'Muzik Spezial’ magazine
3 March 1985
New Hope for
Europe by Christian Wagner
More than 10 years ago, three guys from Scotland, only
thirteen years of age, met in Glasgow and decided to form a band. They were
Fergus Harper (Bass & Vocals), Colin Woore (Guitar) and Geoff Dugmore
(Drums). They made the first moves for the music that The Europeans play today.
The Europeans. That is a name you have to
remember. With the help of an advertisement in “Melody Maker,” keyboard player
Steve Hogarth from Yorkshire was found. He and Fergus Harper are sharing duties
at lead microphone. Their third LP “Recurring Dreams” made me listen up. I had never heard anybody
say anything about the band here in Germany. So, it was great fun when I heard,
that the band were to play the Metropol in Berlin. It should be a concert where
everybody who was there will be talking about it for a very long time.
Before the gig, a date with Dr. Mambo’s Music TV program. At the soundcheck,
it was very very empty inside the Metropol. There weren’t many more people
later, maybe only fifty, but it was one of the best concerts I have seen, and I’ve
seen around 200. In
my opinion The
Europeans are
THE greatest discovery of 1984. I
wish deeply from my heart that they have a larger fanbase. In England they are
on their way up, but very very slowly. The Europeans make modern rock music, full of freshness, dynamism
and power. There is change between loud
and quiet, and between slow and fast. That’s
what we miss in most other bands, a variety in sound. The concert is a real Happening. Their record
makes you sit up and listen.
From start to finish, there’s a real spark. On the few but excited visitors, an intimate emptiness
grows to an abundance of sound. All the people are dancing… and not only
because there was so much space, but because you HAVE to dance. Then there’s an
enormous quietness where you have to listen again. Steve Hogarth has a fantastic
voice. He sings his heart out. He dances like a whirlwind all over the stage. He cannot stand still in front of his keyboards.
He crouches at the front of the stage, and at the end of the show he climbs on top
of the loudspeaker towers. In his ecstasy,
he pushes away his microphone stand, but the roadies are always there to put
everything back in place. All for only 35 People in the audience. Anybody who
has not seen it has missed out. This kind of music is so unique, and there’s
nothing comparable in the British music scene. All the songs have a catchy tune. I am mesmerized by the four
people up on stage and can’t wait to hear the next song. I am sad when a
song comes to an end. It’s
a very rare opportunity where musicians got me so emotional, and were so
convincing on stage. Only The Europeans. Especially Steve
who gave everything he can.
He has a great voice, even better than Fergus. Guitar player
Colin Woore walks around the stage during the first few songs. Later he ran over the stage with the guitar
down to his legs, playing crystal clear.
There is no sign of a massive instrument overload in The Europeans but
the sound is not too thin.
The opposite is true. The complicated rhythms ware played as
catchy tunes. The Europeans have
found their own unique style which could be very popular for the fans. There is
a throwback to the old Sounds of the 70s, such as MARILLION, but also new sounds
like Talk Talk, U2, Big Country, and even Simple Minds. Modern but without
Cliché.
The four members have been playing professionally since
1976, but you can still see a freshness, and they look like they have fun. With nearly ten
years in the music business, they have the ability perform professionally on stage,
and to improvise. Rather than be ‘just another band from Scotland’ they moved down
to London to be closer to the record companies. The band is not that well-known,
but in 1982 they got a little fame with their first single “The Animal Song” in
Hong Kong, Sweden and Australia. Sadly no-one cares about them in their home country.
The Europeans are not a synth-pop band. Their music has a base
of guitar rock, with elements of jazz in the background. The rhythms are dominant and the vocals
are interesting. There
are vocal sections that are astonishing for the listener… musical ideas that other
bands would be very jealous of. Their producer David Lord has also
worked with Peter Gabriel and Tears For Fears. Together they have created a special
kind of music, to prove that it is possible to make a new sound with a foundation
of guitars, and with an endless wide sound spectrum. For those that want proof,
listen to “Don’t Give Your Heart (To Anybody)” from their latest LP “Recurring
Dreams”. It's
hard to describe with words, and that’s especially so for music of The
Europeans. The best way to hear their sound, is loud, and with headphones on.
Interview
Q : You come from
Scotland. Has that influenced your music in any way?
Fergus : No, the Scottish influence is more
in a spiritual way, not in a musical way.
Steve : Yes, the other three guys in the band
hate spending money (he laughs), but apart from that we are pretty
similar. The thing we do, our music, has so many historical and spiritual
Influences, therefore I don’t think it has something to do with our geographical
background.
Q : Do you see
yourself as a Guitar Band ?
Fergus : No, we have also lots of keyboard
parts in our songs. We are not a straight keyboard band and we are not a
straight guitar band.
We’re a combination of both.
Steve : I think we are a rhythm band. We
work with complex rhythms and try not to drift away to the jazz scene or to float
away into different spheres. It happens all too easily for us, and we can disappear
into difficult music. We try not to do this. Nothing is more boring than listening
to some excellent musicians when they try to float away.
Q : How are your songs
developed ? Are you a democratic band ?
Steve : Usually the music comes first.
All four of us write the songs, so all of four of us appear on the record cover
credits. Yes,
we try to be democratic. The problem with democracy is that nobody can go his
own way. Everybody has something to say and you have to make compromises.
Fergus : In fact we rarely have different
opinions. When there is a good Idea, it is usually good for all of us.
Q : One question
about your name. Why did you call your band The Europeans? Do you all feel like
Europeans, or are you trying to?
Fergus : It was funny,
because we were just asked that at the East-German border. They thought
we all came from different European countries. The real reason why we chose The Europeans is pretty easy… back in
the day when we were looking for a name, everybody in the band made a list with
unusual and funny names.
Steve : We have chosen this name because
it fits to the image of the band. It’s NOT that we can tell everyone in interviews
that we are Cosmopolitan World citizens, blah blah …
Q : How important
is it for you to have success in your home country ?
Fergus : Well, we are pretty much known
there. Not a very well known band, but just a little bit. It is difficult, but we’re
still evolving. The
band is still developing, and we’re not done yet.
Q : Do you have
to make many compromises ?
Steve : Up to now we haven’t made compromises,
but the pressure is getting harder. If you want to be a very well known band
in England, you have to be ALWAYS in the media. You’ll need a chart hit and you
must be played on BBC Radio One, because this is the only nationwide station.
But there is another way get famous, and that is to get the support of the
British press. The music newspaper with the best reputation is the New Musical
Express, but in the last few years the British music press has been destroying
itself. Back in
the day, the NME was a newspaper about music, for young people with enthusiasm. It no longer has
any influence on the attitude of young people. It’s now always looking for new
“Innovations” and new “Art”. I think they would rather
see four people up on stage smashing some coconuts together, than a band with musicians
that can play their Instruments very well and write intelligent lyrics. So, we
don’t have the support of these magazines.
The Europeans have a hard life, both in England
and here in Germany, and in the Newspapers. I hope that I can make you all listen
up and support a young band with so much musical potential.
Equipment
Fergus: Fender Precision Bass, MusicMan, Boss Flanger-Delay
Steve: Yamaha CP-70, Roland Jupiter 8, Yamaha DX7
Geoff: Gretsch Drums, Paiste Cymbals
Colin: Telecaster, Vox 12-String
Thanks to Andre Rostek for the magazine and translation
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