"El rock esta volviendo a ser una musica 'underground" - Joe Elliott

El Pais
Jueves 24 de octubre de 1996

Fietta Jarque - Madrid
Def Leppard, una de las bandas de heavy metal con mas solera, no cierra
sus puertas a la influencia de otras musicas.  Su ultimo disco, Slang, 
recoge diversos sonidos que dificilmente entran en la gama de los 
grupos de rock duro.  "En Slang, hemos abierto a direcciones que otros 
no se habrian atrevido a emprender", dice el cantante Joe Elliott.  
"Hemos usado influencias indias, gaelicas e incluso sonidos 
industriales.  Otras bandas no suelen arriesgarse a eso, y eso nos 
diferencia."

Estan rodando con Slange desde fines de mayo y pasado maņana inician su
gira espaņola en San Sebastian.  Actuan tambien en Barcelona el 27 y 
en Madrid el dia 28.  "Cada noche es distinta", advierte Elliott con su
voz rasposa.  "No repetimos el mismo programa, lo cambiamos 
constantemente porque asi nos resulta mas fresco.  No tenemos todo 
panificado, siempre hay lugar para la espontaneidad."

Def Leppard, con 16 aņos de carrera, no parecen dispuestos a retirarse.
Mas aun, consideran que estan en su mejor momento.  "Estamos realmente 
en un momento excelente como grupo porque sabemos exactamente lo que 
queremos.  Nos ha llevado 16 aņos, pero el de ahora es el mejor Def 
Leppard que puedas haber escuchado."

Y explica: "Esto es una combinacion de muchos factores.  Estamos mas 
relajados con lo que hacemos, hay menos enfasis en la produccion del 
espectaculo-ya no llevamos rayos laser, explosiones en escena y esos 
efectos-; es lo que hace Oasis hoy y lo que hacia Led Zeppelin en su 
momento.  Es solo la banda y la musica que hace".

La gira espaņola de Slang tiene especial significado porque buena parte
de este disco fue concebido y grabado en Marbella.  "La eazon que 
tuvimos para hacerlo en Espaņa es que nos encanta este pais.  Nos gusta
el clima, la cultura, la comida, nos gustan las playas y las mujeres. 
Hemos estado de gira muchas veces por Espaņa y nos parecio el lugar 
mas adecuado y natural para encerrarnos relagadamente a preparar ese 
album."

Necesitaban estar relajados porque Slang significaba un cambio radical 
en su carrera.  "Creo que el cambio era necesario porque los grupos 
deben de ser conscientes al ambiente musical que los rodea", afirma 
Elliott.  "Def Leppard siempre ha intentado hacer discos modernos.  Lo 
he hemos hecho en el pasado fue moderno en su momente, como Hysteria y 
Pyromania, pero ya no lo es.  Estan pasados de moda y no vamos a 
repetir esa formula.  Hemos querido hacer un disco de 1996, y eso es 
Slang.  Hemos recogido las influencias del ambiente y las hemos 
introducido en nuestra musica.  En 1986 y 1987 no habia grunge y por 
eso no nos influyo.  Pero ahora es distinto y el grunge forma parte de 
la atmosfera musical."

La amenaza 'techno'

Def Leppard son defensores de un rock duro, a pesar de los matices de 
baladas o resonancias orientales en algun tema.  Sin embargo son 
conscientes de la "amenaza" de la musica techno, que esta arrastrando a
grandes masas juveniles.  "Es muy dificil que la gente le puedan 
gustar ambas musicas a la vez.  Siempre habra una o dos personas que 
disfruten tanto del techno como del heavy metal.  Es lo uno o lo otro. 
No conozco a muchos fans del heavy metal que se compren techno.  
Prodigy o Ministry son grupos techno-heavy metal, pro son excepciones".

Quiza sea el inicio de un camino en el que el rock pasara a ser, como 
el jazz, de musica masiva para la juventud en un ambito mas reducido.  
"El problema son las radios.  Son ellas las que matan cualquier tipo de
musica.  El rock ya no se programa tanto como antes en las radios.  El 
techno se toca en los clubes, fiestas y muchos sitios.  El rock no se 
toca en tantos lugares o clubes.  Se esta reduciendo a un circuito 
underground".

"Nuestra musica tiene la fama de incitar a la rebeldia, pero no siempre
ha sido rebelde.  En muchos casos es una fachada que los grupos usan 
comercialmente.  Son muy pocos los autenticos rebeldes.  Keith Moon, 
John Bonham, los Sex Pistols al principio, eran autenticos rebeldes.  
Guns 'n' Roses lo fueron en un momento, pero eran rebeldes de segunda 
mano, una copia de The New York Dolls", dice Elliott.

