Europe drummer Ian Haugland says he’ll never tire of playing The Final countdown live.
Despite having played it countless times, Haugland can’t get enough of seeing audiences lose their minds when they hear it in concert.
The 1986 single – taken from the album of the same name – reached number one in 25 countries and is still a live staple to this day.
Haugland tells One On One With Mitch Lafon: “We will always be connected to The Final Countdown, absolutely. We will never have a hit as big as that. You can look at that in different manners.
“I see it as a big advantage because The Final Countdown gives us the opportunity to create new music. If it wasn’t for The Final Countdown we wouldn’t be here today. It’s more of a blessing than a curse.
“People often ask me if we get tired of playing it, because we’ve played it a million times. But I always say no, because every time it’s like the first time.
“The crowd goes fucking crazy every time we play the song. It’s like watching your favourite movie all over again. Every time I play it, it gives me shivers down the spine.”
Europe released their 10th album War Of Kings this month and Haugland says it captures the band’s live energy.
He adds: “I would say the new album is a trip in which we are paying tribute to our roots, in a more relaxed way. You can can trace inspirations back to Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, UFO – all the bands we grew up with.
“We just went into the studio and the main thought we had was to try and recreate what we do on stage. People are always telling us we sound so much better live than we do on an album. It’s more organic, live in the studio.”
Europe are currently on tour in the UK with Black Star Riders.
EUROPE UK TOUR DATES 2015
Mar 07: Newcastle O2 Academy
Mar 08: Leeds O2 Academy
Mar 10: Nottingham Rock City
Mar 11: Cambridge Corn Exchange
Mar 13: Manchester Academy
Mar 14: Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Mar 15: Exeter University
Mar 16: Bristol O2 Academy
Mar 18: Bournemouth O2 Academy
Mar 19: Norwich UEA
Mar 20: London Shepherds Bush Empire
Mar 21: London Shepherds Bush Empire
