Lancaster, PA - Media Reviews

Def Leppard rocks Lancaster By Matthew G. Solovey

Writers are supposed to avoid cliches like the plague. But when thinking about Def Leppard and their show last Saturday night at Lancaster's Clipper Magazine Stadium, one keeps coming to mind: the rockers really are like a fine wine that gets better with age. There, I said it.

But it's true. Saturday night being the sixth time I've seen the band since 1992, I've come to realize just how much more I enjoy their performance each time. The group is probably a tighter playing unit than ever before. Joe Elliott's voice, while a bit more gravely these days - all that smoking must be taking its toll - hits every note, even the high ones, without issue. Vivian Campbell - still the "new guy" after 13 years - continues to gel with his band mates, particularly fellow guitarist Phil Collen. Together, they unleashed a blistering guitar attack on the Lancaster audience.

These days, Leppard are in an interesting period of their careers. They made it through the '90s upheaval with little problem. Sure, their records don't sell as many as the nine million moved by Pyromania or the 11 million of Hysteria. But the group has never resorted to playing clubs, or one of those "You Can't Stop Rock" tours that the less-respected '80's hard-rock bands embark on every summer.

Leppard have always played the big stages, and that includes stadiums like the ballpark in Lancaster. Sure, it's not Hersheypark Stadium, but there were more people there than I've ever seen at Hershey's Star Pavilion.

In fact, there were more people at Saturday's concert than I've ever seen at a Def Leppard show. Some were certainly there for tourmate Bryan Adams, but it was clear that most came out to see the UK rockers.

And it was a diverse crowd, with children from age 3 up to seniors in their 60s all rocking out together. Many fans seemed to be in their 20s, a group you probably wouldn't expect Def Leppard to attract. Of course, there were also many "children of the '80s" who are all grown up now - myself included.

It was a group that reacted enthusiastically to everything thrown at them. Supporting their latest greatest hits package, Rock of Ages, Leppard wasn't expected to deviate and play some of their lesser-known tracks, and they didn't.

From opener "Action" to the finale of "Pour Some Sugar On Me," Leppard performed every hit they're expected to, including "Armageddon It," "Foolin'" and "Rock of Ages," among others. They even threw in two cuts from their upcoming covers record -"No Matter What" by Badfinger and "Rock On" by David Essex. Both were done well, especially the latter, which the band played in blistering fashion.

Def Leppard puts on one darn good rock show from start to finish. As a group that have firmly placed themselves in the rock-and-roll history books, it's good to see they're still going strong and giving their fans an evening to remember.

By Hershey Chronicle 2005.

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