September 6, 1996
Simply Def in Calgary
By DAVE VEITCH -- Calgary Sun

These are tough times for the premiere pop-metal bands of the 1980s.

Warrant, Poison, Slaughter -- and many of their brothers in hairspray -- have
mercifully slid into oblivion.

At least Britain's Def Leppard have survived, but the sight of all those empty
Saddledome seats at last night's concert was still startling considering the
band filled the joint to the rafters just eight years ago.

The hysteria is gone.

Ironically, Def Leppard's drawing power is dwindling just as the group is
reaching its creative peak in the studio and on stage.

Def Leppard sounded positively rejuvenated.

The glossy sheen that coated most of the band's '80s hits was scraped away;
songs such as Animal and Pour Some Sugar On Me were rendered lean, mean and
delightfully raw.

The band didn't play many songs from its new album, Slang, but the surprisingly
funky Work It Out proved Def Leppard is capable -- and willing -- to make
distinctive, interesting music outside of the realm of hard rock.

Still, the band's overriding philosophy of this tour is: keep it simple.

And that was never more evident than in their stage production.

The quintet merely played on a basic black stage in front of a Marshall stack;
there were no flashpots, or flying drum kits or laser lights.

Compared to the hi-tech spectacles the band used to stage, this concert looked
like something you would see in a nightclub.

But the no-frills surroundings simply made the band members seem more
approachable.

Singer Joe Elliott appeared determined to make eye contact with all 6,500 fans
in the building.

For all the changes, though, Def Leppard can still put on a feel-good,
sing-along in the aisles, rock 'n' roll show.

Qualities like that never go out of style.