUN to the stage. They received a reception normally reserved for the headliners, but anyone who has witnessed GUN live will know exactly what terrific performers they are. Their ten-song set included four tracks from their latest opus, 2024's ‘Hombres’, including opener ‘Lucky Guy’. The crowd needed no encouragement to sing along to classics such as ‘Don't Say It's Over’ and even the newer ‘Take Me Back Home’, with its infectious "Yeah! Yeah!" chorus. Dante joked that his brother Jools had written that one, casting guitarist Giuliano Gizzi a knowing glance. Anyone who has seen the Scottish rockers headline their own shows will know what a natural comedian Dante is, and despite the abbreviated set he still found time for several humorous interactions with the crowd. He was keen to thank everyone for helping make ‘Hombres’ a Top 10 album, reaching No. 1 in their native Scotland, topping the Rock Album Charts and even hitting No. 1 on iTunes, the latter delivered with more than a hint of sarcasm.

Personally, I think ‘Hombres’ is their finest release since sophomore album ‘Gallus’, so I was more than happy to hear the likes of ‘All Fired Up’ and ‘Falling’. GUN also continue to adhere to the golden rule of recording cover versions, namely that you should improve upon the original. That was certainly the case with Cameo's ‘Word Up!’, which sparked full-on crowd participation throughout the venue. The forty-five-minute set concluded with my personal favourite GUN song, ‘Steal Your Fire’, bringing an excellent performance from the Glasgow veterans to a fitting close.

Setlist: - Lucky Guy / Don’t Say It’s Over / All Fired Up / Falling / Better Days / Take Me Back Home / Word Up! / Shame On You / Steal Your Fire

There are anniversary tours, and then there are events. Forty years after ‘The Final Countdown’ transformed Europe from rising Scandinavian hopefuls into global superstars, the Swedish rock legends arrived at Wolverhampton Civic Hall to celebrate one of the defining albums of the Melodic Rock genre. With an acclaimed new album, ‘Come This Madness’, proving there is still plenty of life left in the band and excellent support from The Damn Truth and GUN, expectations were understandably high. Thankfully, Europe delivered a performance worthy of both their illustrious past and vibrant present.

The opening moments highlighted just how strong the new material is, with ‘Scandinavian Eyes’, an up-tempo rocker from the brilliant new album ‘Come This Madness’. The powerful start continued with the title track from their eleventh studio album, ‘Walk The Earth’. The stage set was relatively simple, consisting of four vertical video screens and effective lighting that perfectly complemented the performance without distracting from it. John Levén's thunderous bass riff introduced the new song ‘One On One’, while ‘Last Look At Eden’ sounded every bit as epic as it did when it was first released. Equally impressive was the vigorous ‘War Of Kings’, enhanced by accompanying Viking-themed visuals on the screens behind the band.

Fortunately, John Norum was back in action following a recent hand injury and showed no obvious ill effects, delivering a masterclass in lead guitar showmanship throughout the evening. Mic Michaeli's keyboard intro ushered in a brilliant stripped-down version of ‘Prisoners In Paradise’, during which Joey Tempest once again demonstrated what a remarkable vocalist he remains. The rest of the band joined in towards the song's conclusion, creating one of the evening's many standout moments.

Despite ‘Come This Madness’ having been released only a couple of weeks earlier, the new material went down a storm. ‘The Cult Of Ignorance’, described by drummer Ian Haugland as his favourite song to play live, feels destined to become a concert staple for years to come. Joey jokingly announced, "Here's a ballad," before the band launched into the hard rocking ‘On Broken Wings’, bringing the first part of the show to a close.

The second half was devoted to celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Europe's seminal third album, ‘The Final Countdown’, which was performed in sequence with the exception of the opening title track. Over the last few months, I've revisited ‘The Final Countdown’ numerous times and have to admit I'd forgotten just how good a record it really is. Pound for pound, I believe it easily holds up to, and possibly even surpasses, Bon Jovi's ‘Slippery When Wet’. The hit singles ‘Rock The Night’, ‘Cherokee’ and ‘Carrie’ arguably sound even better today than they did back in the day, with Joey Tempest having lost a little of the Swedish twang that characterised his younger voice.

‘Danger On The Track’ was delivered with a sense of humour as stage crew members repeatedly darted on and off the stage, harking back to the band's early days rehearsing in a cramped practice room. However, the real strength of ‘The Final Countdown’ lies in the deeper cuts that rarely get the recognition they deserve. Songs such as ‘Time Has Come’, ‘Heart Of Stone’, ‘On The Loose’ and ‘Love Chaser’ reinforced why many fans regard the album as the very definition of "all killer, no filler".

Then came the finale and that song. As one of the most recognisable keyboard intros in Rock history began, the entire stalls section rose collectively to its feet, quickly followed by many in the balconies. It was a truly epic way to conclude a fabulous evening of Rock entertainment of the highest quality. 

Setlist: - Scandinavian Eyes / Walk The Earth / Superstitious / One On One / Last Look At Eden / War Of Kings / Prisoners In Paradise / The Cult Of Ignorance / On Broken Wings / Rock The Night / Carrie / Danger On The Track / Ninja / Cherokee / Time Has Come / Heart Of Stone / On The Loose / Love Chaser / The Final Countdown

Review: Mark Donnelly