Ames, IA - Media Reviews
Def Leppard @ Hilton Coliseum By Des Moines Register
The members of Def Leppard lived up to their strangely spelled name Saturday night at Hilton Coliseum.
Their show would make a leopard deaf after prolonged exposure to the band's ear-splitting heavy metal music.
As matter of fact, most any animal would go deaf listening to this uninspiring band in concert.
Def Leppard's show was hurt by a terrible sound mix that blurred everything into an unintelligible mass.
The constant roar of Steve Clark's and Phil Collen's guitars and Richard Allen's booming drum were all that could be heard.
Lead singer Joe Elliott's screeching vocals were hidden under it all, but maybe that was for the best.
He seemed to sing in a monotone all night.
On record Def Leppard has a melodious sound, not often found in a heavy metal band.
They lose that melody in their live show, drowning it in the power-guitar rock that is too often found in most heavy metal bands.
The special sound the band has on record is lost amid the typical 'loud is best' formula of heavy metal.
Good songs like 'Animal' and 'Bringin' On The Heartbreak' were reduced to loud, boring pieces of junk rock.
The band needs to go back and listen to their records and learn how to bring that sound to the stage.
By Des Moines Register 1987.
share this page:
get def leppard news
Stay in touch with the latest updates.
explore def leppard tour history
