http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/mar/31/review-uneven-work-other-bands-doesnt-dampen-def-l/

Uneven work by other bands doesn't dampen Def Leppard's fire

By MATT CLARK
4:42 p.m., Monday, March 31, 2008

A thousand pairs of tight jeans and at least a dozen heads of crimped hair 
turned out to Germain Arena on Sunday night.

They came for Styx and REO Speedwagon, which both put on decent 45-minute sets, 
but neither of those opening acts held a swaying lighter to the headlining band.

The first two groups merely warmed up the arena for the band concert-goers wore 
the Union Jack for, Def Leppard.

"That was then, this is now," appeared on a giant video screen as the group 
took the stage. The screen showed several photos, notes, album covers and clips 
from the band's decades of history. Then: "Welcome to the Sparkle Lounge," as 
the packed arena screamed.

Like a fine stone-washed denim, Def gets better with age. Their 90-minute show 
rocked a crowd that was at first reluctant, but at their feet by the end. Some 
of the group's hits sounded better than the recordings featured so often on 
classic rock stations.

Perhaps this was because of Rick Allen, likely the only drummer to have lost an 
arm mid-stardom and then successfully fight to maintain a band's momentum. Now, 
Allen has ditched some components of the electronic drum kit he turned to after 
losing the limb in a New Year's Eve car accident in 1984.

The nearly half-dozen cymbals, bass drum and other acoustic elements that 
encircled Allen at center stage were a spectacular addition for fans wanting 
more - and they got it. This is a band that has been updated to the pleasure of 
its old, and new, fans. Fans ranged in age from high school freshmen to 
40-something professionals.

If the ladies in the audience came for a little skin, they weren't 
disappointed. The clothing (what there was of it) guitarists Phil Collen and 
Vivian Campbell were wearing when they hit the stage had been removed by 
mid-set.

Filling out the stage attractions were band mastermind and lead singer Joe 
Elliott and bass guitarist Rick "Sav" Savage. Though Elliott remained fully 
clothed, he had no problem strutting and swaying his way into "Pour Some Sugar 
on Me," which the band played before its "Rock of Ages" encore.

"I'm hot. Sticky sweet. From my head to my," Elliott said as he grabbed an area 
below his shirt. The sweaty-haired rocker didn't finish the sentence. The 
ladies screamed, as did Elliott.

During an acoustic warm-up to "Bringing on the Heartbreak," which Collen, 
Campbell and Elliott performed at the tip of a catwalk extending into the floor 
sections, the band leaned on the audience to fill in the chorus. The response 
sounded more like a group of bored high schoolers than a bunch of over-excited 
fans. Thankfully, the electric guitars weren't far behind and the band's true 
connection - its music - went on posthaste. The cocky musicians' insane skills 
nearly make up for anything they might lack in on-stage personality.

Def's album "Welcome to the Sparkle Lounge" is set to be released in late 
April. "Nine Lives" features Tim McGraw and though the country artist was not 
on hand, the group performed the song anyway. The song lacked in comparison to 
their other hits.

"Rock on," however, was a different story. The crowd screamed as Savage plucked 
his bass, emblazoned with a Union Jack, during a solo that matched or surpassed 
anything that Collen or Campbell produced throughout the set. The song, a David 
Essex original, was featured in the group's 2006 cover album "Yeah!"

As for those opening acts, well, they both hurt from technical difficulties 
that didn't surface much during Def's performance. The Styx set had too much 
bass and not enough vocals, making it difficult to get into what were otherwise 
competent versions of "Come Sail Away" and "Renegade."

REO Speedwagon did not have similar competence. Lead singer Kevin Cronin's 
performance went from competing with Elliott's to disappointment throughout the 
group's time on stage. At the climax of "Roll with the Changes," a key "oh" the 
singer holds for about 30 seconds could not be heard. "Riding the Storm Out" 
followed and it also left something to be desired, coming far short of the 
group's recordings. The title song from the band's recent album "Find Your Own 
Way Home" was a sigh.

But they're still rocking, and they're still rolling, as is Def.

"There will be a next time," Elliott said as the show concluded. "Don't forget 
us, we won't forget you."

Long live rock 'n' roll.