This section looks at the taping of the 'In The Round-In Your Face' concert film. Two nights were filmed at McNichols Arena in Denver, CO featuring the In The Round staging.

"We had great camera men on the shoot. They had worked on Platoon."

Def Leppard began filming their first ever live concert video In The Round-In Your Face on this day in Denver, Colorado.

The show was the first of two sold out nights (12th/13th February 1988) at the 17,000 seat McNichols Sports Arena.

The shows were attended by 31,105 fans with a total gross of $542,812.

Tesla were the support act having been with them since the tour had started in August 1987.

Most of the footage/audio used was recorded at the second night on 13th February.

The band were nearing the end of the the first five and a half month leg of the US Hysteria tour which had begun on 1st October 1987 in Glens Falls, NY.

The 'In The Round-In Your Face' VHS video was eventually released in September 1989 almost one year after the tour ended. Prior to the full length live video, footage was debuted in the highly successful 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' and 'Armageddon It' promo videos. They featured a mix of black and white sound check clips and colour footage from the main live shows.

It was later reissued as a two DVD package with Historia in 2002.

The In The Round stage was placed in the center of arenas with the lighting rig hung from the ceiling. Rick Allen was sat in the middle of the stage on a rotating drum riser so he could face all four sides during the show.

The concept was thought up by then co-manager Peter Mensch after seeing an In The Round style performance by Frank Sinatra.

Lasers were bounced off mirrors located around the stage and lighting rig creating the effect of hundreds of beams. The computer circuit board imagery from the album cover was painted on the stage.

McNichols Sports Arena was demolished in 2000 after being replaced by the Pepsi Center (at another location). Shown below is the parking lot next to the Sports Authority Field at Mile High (stadium) where the arena used to be.

It was demolished to make way for the extra parking around the stadium which had been built in 1999/2000.

View backstage footage from the Hysteria tour filmed in 1988 (including the last show) in this YouTube playlist filmed by then Tour Manager Ian Jeffery.

In The Round Stage

Joe Elliott - 1989 Interview Quote

"Well it was done at a gig 'In The Round'. We had great camera men on the shoot. They had worked on Platoon, Apocalypse Now and we had to have guys like that because it's easy to do Frank Sinatra in the round. He don't move - but we do! The director had every conceivable angle covered. He went to the show seven times before they shot it. We shot the first night and he went into a major panic. He said 'I couldn't get anything. It's impossible. You guys keep moving' They had to spend an entire evening altering all their cranes and camera dollies."

"The majority of the film you see is from the second evening. It was difficult to focus on one guy, so the camera work had to be fast moving. That's the way we are on stage. We don't hang around. The majority of it was shot in Denver in February 1988 which was halfway through our tour when we played 227 dates."

In The Round-In Your Face - Back Cover Synopsis

Well, here it is - the final piece of the 'Hysteria' puzzle (so to speak). First the album, then the 227 date world tour, then the 'Historia' video collection and now a movie of 2 great nights in Denver (with a little help from 3 equally great nights in Atlanta).

We hope you enjoy this film as much as we enjoyed playing this show. Playing in the middle of the arena was a challenge for us every night as well as a challenge for Wayne Isham who directed this concert movie. No one had ever quite dealt with this setup before! For those of you who missed the show, fear not, it shall return in the near future (with a couple of modifications). Until then, enjoy 'In The Round - In Your Face'.

In The Round-In Your Face VHS Pic - By dltourhistory

Def Leppard - 11th October 1987 Interview/Article Quotes

Phil Collen - "It's such a buzz playing on that stage. You can spin around like an idiot and wherever you end up you're facing kids. We're a lot closer - you can actually see faces."

Rick Savage - 1993 Interview Quote

"The fact that we were playing in the middle was completely new to us and everybody else, so that made it special. We prided ourselves on doing something that not many people had done before. Whether it's good, bad or indifferent doesn't really matter, as long as it's different."

Screenshot

Steve Clark - July 1988 Interview Quotes

"No it was very easy. In fact we feel really disappointed when we have to play at one end because obviously nowhere can do that in the round thing at these sort of outdoor shows. But it came around because Peter Mensch, our manager, he said well, we've done everything else wrong up to now. We've spent four years making an album. Let's go the whole way and so he said why don't we play in the round. And the reason that came up was we noticed on the last tour that it's great for the kids down the front but the kids in the nosebleeds at the back. You know you're just a speck on the horizon. So we said if we put it in the middle it's virtually equal distance around. So it's much more intimate. There's four front rows and the sounds much better. And it gives everybody in the band the chance to be a frontman because each guy can be on four different sides."

