Def Leppard Atomic Mess News

Fans of classic arena rock can relive the energy, the exhilaration and the earsplitting tumult that embodied '70s and '80s concerts this weekend when several icons of the era perform at area venues.

Def Leppard, Styx and Foreigner will perform on Friday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m., at Ford Amphitheatre, Florida State Fairgrounds, 4802 U.S. 301 N., Tampa. Tickets range from $25 to $75.

Born in 1977, English hard rock band Def Leppard topped charts in the '80s with hits from the back-to-back albums "Pyromania" and "Hysteria," including "Photograph," "Rock of Ages," "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Love Bites."

Following a peculiar trend in music, Def Leppard produced no original material for their most recent studio release, opting instead to record a collection of cover songs. Few bands that have made the 30-year mark would feel comfortable conceding their glam rock roots, but the lineup on Leppard's 2006 "Yeah!" prove they have no issue with their past. While "Yeah!" lacks creativity, the band does no disservice to original recordings such as "20th Century Boy" by T. Rex and "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks.

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When Def Leppard launched into "Rock of Ages" for its encore Sunday night at Freedom Hall, they provided the theme song for an evening of classic rock — and classic rock 'n' rollers.

The multiplatinum English band was joined by Foreigner and Styx, bands whose resumes date back to the 1970s. They played to a nearly full house of fans who also had resumes dating back to the '70s, if not earlier, and they were treated to a loaded jukebox worth of vintage hits.

Def Leppard headlined the show, the rare Kentucky State Fair finale dedicated to rock instead of country, and delivered a strong set of its trademark deeply layered, highly catchy music.

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Twenty years ago this month, British rock band Def Leppard created a little mass hysteria across the world, especially in the United States.

In August of 1987, the band released its fourth studio album, "Hysteria." Def Leppard hoped the new album would ride the success of 1983's multi-platinum-selling "Pyromania." It did that, and more.

"Hysteria" charted six hits — "Love Bites," "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Armageddon It," "Rocket," "Animal" and the title track — and has gone on to sell more than 18 million albums worldwide. Its success, said guitarist Phil Collen, has been unbelievable.

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Pennsylvania was the first of sixteen states so far to enact something called the Truth in Music law, which prevents imposter groups with no original members from billing themselves as that group.

So far, it has applied mostly to groups like the Platters, the Coasters, the Drifters and other vocal groups from the '50s, the imposters now being forced to present themselves as tribute acts.

But two of the three bands at Hershey Stadium Sunday night come dangerously close in their present lineups to violating if not the letter, the spirit of such legislation.

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The only band to have nearly all its original members at last night's Hersheypark Stadium show was the British group Def Leppard, but no one seemed to care — it was a night of remembering times spent at the record player with headphones on.

Def Leppard is between albums, which might have been a good thing, considering its eclectic set list. Opening with a "Hysteria" album double of "Rocket" and "Animal," the band — members were in lockstep all night — then slipped in the rarely heard "Excitable," from the same album. It's great to hear a band take a chance and play something just because it wants to.

Singer Joe Elliott made a good many of the night's high notes, including on "Foolin,'" but it was hard to hear him. His vocals and those of guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell and bassist Rick Savage were often muffled and muted. Another rarity, "Mirror, Mirror," was stately and featured lovely dual playing from Collen and Campbell but could have been a touch faster.

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The heavy metal band Icarus Witch will include a cover of the Def Leppard song Mirror, Mirror on their new album "Songs for the Lost". "Songs for the Lost" will be released on Septermber 11, 2007 from the Cleopatra Label Group and is produced by Eric Klinger.

The version of Mirror, Mirror will feature former Deep Purple singer Joe Lynn Turner.

While Joe Elliott is happy to endlessly discuss the differences between Def Leppard and Guns N' Roses, he's got no problem discussing embarrassing videos and why his band will never be Radiohead. Before Def Leppard's headlining gig Saturday at the Tweeter Center, the frontman waxed poetic about his past and present.

Herald: So what specifically makes you so different from Guns N' Roses?

Elliott: OK, I'll tell you this. For a long time the Rolling Stones had the tag of the most dangerous band in the world, but I've never heard of them going on at midnight. If they were due on at nine, they came on at nine. If you're going to be a dangerous band you don't have to do it like Axl did where you piss off as many people as you pleasure. With us it's all about the pleasure. We don't have an agenda and we don't try and court the press to make us look better than we are or worse then we are. We get on with it.

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The associated news article can be found here.

Last week, Rolling Stone magazine celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Appetite for Destruction" by slapping a vintage photo of Axl, Slash and the rest of their cronies on the cover.

But with all the gushing over Guns N' Roses' brownstone-fueled, sleaze-filled tour de force, 1987's other hard-rock masterpiece was ignored. If you were a teen in the late '80s, the pairing of "Paradise City" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" was probably the one-two punch your mixtape packed.

So where's Def Leppard's "Hysteria" cover? Don't hold your breath.

"Am I shocked that they're on Rolling Stone's cover and we're not? Absolutely not," said Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott from his home in Dublin, Ireland. "Let's be honest. We're not dangerous like G N'R and we never were. If anything we're the opposite side of them."

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The associated news article can be found here.

Currently on tour with no new album to promote, Def Leppard is facing the challenge of giving fans a show that isn't a carbon copy of its production during last year's "Yeah!" tour.

"We've really got to juggle things around, so we've dug deep into our back catalog and we've pulled out songs that we've never played on stage [and] songs that we haven't played on stage in maybe 10 years," lead singer Joe Elliott told LiveDaily.

"'Pour Some Sugar on Me,' 'Hysteria,' 'Animal' and 'Armageddon' are apparently obvious, but sometimes we have to go a little further than that. That's where we're going with most of our back catalog," he added.

Elliott, who hails from Sheffield, England, and lives in Dublin, Ireland, said he doesn't think too many fans will be disappointed by the shows, which feature openers Foreigner and Styx.

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Rock fans get ready. Def Leppard, Styx and Foreigner are coming to the Ford Amphitheatre on Friday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m.

With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide, not to mention two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, Def Leppard - Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums)-continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music.

The group's spectacular live shows are filled with hit after hit from their groundbreaking discography that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists. Def Leppard's powerful rock anthems have become synonymous with their name and it' easy to see why rock fans keep gravitating toward their electrifying live performances.

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To anyone who thought Def Leppard's high energy, rock-your-socks-off performance days were over think again.

The '80s may be long gone, but the British quintet proved to a crowd of 18,000 that they're still red hot and going strong at Sarnia's Bayfest Saturday night.

The enduring rockers hit the stage with full force, kicking off their 16-song set with an electric performance of "Rocket."

Frontman Joe Elliott exploded onto the catwalk, backed by bare chested guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, Rick Savage's signature feathered hair, and a knockout performance by one-armed drummer Rick Allen.

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