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Saturday, 11th June 2005
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Fort Worth, TX - Media Reviews

Concert shows why '80s music is still alive By Teresa Gubbins

The '80s keeps coming back, with a vengeance, even, and the double-header concert on Saturday at La Grave Field starring Def Leppard and Bryan Adams gave a good clue why: The two '80s acts performed letter-perfect sets rife with hits whose power hasn't dimmed -- certainly not for the approximately 10,000 fans in attendance. Playing at the ballfield was an inspired idea, revving up the bands and the audience. Sound and overall logistics were superb.

Def Leppard got the early slot; with the stage in the outfield, the band played into the setting sun. Despite the heat, the quintet executed an endless stream of hits: from Action to Hysteria to Photograph to Rock of Ages. Here's a twist that shows what a hit factory this band was: When they did a cover of Badfinger's No Matter What, the crowd actually seemed to lose interest. (Covers usually provoke the opposite reaction.)

By Star Telegram.


Def Leppard, Bryan Adams energize nostalgia concert By Crayton Harrison

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, 45, looked almost like a teenager Saturday night, clad in a black T-shirt and jeans, singing a song called "18 'Til I Die." The crowd of hundreds, gathered at LaGrave Field to see him and tour mate Def Leppard, seemed positively rejuvenated. Dads hoisted kids on their shoulders as they would have lifted their girlfriends years ago. People wore old concert T-shirts, or at least the reproduced versions sold at the souvenir stand. An enormous amount of beer was consumed, and the occasional joint was smoked. This is the beauty of the nostalgia concert. It's the closest thing we have to time travel, the music conjuring up emotions we haven't felt in a while.

The bands, of course, are coasting on old songs, reliving old glories and paying the bills. But Mr. Adams and Def Leppard were both genuinely gracious performers, thanking the crowd profusely, playing all the hits. "Don't forget us, and we won't forget you," Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott, also 45, told the crowd after its encore at sunset. The British rock band has a greatest-hits collection out this year, and it fist-pumped, windmilled and high-kicked its way through the songs – "Hysteria," "Armageddon It," "Rocket" and, of course, the big ones: "Rock of Ages" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me."

Mr. Elliott's voice has retained its raspy edge, but it's a little weaker and more forced on the high notes. It cracked noticeably in the opening notes of "Love Bites," right when he sang, "When you make love ... " But he nailed the chorus. Middle age has been kind to the band. Both guitarists played without their shirts, and it wasn't gross. Lead guitarist Phil Collen had a fiery spirit, stalking across the stage, grinning wildly and churning out blazing solos. LaGrave Field, a minor-league baseball stadium, was an unusual venue, but it worked well for the occasion. The bands played on a stage in centerfield, and the crowd stood on the field or sat in the bleachers. Fort Worth's skyline was visible just to the right of the stage and, as the sun descended, cooling things off, it felt like a nice day at the ballpark.

By Dallas Morning News 2005.


By Sergio Caliente

Two words: absolute perfection! The weather, the crowd, the inexpensive parking, the cold and cheap brew, the chicks, the whole damned thing reeked of what rock and roll should be and how the Lord envisioned it when he taught Chuck Berry to move his ass. Quick note. So Def Leppard and Bryan Adams are doing a string of dates playing minor leaguer ball fields switching headlining spots each night, we got the Lep as the "opening" act, end of story.

Opening to a sun-filled stage, they quickly kicked into "Action" and from then on out, it was hit after bloody hit. "Women", 'Foolin'", "Let's Get Rocked", "Promises", etc infinity, whatever. 100 million sold for a reason, they know how to write light metal anthems with big-ass hook filled choruses. The mid 20-40's crowd ate it up like a hippie devouring acid before a pig raid, and whether it was the reefer strewn wind or the $4.00 beers, it sure sounded no different then 1987, just more pro.

Joe Elliott is one of the most under-rated front men of all-time and could teach a bloated dictatorship like Bono a thing or three. Leads Phil Collen and Viv Campbell are amazing one-twos of solos and rhythm and the Thunder god Rick Allen is still as potent as the Tijuana hivee. All held together by Rick Savage's melodies and bass lines. Aged, but not aging the tunes still sound as relevant and fresh as they day they were penned and a track like "Photograph" can still make the girls shake their moneymakers and the guys still look like jackasses playing air guitar but those are my kind of jackass.

Gigs like this are a shot to the vein of the lame output that music has been spreading forth now for 10 years, and its starting to show in the attendance alone. 15-year old skater kids littered the class of 1985, wearing Ratt, Quiet Riot and AC/DC shirts, now whether they're being ironic or maybe they realize that all the AFI, Killers and Dashboard records in the world can't hold a candle to track one, side one of Hysteria. The hits kept coming, "Armageddon It", "Animal" and extended "Rocket" into the inevitable "Rock Of Ages", which Joe mentioned that was the title track off their new album. Encores included the powerhouse balladry of 'Bringin' On The Heartache" and the stripper fiesta of "Pour Some Sugar On Me", it was wine me, dine me and 69 me moment.

Music need not be relevant (though relevance is based purely upon your love of the stuff) to make you swing you ass and shake your pipe, it just needs to move your soul and awaken your primal instincts, and Leppard understand this better than anyone. There were 10,000 bodies that couldn't have agreed more, and when your entire set list is nothing but mega-radio floor burners, the cards are stacked in your favor. Unchanging, unyielding and totally the top tits in 80's-style rock, Leppard are the band that we point to our kids and say, "see motherfucker, I told you so"!

By Dallas Music Guide 2005.

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