"So rather than having to hide behind a singer or being very formulated, and it obviously keeps it fresh for us. It's not as though you sort of get into choreography moves or anything you just run around anywhere you want. And it worked out really well and we thought we'd have a lot of problems but it turned out great. And as I say for a few shows we had to go back to playing one end because the roof couldn't support it because it has to hang from the roof. And we felt really disappointed when we had to do that. It's much more intimate as well. You know the kids which would normally be at the back are half the distance they would normally be so it's good for everybody."

Joe Elliott - 13th February 1988 Onstage Quotes

Joe's on stage/between song speeches and intros which differ from the highly edited versions used in the concert film.

Before Women

"Whoo!. Well good evening Denver, Colorado!. The Mile High City!."

"How's everybody feeling tonight?. You feeling alright?. As you can see tonight we are making a film. A film which you are very much part of. So feel free to make as much noise as you like. Which I know you will do, right?!."

"Be as visual as you want. We wanna see some hands in the air. We want to hear a lot of noise. We got everything we need. We got the band, we got the crowd, we got the lights, the cameras, the action. There's only one thing that we ain't got."

Before Don't Shoot Shotgun

"Thank you. Thank you very much. OK we'd like to, we'd like to carry on with a track from the Hysteria album. This is a little story about what happens to ya if you mess around with married women."

Before Hysteria

"Thank you. Thank you very much."

Steve Clark Introduction

"Thank you. Thank you very much. That was Hysteria. The title track from the new album. And this is, and this is my very good friend Mr. Stephen Clark on the electric guitar."

Before BOTH

"Thank you. Thank you very much. Well, Denver, Colorado. How do you like the stage?. That's nice to know 'cause we really wanted to do it a little bit different on this tour. So we thought why not let's stick it in the middle!."

"And here's something else which is a little bit different for ya. This is one of our earlier songs that we're gonna play a brand new way for ya."

"With the aid of a couple of friends of mine known as the Terror Twins. Who are, of course. Namely Mr. Phillip 'Flamenco' Collen on the acoustic guitar!. And Mr. Stephen Clark on his very nearly legendary Gibson 18-string razor!."

"I hope you like it. It goes something like this."

Before Armageddon It (Version 1)

"Well thank you very much. OK we're gonna a, we're gonna play you another brand new one from the Hysteria album. And this one is not about a nuclear war."

Before Animal

"Thank you. Thank you very much - (heard on the mic is Rick saying "Phil! Tell Joe to waffle a bit" so he can get ready for Animal) - It's hot up here Denver I tell ya. It's very hot. And I want, And I Need, And I Lust Animal!."

Before PSSOM/Rick Allen Introduction

"Animal!. Thank you. Thank you very much. There's a...there's a line in an old Led Zeppelin song and it goes 'It's been a long time since we rock and rolled.' And boy has it been a long time!. It's been what?. It's been, it's been about four and a half years since we were last here. Too long right?!."

"I just want you all to know, it's great to be back!. And thanks for keeping the faith. Of course four and a half years is a very long time. And a lot of things can happen. And indeed to this band alone a few things did happen. You might say we experienced a few ups and a few downs. But I think I can quite honestly say that the biggest up we ever had was the return of the Thundergod!. I'm talking about Rick Allen on the drums. So Denver, Colorado. We need your helping hands on this number. We wanna see everybody with their hands way up above their heads. Come on!. Here we go."

After Phil Collen's Guitar Solo/Before Let It Go

"Loud and proud from London town Mr. Phil Collen on the guitar!. Yeeeeeaaah!."

Before Rock Of Ages

"Thank you!. And now four little words that mean so much. Denver, Colorado I got something to say...."

In The Round-In Your Face

After Rock Of Ages

"Thank you. Denver thanks for having us. Thank you for being part of a truly great occasion. Once again thanks. We'll see you soon alright. Goodnight!."

Before Armageddon It Version 2

"Thank you. Thank you very much. Right I need to explain something to ya. Just before we carry on. This is the part of the evening where we really need your help. We're shooting a new video for our next single. In fact we're actually shooting two videos. Apart from the fact that we've shot the entire gig. You know that that is gonna be coming out on a home video soon."

