Melbourne, VIC - Media Reviews

Def Leppard @ Rod laver Arena By StentoriaN

Having last visited our shores back in 1992, the anticipation surrounding Def Leppard's 2008 Australian tour was peaking. Accordingly, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena which was packed to the rafters by three generations of fans, a testament to the long time between drinks as well as the wide appeal of the band whose brand of melodic hard rock has seen them span a successful career lasting over 30 years. The band also teamed up with another iconic rock band in Cheap Trick which promised to be a double-billing that wouldn't disappoint.

After a 30 minute break, the lights finally dimmed on Rod Laver Arena and the roar of the crowd and God Save The Queen blaring meant only one thing, the boys from London had arrived. Rick Savege's slick looking union jack and St. George cross basses made no secret of the band's origins. Having seen the band at Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium earlier this year, I knew I was in for a stellar performance, however the band would go on to exceed my expectations by performing for over 100 minutes.

Def Lep kicked things off with Rocket and Animal, both off 1987s Hysteria album, one of the most successful rock albums of all time. The crowd sang the chorus to Animal in unison, so loud it was competing with *Joe Elliot*'s vocals. There was no question that Melbourne rock city was going to turn it on tonight.

Joe Elliot proceeded to then introduce C'mon C'mon off Def Leppard's new album Songs From The Sparkle Lounge. The stage also mimicked the front cover of the album with red drapery surrounding the lighting rig, whilst a 20 metre-wide screen took its place behind influential drummer Rick Allen, showing random bits of Def Leppard history and intense animations along with two smaller screens on either side of the stage. The band also incorporated a platform extending out into the crowd typical of rock showmen who love to flaunt it front and centre and get closer to the audience.

The stage show wasn't as elaborate as recent shows by the likes of fellow NWOBHM artists such as Iron Maiden and to a lesser extent Judas Priest, and while there was none of the pyrotechnics you'd usually associate with a band of Def Leppard's ilk, the music would do the talking and not one person in attendance seemed to mind.

Elliot took time out to comment that it's been 16 years and well worth the wait. The band, appeared quite shocked by the massive crowd before them, a trait which has been symptomatic of many big rock acts having recently visited our shores after long breaks unknowing what to expect. Many such artists are finding that they are getting much larger crowds particularly in Melbourne, than they would in more accessible markets overseas. This bode well for the crowd as the band was inspired to put on an electric show continuing on with Foolin' and Make Love Like A Man. Def Leppard then took another leaf out of the Songs From The Sparkle Lounge book, this time opting for the rocky Nine Lives.

'If you've got love in your sights, watch out - love bites.' The intro to classic power-ballad Love Bites produced the loudest roar by the crowd so far and to borrow a line from KISS' Paul Stanley, Rod Laver Arena promptly lit up like a christmas tree.

A ripped-bodied Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell then traded their Destroyers for acoustic guitars as the crowd was invited to sing along to Two Steps Behind and Bringin' On The Heartbreak which they did in fine form, prompting Joe Elliot, also with acoustic in hand for these numbers, to say that Melbourne was unsurprisingly the loudest so far and that Sydney would hear about it.

Switch 625 then followed off 1983's High 'n Dry album before the title track from Hysteria brought the arena to a standstill, truly an epic single from an epic album. Armageddon It and Photograph followed much to the delight of the crowd, who was also appropriately treated to photographs of the bands early years on the three screens surrounding the stage. The band's most successful single Pour Some Sugar On Me kept the energy levels at a maximum, before Joe Elliot's four favourite words "Gunter glieben glauchen globen" made the way for classic (was any song tonight not a classic?) Rock Of Ages.

Def Leppard left the stage but were back within a minute for an encore which included the seemingly out of place but nonetheless great ballad When Love And Hate Collide and the hard-rocking teen anthem Lets Get Rocked, by which point the entire arena was on its feet.

The band delivered nothing less than a race-winning performance on Melbourne Cup Eve and showed exactly why, after all this time and with little to no commercial support nowadays, are still capable of selling out arenas the world over. Truly masters of their trade.

By Fasterlouder 2008.

Back

share this page: