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Friday, 14th October 2005
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Bristow, VA - Fan Reviews

Fan Review - By Dana W

Well..It was incredible. It started with Ricky Warwick opening, He did 4 songs alone, then Viv Campbell joined him onstage for a few songs, very good show. Bryan Adams was the next up, He still puts on a great show, He looks great, sounds great. Played for over an hour, and nailed all the songs, his voice, and band sound just as good as he always has. Did not do the song "run to you" though, and a lot of people complained... I guess some people will complain about anything.

Finally the "BOYS" were up, the moment we were all waiting for. Joe Elliott's voice held up all night, and he sounded great. Viv, Phil, Sav, and Rick all did a great job, we were all well entertained, and what a great stage presence! The set was...(see above) All in All, well worth the money, and the 3 hour drive to go to the show.


Fan Review - By James

Last night was a great night of music. Well worth the $60.00 I shelled out for this show. The first gig of the night was Ricky Warwick. A singer/song writer from Belfast, Ireland who's very fortunate to have 2 of his albums produced by Def Leppard's lead vocalist Joe Elliott. I saw him open for Def Leppard once back in '03 during their X tour. I was very impressed with his live stage performance. Getting up on stage by himself with just an acoustic guitar must be a very nerve racking experience; especially when there are several thousand people watching your every move. He was kindly introduced by none other then Malvin Mortimer a.k.a. "Stumpus Maximus" - Def Leppards tour manager. Ricky's performance last night in Bristow, VA was great and he, like he did back in '03, was up on stage by himself singing his heart out to the crowd. He did one particular song with Vivian Campbell which sounded absolutely amazing.

Next up on stage was the Canadian super pop rock icon Bryan Adams. Bryan Adams and co. are absolutely amazing live. They sound almost exactly as you would hear them on one of their CD's. They, just like Def Leppard are full of energy when they hit the stage. Bryan Adams played his usual hits but the one song that got the crowd going was the 80's hit song "Summer of 69" The place went crazy as soon as Bryan start playing the first riff of the song and began to sing the first line. Bryan Adams and his group are definitely worth seeing live. If you've never seen their performance live before it's definitely worth it even if you only know a few of his songs. It's almost guaranteed to be a fun night when they are on stage.

But now for the main attraction. After waiting for the stage crew to set up Def Leppard's set the stage the lights dim down and the infamous song "We will rock you" by non other than Queen, blared out the speakers. The long time loyal Lep fans knew what this meant; It was time for Def Leppard and time for the crowd to get 'Adrenalized'. The crowd clapped and stomped their feet on the ground to the beat of Queen's song, eagerly waiting for Def Leppard to arrive on stage. Even though you can hear Queen's anthem at sporting events all the time, it's always more rewarding & exciting to hear it as an introduction at a rock concert.

Def Leppard hit the stage hard with their first song of the night: "Action". The crowd was on their feet, singing along and clapping their hands. They are still, after 25 years of being a band, rocking hard. They were running around the stage as if they were still 17-20 years old. I had to opportunity to see them live just a few months ago in Maryland at the Ripkin Stadium even though that show was a great show, this performance was a lot better. Lead singer Joe Elliott's voice sounded a little torn but he could still hit all the high notes with such a strength that only a veteran of rock can do. The boys in the band, Phil Collen, Rick Savage, Vivian Campbell and Rick Allen all sounded excellent. The energy from the crowd only enhanced Def Leppard's performance that night.

Something I noticed that I've never seen at a Def Leppard concert before was the images they showed on the three big screen projections. They showed images of Def leppard back in the day and even a few clips from some of their rock videos. During the song "Let's Get Rocked" they showed the famous computer animated kid "Flynn" which appeared in their 1992 "Let's Get Rocked" video. During "Love Bites" they showed clips as well from that video. It was also a real pleasure to see a few pictures of the late Steve Clark appear. Along with their usual big hits they played two new songs: Bad Finger's "No Matter What" and David Essex's "Rock on" both of which will appear on their new covers CD called "Yeah!" due out sometime in 2006.

All in all Def Leppard did not let me down whatsoever. Seeing them perform last night reinforces my opinion that they are still THE best Hard Rock act today. Even though they persevered through the 90's when anything that came from the 80's was deemed uncool they are still one of rock's most underrated bands. Anyone who has ever seen them perform live can not deny how polished and awesome sounding they are live. They came, they rocked and they made this Def Leppard fan a happy HAPPY man once again. Thanks Def Leppard for staying together and never giving up. I hope to take my kids (when I have kids) to a Def Leppard show.


Fan Review - By Boz

On Friday night, October 14, 2005 Def Leppard rocked the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow Virginia. This was the 8th time I've seen them, and I can honestly say I've never heard them sound better! Joe sounded well rested, and the acoustics under the pavilion were really excellent. Nice light show as always with Leppard, and they pounded through an awesome set list. There were no real surprises, with "Women" being dropped in place of "Make Love Like A Man." This was easily the best version I have heard for the song "No Matter What." They are playing it even better now than they did when I saw them in Aberdeen (July 8th). Joe did mention the covers album, and said something about it coming out whenever they felt done with it.

The Pavilion was almost completely full with just a couple of seats open towards the front where it looks like someone must have bought tickets and couldn't make it. I don't think any lawn seats were sold, probably due to this show being late in the season. This time almost all of the songs had the faster tempo (which is excellent, by the way). I have seen the Leps play songs like "Sugar" and "Armageddon It" at a slower pace at other times, but not tonight. It was a great atmosphere and the band looked like they really were enjoying the show, just like we were. I saw Motley Crue at this venue in August, and Leppard's sound clarity and energy blew them away. Can't wait for the next one.


Fan Review - By Liz

I was lucky enough to attend the Bryan Adams/Def Leppard concert on October 14th in Bristow, Virginia. It was without a doubt the best concert I've ever seen. Joe Elliott was in great form and the band sounded like never before. The set was a mix of old and of new, but the best part of the concert was the fact that the band played both of my favorite songs!! (Bringin on the Heartbreak & Hysteria) GOD- What a night!! One that I will never forget.

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