Def Leppard Atomic Mess News

There comes a time in nearly every long-established rock band when one of its members embarks on a solo project.

Four years ago, the chirpy, Hackney-born, lightening-fingered guitarist from Def Leppard decided to do just that.

It was back in his native London that Phil Collen, who now lives in sun-drenched southern California, first laid the groundwork for what has since proved to be one of the most intriguing underground bands on the noughties rock scene.

During his years with Def Leppard, Phil kept in touch with old pal Simon Luffy, a former bandmate in the glam-metal group Girl (which Phil left to join Def Leppard in 1982) and, while in London, the pair began writing new material.

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Step inside, walk this way and prepare to be Leppardised. As Sheffield's favourite hair metal sons arrived on stage at Vector and cracked into Rocket the sold-out crowd rocketed to their feet - and they stayed that way for 90-minutes of pomp'n'roll.

This was stadium rock 80s-style, people.

Any thoughts Def Leppard might be hair metal has-beens - because, let's face it, 1983's Pyromania and 1987's Hysteria were the band at their best - were blown away as they made their first appearance in New Zealand in 16 years.

As an example of Def Leppard's enduring pulling-power, many in the crowd would have barely been born when Hysteria came out.

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Def Leppard front man Joe Elliott ended the band's Auckland show with the words, "Don't forget us, and we won't forget you".

On that basis his band will not be forgetting the fans who packed out Vector Arena in a hurry.

Returning for their first show in New Zealand in 16 years, the British Gods of '80s rock music took the same fans who listened to their records 20 years ago on a whirlwind nostalgia tour through their greatest hits.

The band were under no illusions as to what songs the crowd wanted to hear as they played hit anthem after hit ballad over an hour-and-a-half on a stage stacked with guitar and bass cabs and a two-metre riser for one-armed drummer Rick Allen.

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I've added a video of Foolin' performed on November 3, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia during the Songs from the Sparkle Lounge world tour to the Video section. Many thanks go to Kerrie McCoy for providing the footage.

A year ago, when the guys in Def Leppard heard that Taylor Swift wanted to do an episode of the Country Music Television show "Crossroads" with them, they had just one question: Who's Taylor Swift?

"There's always a first time when you discover a band, whether it's the Beatles or Taylor Swift," Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott said.

"So we Googled her and iTuned her and listened to it all and said 'Wow.' And you look at how many records she's selling and how lovely and pretty she is and how exciting it is to be at that point in your career, because we were there once — before you were born," he added glancing over at the 18-year-old Swift at a recent press conference.

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Phil Collen doesn't need a chauffeur. After finishing an interview at a Los Angeles radio station, he jumps behind the wheel of his own car, gets directions and heads onto I-405. "I love living in California," says the guitarist for the British band Def Leppard. "The weather is beautiful every single day. Sure the traffic can be spotty, but it's a small price to pay for the lifestyle."

Currently on the first leg of their U.S. tour to support their latest CD "Songs from the Sparkle Lounge," the musicians will travel to Turkey, Russia and Greece later in the year. Which is fine by Collen. Besides loving to play live, Collen is a bona-fide travel junkie who says he has enough of the tourist in him to enjoy exploring places old and new. Once Def Leppard's tour is done, Collen will hit the road again with his side project Man Raze, a three-piece alternative rock band that also includes Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook and rock bassist Simon Laffy.

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I've added videos of Def Leppard's performance of Animal and Let's Get Rocked in West Palm Beach, Florida to the Video section. This show took place on July 10, 2006.