EUROPE, Scandinavia’s biggest rock band return to the UK alongside Black Star Riders for a tour taking in 14 shows, including the Manchester Academy on March 13.

Starting with two nights in Glasgow and culminating in two nights at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire, the tour will feature classic tracks from both bands and also music from both acts’ forthcoming new releases.

Europe features all their original members, Joey Tempest on vocals, John Norum on guitar, Mic Michaeli on keyboards, John Leven on bass and drummer Ian Haugland.

The album-oriented band was formed in Stockholm in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Reno. Since its formation, Europe has released nine studio albums, three live albums, three compilations and 19 videos.

Europe rose to international fame in the 1980s with its third album The Final Countdown, which became a substantial commercial success and sold over three million copies in the United States.

The band is a pioneering force in the glam metal/blues metal genres and their third album, The Final Countdown, is considered a masterpiece of the genres. Europe was one of the most successful rock acts of the 1980s and sold over 20 million albums worldwide.[1]

The band has achieved two top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 chart (The Final Countdown and Out of This World)[2] and two top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (“The Final Countdown” and “Carrie”).[3]

Europe went on hiatus in 1992, reunited temporarily for a one-off performance in Stockholm on New Year’s Eve 1999 and announced an official reunion in 2003. Since then the band has released four albums, Start from the Dark (2004), Secret Society (2006), Last Look at Eden (2009) and Bag of Bones (2012). Europe will release its tenth album, War of Kings, in 2015.

The band is mainly influenced by the likes of Thin Lizzy, KISS, Ronnie James Dio, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.