Europe counting down again

It's an anthem that never fails to get a reaction. Some love it, some hate it, but 23 years after it rocked its way into the charts, Europe's The Final Countdown is still instantly recognisable by its opening synthesiser riff, writes Ian Harvey.

The man who gets to play that famous introduction on stage every night is Europe keyboard player, Mic Michaeli.

"A lot of people think that we're really bored with playing The Final Countdown," says Mic, on the phone from Sweden.

"But we actually still think that it's a blast doing it. And a lot of that is to do with the audience who usually go crazy. Just getting that feedback from the audience is really amazing."

Along with Queen's We Are the Champions, The Final Countdown is one of those songs that crops up time and again at sports events and even political rallies but also in the most unexpected places.

Mic says: "I've heard of people going to a place that's so remote, like somewhere in Asia, in a little shack somewhere where they serve some food for people walking or trekking in these mountains, and they've heard that song. I've been hearing loads of stories like that.

"One thing I heard also was that George Bush used it going for the presidency, which was not something that any of us really liked very much. That's a weird situation where it's been used. It's hard to stop really."

But Mic is under no illusions about how important The Final Countdown remains to the band in 2009.

"It's a big reason that a lot of people still know us today. We'll always be connected with that song," he says.

Midlands fans will be able to catch up with Europe when they tour Britain early next year, calling in at Birmingham's 02 Academy on Friday, February 19.

The tour is to promote the band's critically-acclaimed album Last Look At Eden, which was released last month, and which finds Europe moving away from 80s melodic rock towards a blusier, grittier classic rock sound.

"We very satisfied by the reactions that we've had especially in the more music-related press," says Mic.

"We've got back a little bit to the music we grew up with but the songs are still very modern sounding and up to date. It's a good mixture between the good old stuff and modern technology. "

At the height of their fame, Europe took an extended break between 1992 and 2004, although they never officially announced that they had split.

During that time, Mic worked as a producer and also found time to work and record with Cannock-born former Deep Purple singer and bassist Glenn Hughes.

He remembers meeting Hughes for the first time not long after the singer had cleaned himself up after years of drug abuse.

"It was amazing. I remember the first time we met, I think in Gothenburg, in Sweden. He came in and he had just sobered up then - he had been in a sort of bad shape before that. He came in with his short hair, looking really good and about 15 years younger than he actually was.

"The band had rehearsed his songs without him singing and he just went up there on the stage, grabbed the microphone and I just had goosebumps all over, it was just really fantastic, He's a major musician and, of course, a brilliant singer."

Looking ahead to next February's tour, Mic says: "We haven't started rehearsing yet but we want to include as many new songs as is possible.

"There will be a few songs from the latest album and there will definitely be the good old hits from back in the days as well. So it will be a good mix of new and old stuff.

He adds: "You know, I get very surprised, in a good sense, every time we go to Britain.

"I always have a feeling that Britain is a place that there's always something new. It's very experimental, there's always new music coming out and people wanting to embrace it really fast and being interested in new things in the music scene.

"So I think that every time we go to Britain the British fans will have forgotten us a long time ago. But I get really surprised, in a good way, when we get there and see such a wonderful response."

* Europe play Birmingham 02 Academy on Friday, February 19, 2010, with support from Stourbridge metal veterans Diamond Head. Tickets cost £17 plus booking fees.