Las Vegas, NV - Media Reviews

Def Leppard @ Mandalay Bay By Josh B

In their '80s heyday, Def Leppard were the kings of arena rock. Massive stages, pyrotechnics - they had it all.

At the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Dec. 8, there was a decided lack of explosions, and the stage was modest at best. Unlike some '80s rock bands who try to re-create their past spectacles in front of increasingly diminishing audiences, Def Leppard (playing to a house about two-thirds full) relied solely on their musicianship and a few colorful lights to carry their show - and succeeded.

Scoff if you will, but Def Leppard are talented musicians, and they delivered their hit-heavy set with energy and precision. Most of the nosebleed seats may have been empty, but the audience that showed up was clearly into the band, and the band seemed happy simply to have fans who still appreciated them long after they've lost the power to pack stadiums (or even arenas).

Like fellow hair-metal act Bon Jovi, Def Leppard have managed to stay surprisingly successful into their middle age, scoring moderate rock radio hits and aging with their audience from big hair and spandex to sensible coifs and button-down shirts. Consequently, the crowd was not as outrageous as one you'd find at, say, a Poison show, with those in polo shirts and khakis far outnumbering those who held onto their feathered hair and leather pants.

The setlist was predictable (yes, they played all seven singles from their massive 1987 album, "Hysteria") but laced with enough songs from the new album (four) and lesser-known oldies to keep the hard-core fans happy. And even at 45 (it was his birthday), guitarist Phil Collen couldn't keep his shirt on past the third song. At least guitarist Vivian Campbell waited until the main set finale, "Rock of Ages," to cast his aside.

But for a band known for its incredibly slick, overproduced albums, Def Leppard put on a surprisingly lively concert that showed that they can still play their instruments (drummer Rick Allen with his famous single arm) and belt out those harmonies in a live setting. Some of the bland newer songs, especially "Long Long Way to Go," sounded much better live, and even radio-staple hits like "Pour Some Sugar on Me" managed to sound fresh. Frontman Joe Elliott joked that the band had to spend the '90s pretending they were depressed, but now they could finally smile again. It was nice to see that they hadn't lost their sense of fun.

By Review-Journal 2002.

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Def Leppard still rocking By Spencer Patterson

The music of the 1970s may be in vogue again, but it takes a brave man to admit he still enjoys listening to '80s rock. While the 1980s' plethora of one-hit wonders enjoy a certain measure of nostalgic adoration, bands that actually flourished during the "Me Decade" find themselves in a much tougher spot these days. Branded as too plastic or simply untalented by most critics, such groups have become the butt of many a joke.

On Sunday night, however, more than 6,700 fans filed into the Mandalay Bay Events Center to proclaim their enduring love for Def Leppard, the hard rocking Brits who dominated the FM airwaves during the 1980s.

And while Leppard probably never played to a house with more than 1,000 empty seats during its stadium touring heyday, the band gave its defiant supporters exactly what they came for: big, raucous sounds and bright, flashing lights, as if it were 1987 all over again.

Singer Joe Elliott certainly looked like a throwback, decked out in black leather pants and a shiny, sequined silver jacket. His vocals also harkened back to the days when singers needed to scream to be heard over their mates' metallic guitar strains.

The show, which marked Def Leppard's first Las Vegas appearance since a 1992 Thomas & Mack concert, kicked off the band's North American tour. As you might expect of such an opening night, the concert got off to a lethargic start, as soundmen worked to correct a muddy mix while the five musicians underwhelmed with lesser known songs "Ring of Fire" and "Action."

But with Elliott's familiar cry, "I said welcome to my show," straight off 1983's blockbuster album, "Pyromania," Leppard seemed to locate its energy source, and spent the better part of two hours effectively channeling that power.

"Stagefright" and "Foolin'" brought the audience, mostly in its 30s and 40s, out of its seats, and many remained upright for the rest of the night. Fifteen years after releasing its second smash success, 1987's "Hysteria," Leppard maintains most of its trademarks: echo effects on Elliott's vocals, cascading twin guitars and campy lyrics that entice even the most timid fans to sing along.

"Make love, like a man. I'm a man, that's what I am," the crowd chanted unabashedly during "Make Love Like a Man," one of the band's few '90s hits. Leppard also debuted several numbers from its 10th album, aptly titled "X." Those songs, most notably "You're So Beautiful" and "Now," sounded as though they might have the stuff to climb the singles charts were it not for the stigma affixed to the group today.

Even Elliott could not ignore his band's position of relative irrelevance over the past decade, when Def Leppard's fun party music seemed at odds with the angst of 1990s grunge. "We outlived the '90s, and that was tough enough," he said midway through the night. "We had to pretend to be miserable. But now, we can smile again." After leading the crowd through "Happy Birthday," to mark longtime guitarist Phil Collen's 45th, Leppard revisited another vestige of days gone by, sitting down on stools and picking up acoustic instruments for an "Unplugged"-style version of "Two Steps Behind."

Then, it was time for the big finale, a string of seven of Def Leppard's biggest hits: "Women," "Rocket," "Photograph," "Animal," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Armageddon It" and "Rock of Ages."

During an extended take on "Rocket," Collen and Vivian Campbell - who took over the second guitar seat after Steve Clark's death in 1991 - took turns piercing the arena with high-pitched solos.

Bassist Rick Savage reached back in time yet again during "Photograph," playing an instrument adorned with the Union Jack, flag of the United Kingdom and Def Leppard's signature logo in its early years.

Elliott's introduction of drummer Rick Allen, who lost his left arm in a 1984 car accident, received the most protracted applause of the night, as Allen held his drumstick aloft in his right hand and took a bow.

Although Allen's fills may not have sounded particularly adventurous, fans would have been hard-pressed to know he was actually doing most of his work with his two feet, were they not already familiar with his legendary tale.

With the opening incantation "Gunter glieben glauchen globen," Allen kicked off "Rock of Ages," clearly still the overwhelming favorite for many Leppard enthusiasts nearly 20 years after its debut.

Unfortunately, momentum could not help but dip after that, and a somewhat lackluster encore followed. Elliott struggled with his upper register during "Love Bites," and "Let's Get Rocked," paled after the blitz of strong material that preceded it.

"Bringin' on the Heartbreak," notably absent from the band's hit parade, might have provided a more satisfying finish, and ought to be added to the set for future dates.

Actually, the selection that boomed out over the loud speakers - Queen's "We Are the Champions" - might have been the most fitting exit music of all. Because for one night, Def Leppard achieved a small victory, helping fans to put aside the quest for coolness and enjoy a pleasure that has become all too guilty.

By Las Vegas Sun 2002.

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