http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/81-07122007-1376830.html Def Leppard loves dog days of summer By ED CONDRAN phillyBurbs.com The members of Def Leppard are like suntan lotion, lightning bugs and sand in uncomfortable places. The British pop-rockers, who will perform Saturday at the Tweeter Center, are summer staples. It doesn't matter if the veteran act has a new album out or not. Def Leppard is always touring the States during the dog days. Leps guitarist Phil Collen (second from left), 49, tells what's different about his group's current tour, why the Tweeter Center is one of his favorite venues and which of the band's female fans are sexiest. Q: Why should anyone bother to catch Def Leppard this time around? A: We changed the set around. We're playing songs we haven't played in years. We're playing some acoustic songs. We don't want to repeat ourselves. We owe it to our fans to present something different since they're so good to us. Q: Particularly in the Philly area, which is one of your hottest markets. A: We know it. The Tweeter Center is a fabulous place to play because we get such a great reaction. The shows sell well there. It's easily one of the best places for us to play. Q: Too bad Journey isn't opening your tour again. They're the hottest retread group on the circuit. A: Thanks to “The Sopranos,” “Don't Stop Believin' ” is one of the top 10 most downloaded songs. That'll definitely bring in the fans. Too bad they're not with us, but Styx is with us, which is great. Going on after Journey when we toured with them wasn't easy because of those classic songs. How do you go on after “Don't Stop Believin'”? Q: With (1983 Def hit) “Foolin',” my 5-year-old son loves that song. A: You know who else loves “Foolin' ” is Michael Jackson. He went up to (Def Leppard drummer) Rick Allen and sang it to him years ago... it is great when younger people come in and want to hear songs that were released before they were born. Q: Does it bother you that fans just want to hear the old hits? A: No, since that's the way it is for everybody, not just us. That's the way it is for the Rolling Stones and the Arctic Monkeys. When people go out to see the Arctic Monkeys, they want to hear the songs from their first album, not the new one. Fans want to hear songs from “Pyromania” and “Hysteria” and that's fine with us. It's great when fans want to hear particular songs. Q: Your concerts are reminiscent of the NBC reality show “Age of Love.” There are quite a few 40-something and 20-something women screaming for “Love Bites.” Who is hotter, women in their 40s or 20s? A: Women in their 40s are much sexier than women in their 20s. They've been through things in life just like we have been. Q: What's the toughest thing you've been through in Def Leppard? A: Losing (Def Leppard guitarist) Steve (Clark in 1991). That was horrible when he died but we're still here. We're committed. Def Leppard appears Saturday at theTweeter Center, One Harbour Blvd., Camden. Tickets are $27.50, $55 and $85. Show time is 7:30 p.m. 215-569-9400. July 12, 2007 7:24 AM ©2007 Copyright Calkins Media, Inc. All rights reserved.