Date sent: Fri, 30 Aug 1996 18:40:09 -0400 From: Mike Reinemann Subject: LepNet: LA Times -- Concert Review To: lepnet@bga.com ===================================================================== L.A. TIMES Friday, August 30, 1996 PREV STORY POP MUSIC REVIEW It Looks Like Twilight Tour for Metalloids Def Leppard By MIKE BOEHM, Times Staff Writer Heavy metal usually begs to be taken in Wagnerian terms, so let's think of Def Leppard's show on Wednesday at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre as the twilight of the demi-semi-sorta-quasi-maybe- nah-not-really-gods. This long-running English band never has gone for metal's most gargantuan excesses, coming off less as would-be thunder lords than as workmanlike, competent pros whose knack for a big, catchy chorus--and whose luck as one of the first bands to get constant exposure on MTV--ignited multiple-platinum sales through the '80s and early '90s. But it's twilight time for these modest, rather anonymous heroes. A new album, "Slang," has been a commercial flop, and Def Leppard played to no more than a half-capacity house of perhaps 7,000 fans. Def Leppard stayed true to its yeomanly nature in a set that offered no surprises and no memorable moments, but served up the familiar hits in a familiar way that suited the faithful well enough, with just a smattering of material from "Slang." * The chorus hooks are the one reason why singer Joe Elliott's closing thought--"Don't forget us, we won't forget you"--might not be altogether futile. As long as folks want big, pounding rock moments with some Wagnerian flourishes, songs such as "Photograph," "Rock of Ages," "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Love Bites" will probably echo now and then amid the gathering twilight that has befallen pop-metal. Copyright Los Angeles Times =========================================================================