Article Last Updated: Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 11:26:58 AM MST 
http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82%257E1804%257E1054691,00.html

For Def Leppard, it's all about well-packaged nostalgia
By Rossiter Drake, STAFF WRITER

STRUTTING confidently about the stage, clad in the tight-fitting leather
garb that's always been essential to the hair-metal dress code, the
members of Def Leppard appear to have been cryogenically frozen in the
1980s, only to be thawed and dumped in present-day Sacramento for the
Friday night show at the Arco Arena.

There are minor discrepancies, of course, between the boys then and the
boys now.

The Sheffield quintet, whose 1987 smash "Hysteria" has sold more than 16
million copies worldwide, lost founding guitarist Steve Clark in 1991 to a
fatal combination of alcohol and drugs, paving the way for ex-Whitesnake
shredder Vivian Campbell (a brunette!) to hop on board after the 1992
release of "Adrenalize."  Otherwise, the band hasn't changed a bit, save 
for a few added wrinkles.

Their set lists borrow heavily from their 1980s heyday, so it came as no
surprise that the Sacramento show featured no less than 16 selections from
early efforts such as "High'N' Dry" (1981), "Pyromania" (1983) and "Hyste
ria," as compared to just three from their disappointing 2002 comeback
bid, "X."

And despite their advancing ages -- remember, these boys formed back in
1977 -- lead singer Joe Elliott and company dutifully jogged about the
stage, throwing out obligatory shouts to the crowd ("It's great to be
back, Sa cramento!") and striking enough provocative rock-star poses to
drive the audience wild.

To be sure, Def Leppard has lost none of its touch as an arena act, even
if its appeal has grown more selective over the years.

The upper deck of the 17,500-seat venue was blocked off Friday, presumably
because of lagging ticket sales.

Bbut fans packed into the lower levels rewarded the band with deafening
cheers as it ripped through a two-hour greatest hits set featuring
spirited takes on "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," "Rocket" and "Photograph."

Their'90s releases, beginning with 1992's lackluster "Adrenalize," have
found the band drifting more and more in the direction of bland,
undistinguished adult-pop.

But if the boys have lost a step creatively,they're sure-handed veterans
on the road, whipping fans into a fist-pumping frenzy with tight
harmonies, soaring solos (courtesy of Campbell and longtime guitarist Phil
Collen) and overwrought theatrics.

It's all about nostalgia for Def Leppard these days, but they package
their nostalgia slickly and professionally, whisking fans back to a
long-lost era of hair-metal glory, if only for a couple of hours.

Def Leppard will appear with special guest Ricky Warick tonight at the
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. The show begins at 7:30
p.m. Tickets are $39.50, and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets.
For more information, call (415) 421-8497.


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