"But as well as the actual concert thing we're shooting two new like mimey videos you know what I mean. MTV stuff. We're doing the new English single and we're doing the new American single. So when it eventually comes out, which I think is around April, and you see it on Night Tracks or you see it on MTV you were there!. So as mentioned earlier on feel free to make as much noise as you want. Wave your arms about as much as you like. You might see yourself on telly one day. Alright?!. Here we go."

Before PSSOM Version 2

"Thank you. Thank you very much. That was the UK single. For British release only. So next up we have the new American single. Anybody, anybody got any ideas what it might be?. Can you like say that together. OK I'll give you a clue. It starts off something like this. Step Inside, Walk This Way. You And Me Babe.. Come on let's see some hands up. Come on. Here we go."

After Armageddon It Version 2

"Denver, Colorado what can we say. You guys have been f**king great!. We;ll see you soon alright. You look after yourselves. Once again thanks. Goodnight!."

Before Tear It Down

"Thank you. Just before we, just before we carry on. I'd really appreciate it if you'd show your appreciation or the cameramen and the camera crew 'cause I think you'll agree they've done a very good job of keeping themselves out the way as much as possible. So let's...big round of applause for the camera crew. Thank you."

"Now we got the niceties out of the way. let's get downright f**king nasty shall we. We're gonna Tear It Down. There's got to be a better way. Come on let's see some hands up!."

Before Photograph

"Thank you. Not so very long ago there was a lady by the name of Norma Jean. She became a model and an actress. She changed her name to Marilyn Monroe. And in 1983 we wrote a song about her. And i goes like this!."

Before Travellin' Band

"Thank you very much. One more I think. One more. I can't say it enough really. I don't think we could've picked a better place anywhere in the world to make a video. So all we can really do is thank ya the only way we really know how. And that is by playing some rock and roll!."

"Well the voice might be gone, but the spirit's willing. So what we're gonna do for ya right now is play you an old John Fogerty song. One we've been playing for quite a long time. John Fogerty of course for those f you who don't know who he is. He used to play in a band called Creedence Clearwater Revival!. Remember them?. One of America's best I might add as well. So we know you're still out there right. Are you still out there?!. 'Cause we ain't going home yet. So you ain't going home yet. There's still some work to be done from us and from you. We wanna hear some noise. I fact Denver, let's count this one in together."

End Of Show Speech

"You guys are un-f**king-believable really. Ah I don't know what to say. Until next time Denver. And there will be a next time. Don't forget us, 'cause we won't forget you. Goodnight!."

Historia 1988 Video Quotes

"After four concept videos, we decided to make the next video a concert-type "live" video."

"As "Sugar" had been one of our better received concert songs, it seemed an obvious choice."

"We also needed a video for our next UK single: "Armageddon It"."

"Wayne Isham, an expert in shooting concert videos, was called in to direct."

"February 1988 saw us in the U.S.A playing 2 concerts and filming the Def Leppard show live."

"This is us in "the round" with expert lights by Phay MacMahon, our long-time lighting designer."

"If you notice similar shots in the 2 videos it's because the clips were made for two separate countries and we wanted to show the best of our live show."

"Speaking of that live show, however, Wayne convinced us that for a few dollars and feet of film more, we could record and film the entire live show."

"Bingo, a live concert "in the round" as only Def Leppard can do it."

"So once we sift through the other 30 hours of footage, look for the Def Leppard live concert video at the end of 1988."

"2 hours of the Leps live!."

Joe Elliott - 30th November 1987 Interview Quotes

In The Round Stage Origin

"It was a suggestion made to us by our New York based manager called Peter Mensch. Whose religion we will keep quiet. Who suggested we stick it in the middle because we could sell more tickets."

"No seriously we wanted to do it differently on this tour. We'd played at one end on the Pyromania tour and when we were selling out like in big arenas, there was a vast amount of seats that couldn't see anything and it used to really annoy us. The PA would be blocking the sides and they'd be selling tickets behind. So people would be looking at our backs all the time."

"So we figured if we put it in the middle we'd cut down maybe 3,000 bad seats to maybe 300 even, if that many. And it would bring all the nosebleeds, as they call them, which is the seats right up at the top. A little bit nearer. In fact everybody's at least fifty percent nearer than they would normally be. And we get four front rows to play with. So it makes us work harder and it just makes for a better show really."

"And from what we can gather it's probably the first rock band to play In The Round."

related pages/releases

• Denver 1988 Show Page - (Night One)
• Denver 1988 Show Page - (Night Two)
• Hysteria World Tour 1987/1988
• Hysteria Album