Mesa, AZ - Media Reviews

By Christina Fuoco

Stalwart '80s rockers Def Leppard in the Phoenix area Tuesday (6/7) to perform during the Rock 'n' Roll Doubleheader tour with co-headliner Bryan Adams balked while attempting to pitch 25 years worth of hits.

Lead singer Joe Elliott, who appeared to be ill, lacked the enthusiasm of tours past. The leather-pants-wearing frontman sounded hoarse, relying on vocal help from his bandmates on songs such as "Photograph" and the ballad "Love Bites." He enlisted the crowd at Mesa's Hohokam Park to sing the chorus to "Animal," and the thirtysomething audience happily complied.

Def Leppard opened the show with "Action" before long, black curtains parted to reveal a screen that interspersed live clips of the band with video images. During "Hysteria," an image of the British flag celebrated the group's heritage. Though Elliott's voice was hoarse, he stuck with his trademark moves, spinning his microphone stand and raising it in the air to encourage the fans to applaud. Keeping with the retro feel, fans held up lighters - instead of the very 21st century cell phones - to salute Def Leppard during "Foolin'."

Like tourmate Adams, Elliott said very little to the audience. When he did offer between-song banter, he commented on Phoenix's climate ("It's a hot, sticky evening--what we all like") or drummed up support for the band's recently released greatest-hits package, "Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection." Despite Elliott's struggles, the band, led by longtime guitarist Vivian Campbell, was dead on. Campbell's thick, heavy-handed guitar solos were cheered on by the audience during songs such as "Armageddon It."

For the tour, the stage was set up in centerfield with the ballfield available for patrons who wished to stand or sit on blankets. General admission extended to the stands. Fans also watched the show through the netting behind home plate, while others sat on top of the dugout or stood in the ballfield.

Technically, the first-ever concert at Hohokam Park went off with nary a hitch. Traffic snags, however, prevented many in the audience from seeing the beginning of Adams' set, and concession stand employees reported that the stadium ran out of beer close to 8 p.m., only an hour into Adams' performance.

By Christina Fuoco @ Live Daily 2005.

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Def Leppard and Bryan Adams: Rock 'N Roll Doubleheader Tour By Zane Ewton

The Rock 'N Roll Double Header tour is an opportunity for Def Leppard and Bryan Adams to zigzag through minor league baseball stadiums and bash out all their big hits to an appreciative crowd. For this stop on the tour Hohokam Park in Mesa, Arizona is the destination. The park serves as the spring training home for the Chicago Cubs, tucked away in a quiet neighborhood.

The band will be alternating who opens and closes throughout the tour. Bryan Adams opened the show to a smaller crowd. Parking became a major issue for the ballpark and the bulk of rock and roll devotees spent most of Adam's set line for a place to park.

Darkness fell on the crowd as the infield became awash with the fans not content to just sit in the stands. Def Leppard can be credited for creating the blueprint of rock in the 1980's. Both Pyromania and Hysteria broke into the stratosphere of rock success. The following decade wasn't quite as successful but found Def Leppard staying true to their core audience. Touring in support of their new greatest hits collection, the band still sounds fresh and excited to be playing music.

Def Leppard took the stage and delivered amped up versions of some of their biggest hits, jumping right into "Action" from the Retro Active album. Not letting up at all, the band surged through "Let's Get Rocked", "Women" and "Foolin'". Even "Hysteria" received a heavier treatment that really gave the song an exciting energy.

Singer Joe Elliott introduced their new single, a cover of Badfinger's "No Matter What" and tipped the crowd in on a possible September release date for the full covers album. The twin guitars of Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell traded riffs and solos left and right up to a duel during "Rocket" that was flashy without hitting live solo cliche's. The two Rick's, Allen and Savage, kept the tight Def Leppard beat that is the trademark of so many of their songs. Elliott's job may seem pretty easy when a couple thousand people are singing every word to every song but he's still got his voice and can hit those high notes, performing well in his role as master of ceremonies. 25 years of touring has ensured Def Leppard knows how to put on a rock and roll show.

Despite the label of an 80’s band, Def Leppard’s music has aged gracefully and in a live setting is given a bite and energy that is lacking from the glossy album cuts. This mixture creates a great rock and roll experience that is all about having fun and singing along to ridiculous lyrics.

Ballads were kept to a minimum which meant the tempo was always high and the crowd ate up every sweaty minute of it. Songs like "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" were exuberant celebrations of rock and roll and the encore choices of "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me" copped the biggest ovation of the night.

The Rock 'N Roll Double Header tour is definitely fun for all ages, even kids under 12 can get in free. Just watch out for some misguided tube-tops.

By Zane Ewton @ antimusic 2005.

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