"Nosotros nunca hemos sido rebeldes, lo importante para nosotros era la
musica.  Nuestra unica rebeldia es la que no adquirir compromisos que 
no nos interesan solo por tener exito comercial.  Si la gente no le 
gustan nuestros albumes, no vamos a dejar de hacer lo que hace Def 
Leppard".

Copyright 1996 "El Pais"

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"Rock is going 'underground' again" - Joe Elliott

El Pais
Thursday, October 24, 1996

Fietta Jarque - Madrid
Translated by Hanspeter Niederstrasser

Def Leppard, one of heavy metal's most enduring bands, doesn't close 
its doors to the influence of other bands.  Their latest album, Slang, 
picks up diverse sounds that enter the realm of hard rock only with 
difficulty.  "In Slang, we have opened ourselves to directions that 
others would not have dared take," says singer Joe Elliott.  "We have 
used indian and gaellic influences as well as industrial sounds.  Other
bands don't usually take such risks, and that sets us apart."

The band is touring with Slang since the end of May and tomorrow they 
will start the Spanish leg in San Sebastian.  They will also play the 
27th in Barcelona and the 28th in Madrid.  "Every night is different," 
warns Elliott with a scratchy voice.  "We don't repeat the same program, 
we change constantly since it comes out fresher.  We don't have 
everything planned, there's always place for spontaneity."

Def Leppard, with a career spanning 16 years, doesn't look ready to retire.  
Especially since they believe they are at their peak.  "We are really in 
a great situation as a group since we know exactly what we want.  It's 
taken us 16 years, but what's now is the best Def Leppard you can listen 
to."

And he explains, "This is a combination of many factors.  We are more 
relaxed with what we are doing, there's less emphasis on the show's 
production-we don't have lasers, stage explosions and other effects-; 
it's what Oasis does now and Led Zeppelin did in it's heyday.  It's only 
the band and the music."

The Spanish leg for Slang has an added significance since a good portion 
of the album was conceived and recorded in Marbella.  "The reason that we 
did it in Spain is that we love the country.  We like the climate, the 
culture, the food, the beaches and the women.  We've done tours many times 
in Spain, and this felt like the best place to hole up, relax, and prepare 
this album."

They needed to be relaxed because Slang is a radical change in their career.  
"I think the change was necessary because groups have to be conscious to the 
musical world around them," affirms Elliott.  "Def Leppard has always tried 
to make modern albums.  What we have done in the past was modern at its 
time, like Hysteria or Pyromania, but they're not anymore.  They are not 
in style anymore and we won't repeat the same formula.  We wanted to do an 
album for 1996, and that's what Slang is.  We've picked up the influences 
from our surroundings and introduced them to our music.  In 1986 and 1987 
there was no grunge and therefore it didn't influence us.  But now it is 
different and grunge is a part of the musical atmosphere."

The threat of 'techno'

Def Leppard are defenders of a harder rock, in spite of the ballads or oriental 
resonances in some songs.  Nevertheless, they are aware of the "threat" 
presented by techno, which is dragging huge masses of youth.  "It is very 
difficult for someone to like both styles at the same time.  There will always 
be one or two that will enjoy both techno and heavy metal.  It's always one 
or the other.  I don't know too many fans of heavy metal that will buy 
techno.  Prodigy or Ministry are techno-heavy metal groups, but they're 
exceptions."

Perhaps it might be the start of a path where rock might change, like jazz, from 
music for the masses of youth to a much smaller environment.  "The problem is 
radio.  It's them that kill any type of music.  Rock is no longer programmed 
like it used to be on the radio.  Techno gets played in clubs, parties and many 
other places.  Rock is not played in as many places or clubs.  It's being 
reduced to an underground circuit."

"Our music is infamous for being rebellious, but it hasn't always been so.  In 
many cases, it has been a facade that groups use commercially.  The real rebels 
are actually few.  Keith Moon, John Bonham, the Sex Pistols at first, were 
real rebels.  Guns 'n' Roses were at one point, but they were second-hand, a 
copy of The New York Dolls", says Elliott.

"We've never been rebels, the important thing for us is the music.  Our only 
rebellion is that we don't compromise what interests us to get commercial 
success.  If people don't like our albums, we won't stop doing what Def Leppard 
does."

Copyright 1996 "El Pais"
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