http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/entertainment/music/15458498.htm Questions fall on Def ears All you ever wanted to know about Def Leppard, she's not afraid to ask By Stephanie WarsmithBeacon Journal staff writer I don't think it would be an understatement to call me a die-hard Def Leppard fan. I once stood in a foot of mud, sandwiched together with other fans to hear the band at Buckeye Lake Music center near Columbus. After the concert, my clothes were so filthy, I threw them out. Because of a long line of cars in the parking lot, I had to pee in a cup in the back of my friend's car, but I didn't mind. When I heard that Def Leppard and Journey -- another great '80s rock band -- were playing at Blossom on Tuesday, I decided this deserved a special story. I pitched the idea for a question-and-answer with Joe Elliott, Def Leppard's lead singer, to an editor and giggled with glee when he liked the idea. I couldn't contain my silly grin on the afternoon leading up to this interview with my rock idol. Below you'll find Elliott's answers to the questions I've been waiting 26 years to ask. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Q: I heard it was your dream to be in a band called Deaf Leopard. How did you come up with this and how did it morph into the current name? A: When I was 13 or 14, I got a pretty good record collection. I was dithering around in art class. Because it was art, I could do what I wanted... . . I started doing posters for rock bands. Deaf Leopard happened to be one of my many feeble attempts to do art... . . I always thought it sounded good. When we got the band together, I suggested the name. Everyone except for one thought it was a good idea. Tony (Kenning) suggested the spelling change -- to make it look equally good. Q: What does ``gunter glieben glauten globen'' in the song ``Rock of Ages'' mean? A: It doesn't mean anything at all. When we were recording Pyromania, we did not have the lyrics written... . . (Producer Mutt Lange) on part of the clips track would give counts of where to come in with the guitar part. Instead of saying, ``one, two, three, four,'' he started making things up. It stuck. Q: How did you get your slashed-up jeans to look so good? When I tried to make my own they looked horrible -- and landed me in trouble with my mother. A: The truth is, my jeans got better and better... . . I washed them six or seven days a week... . . They were unwearable by the end of the tour. I had to start wearing underwear. Q: I saw the band once in Dayton with the round stage. How did that work out? Did it make performing difficult? A: We were in our mid- to late- 20s -- at the peak of fitness. I'm glad we did it when we did it. It was very expensive and difficult to do and not make it look choreographed. When we went to one side, we had to go to the other side. It was a balancing act... . . We did it again in '92. The thrill had gone. We had done it once. Q: Do you consider yourself a hair band? Hard rock? Something else? A: I detest the phrase ``hair band'' or ``hair metal.'' It's insulting to us. I still think there is a level of negativity attached to ` '80s band.' There's always a joke that follows it... . . We are just a rock band. We're too pop to be metal. We're too rock to be pop. We came from the British glam scene. We have more in common with the Rolling Stones than Iron Maiden. Q: The band has faced a lot of hardship, including the death of guitarist Steve Clark and drummer Rick Allen's car crash in which he lost an arm. What have been the band's low point and high point? A: The absolute low point was Steve's (death).... . . There's no coming back from death. Rick Allen proved there is coming back from an accident as bad as his. You can do what you did before. Rick's an inspiration.... . . Our ticket sales are the best since the Hysteria tour.... . . What we are doing now is absolutely one of the highs. It makes a mockery of how we are supposed to be this cursed band. Q: How did the idea for your latest album of cover tunes from the '60s and '70s develop? A: The Yeah! album has been in the making in my head since 1983. It got shoved aside. We were making our own records.... . . We recorded songs that were inspirational to us as young kids, when we were pulling our parents' sleeves and saying, ``I want a guitar for Christmas, please.'' Q: Does the band have plans for another album and, if so, when and what will the theme be? A: We are already doing new material -- writing on the road. We're hoping to get a record done for next year. It will be a good, classy Def Leppard record. Q: Did you tour with Journey in the past? How's it going this time? A: We never have. It's a shame because it's working so well this time. We met them a bunch of times. I went to see them in Lexington (Kentucky) in 1983. It's a joy -- an absolute pleasure. My kind of tour. Q: What's your favorite Journey tune? A: Chain Reaction. I begged them to start playing it live. They're doing it now. Q: What can we expect to hear at the Blossom concert -- songs from the new album, classics or a combination? A: Bands like us can't take for granted that people want to be indulged by a bunch of songs they've never heard. There will be new material with classics.... . . We are always going to play (Pour Some Sugar On Me) and certain other songs. We like to change things up. Q: Will you be wearing your slashed up jeans at this concert? If so, I may try to make my own again. (Don't tell my mother.) A: No, I haven't worn them since 1988. There are certain things you have to know when to give up.... . . You can wear yours though. I thought about this for a few seconds. ``No,'' I told him. ``You're right. There are certain things you have to know when to give up.'' Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.