Monday August 12, 01:02 PM 'Leppard guitarist labels Gareth "karaoke" Yahoo Music One of the opening salvos has been fired in the war against the manufactured pop which litters the world's charts. Def Leppard, who were arguably the UK's biggest band of the late-80's - early- 90's, stormed back into the Top 25 yesterday with their new single, Now, and guitarist Phil Collen recently took the opportunity to tell us what he thinks of the likes of Gareth and co. "It's karaoke isn't it?," the axeman told us, adding, "It's a bit sad. What makes me feel a bit weird is that people accept it and they get, you know, so excited about it." Collen then singled-out Bradford's favourite son, saying, "If Gareth Gates was coming out with some new songs even, if they were writing their own songs or something where there's something real to it [but they're] not. It's pure karaoke." However, as is the case with all musical trends, the London-born rocker predicts that the sun may be setting on plastic pop's parade. "I think its a little bit scary but there'll be a reaction against it there'll be something new will come out," Collen concluded. Def Leppard's new album, X, hits the shops today. Copyright © 2002 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.