Winnipeg, MB - Media Reviews

Def Leppard rock, rock, till they drop for rabid Winnipeg fans By Lindsey Ward

Just when you think Def Leppard are past their prime, they come prowling back with a roar.

The 28-year British vets have been rockin' for ages, but last night at the MTS Centre, they proved age hasn't altered their ability to shake up an arena like it's 1989.

And the 8,000 enthused fans who showed up gratefully consumed every bit of sugar the pop-metal outfit poured during their 75-minute plus set.

On a minimally decorated stage, The Sheffield, England group -- vocalist Joe Elliott, bassist Rick Savage, drummer Rick Allen and guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell -- started off with 1993 head-bopper, Action, and maintained the amped-up pace with singalong tune Let's Get Rocked.

"Let's get some hands in the air," a shaggy-haired Elliott yelled shortly into the show -- probably for the gazillionth since his big-haired glory days.

Just 15 minutes into the show, the crowd -- many 30-somethings and a surprising amount of teenagers -- were forced to pull out their Bics and cellphones (oh, how things have changed since the '80s) for 1983 power ballad, Foolin'.

Def Leppard played nothing but the hits, even if that included earlier hits from other artists, like Badfinger's 1970's bubble gum classic, No Matter What. The catchy pop tune is featured on both the band's latest double-disc, Rock of Ages, and their upcoming covers release, Yeah!.

While a massive screen projected larger-than-life animation of the band's favoured Union Jack, the set-up was simple, which left little to interfere with the good, clean rock.

The guys made appropriate use of the bare-bones stage, with Elliott bouncing among a blindingly white clad Savage and a shirtless Collen. Just one look at the one-armed Allen -- who lost the limb in a car crash on New Year's Eve in '84 -- pounding away on drums reminded you of just one of the obstacles the band has faced since their 1977 inception.

At press time, fans were singing along to 1993 love anthem, Two Steps Behind, and had already dished out five of 1987 bestseller Hysteria's seven singles. According to a setlist, they were still to play the album's other chart-toppers, Animal and Pour Some Sugar on Me.

Earlier in the night, Windsor, Ont., based trio The Tea Party warmed up the stage with 50-minutes of sleepy yet melodic alt-rock. Led by sombre, Jim Morrison-lookalike Jeff Martin, the band tossed in several tracks from their latest release, Seven Circles, but mainly stuck to past radio hits like Heaven Coming Down, The Messenger and Temptation.

The Tea Party's dark, psychedelic tunes were politely accepted by Def Leppard fans, but near the end of the lengthy set, the MTS Centre kind of felt like a good place to take a nap.

By The Winnipeg Sun 2005.

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Def Leppard is still thriving in natural habitat By Melissa Martin

THERE'S a certain popular joke that may have to be stricken from the public record. It begins, "What has nine arms and sucks?" After last night's MTS Centre concert, it's clear that the punchline isn't "Def Leppard." True, the hour-long set hardly reinvented the rock 'n' roll wheel. But standing in front of masses of well-lubricated fans and slashing through bombastic hair-metal riffs and power ballads, the well-preserved rockers still thrive in their natural habitat.

As big arena rock goes, last night's show was meat-and-potatoes fare, fed to a crowd starving for a good meal.

Taking the stage shortly after 9 p.m., the quintet quickly settled into a comfortable performance. Surrounded by an uncluttered stage setup (in reality, little more than a terraced drum riser and video screen) and pulling few surprises, the '80s survivors breezed through a set of familiar classics and 92 CITI-FM staples.

Was anyone expecting anything else? After all, the British veterans are on tour promoting their second major greatest hits collection, Rock of Ages (which follows in the footsteps of 1995's Vault). Their last two studio albums (2002's X and 1999's Euphoria) have failed to impress new audiences. But as the band celebrates a quarter-century of performance, there is still some big life in those old tracks.

The band kicked off with a lengthy and unbroken string of tunes that included favourites like Let's Get Rocked (from 1992's Adrenalize) and Women, from their breakout 1987 album Hysteria, whose title track later drew massive cheers from the audience. Dashing in sleek black leather pants, frontman Joe Elliot looked athletic as he cavorted about the stage (guitarist Phil Collen chose to show off his physique by neglecting to wear a shirt).

Pulling pages from the old-school rock star handbook, from mic stand thrust to hip slide, Elliot and company barely needed to break a sweat to get the diehard fans in the audience eagerly shimmying, shaking and singing along, fist pumping for Rocket and swaying for Love Bites.

Mid-set, the frontman took some time to work the wildly enthusiastic crowd, praising Canada and plugging the new record before diving into the quirkily retro new single, No Matter What. Other obvious but satisfying moments in the set included the sit-down acoustic rendition of Two Steps Behind and the revved-up melody of crowd favourite Gods of War. At press time, the band was expected to close with its most celebrated hit, Pour Some Sugar on Me.

Can-rock veterans the Tea Party kicked off the show with a predictable but solid set of their signature trip-rock tunes. While the crowd was quite appreciative of frontman Jeff Martin's artsy stylings, the show could have used an additional opener to rev up the energy before Leppard hit the stage.

By The Winnipeg Free Press 2005.

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