Salt Lake City, UT - Media Reviews
Def Leppard at Usana By Bryan Schott
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. Mix it with kickass rock & roll and you get Wednesday's Def Leppard/Poison/Lita Ford show at Usana ampitheater -- four hours of ear-splitting rock that harkened back to the heady days of 1980s stadium shows, acid-washed jeans and studded-leather wristbands.
It's been 25 years since Def Leppard stood astride the rock world with the release of their Hysteria album, which spawned six hit singles. The opening night of this summer's tour in West Valley showed that the resulting quarter-century hasn't dulled any of their abilities. It's tempting to use some of the more hackneyed terms to describe a concert like "blistering," "onslaught" or "awesome," but they would all be appropriate in this case. However, if pressed to use a single word to sum up the performance, I'd probably have to make up a hybrid like "magnifi-deafening."
When lead singer Joe Elliot told the crowd the show was a "fucking great way to kick off the tour," he wasn't kidding. He and his mates opened up a can of musical whupass on a near-capacity crowd. Smoothly moving between songs, the group did not disappoint as they hammered their way through a nearly two-hour set. Longtime fans had little to complain about as the band served up a heaping helping of their hits. "Rocket"? Check. "Foolin'"? Yep. "Pour Some Sugar on Me"? "Photograph"? They were all there and then some. Hitting those musical highlights allowed them the leeway to sneak in a couple of new songs and some more obscure tunes they don't normally perform.
In what proved to be a nice break from the musical blitz, the five musicians sat atop a lone equipment trunk to perform stripped-down acoustic versions of some numbers, including "Two Steps Behind" and "When Love and Hate Collide."
Poison, one of two opening acts, showed that life on the road suits them well. Singer (and reality TV star) Bret Michaels pranced around the stage with the energy of a 5 year old hopped up on Pixie Stix, repeatedly telling the crowd he was "fired up" to be on the same bill as Def Leppard. Noticably absent from their set list were the hits "Something to Believe In" and "Ride the Wind," but those were replaced by their covers of "American Band" and "Your Mama Don't Dance."
Lita Ford (remember her?) was able to bring back a few of the awkward tingles she used to inspire in teenage boys when she ruled MTV during the late 1980's. Of course, she sang "Kiss Me Deadly" and "Close My Eyes Forever" (the audience probably would have rioted if she hadn't), along with some of songs off her latest album plus a rousing version of "The Bitch is Back."
Rock & roll shows have seemingly become smaller since the grandiose days of the '70s and '80s. Huge arena shows have mostly given way to smaller venues and more intimate performances. Wednesday's show, while not exactly on such a grandiose scale, was a nice echo of the way things used to be.
By Salt Lake City Weekly 2012.
Dumb and Dumber still create good night of rock By David Burger
In the spirit of the NBA Finals and the state’s upcoming Republican primary, it’s tempting to want to cast Wednesday’s Usana Amphitheatre concert as a Battle of the Bands.
Which hard-rock band -- Def Leppard or Poison -- bested the other?
In the end, it was no contest, though opening act Poison, led by the death-defying and eternally tanned Bret Michaels, certainly did its best to warm up the crowd before Def Leppard’s headlining set.
But Poison was at a disadvantage because the L.A. foursome went onstage at 8 p.m., with the sun still high in the sky. Compared to Def Leppard’s phalanx of lights, high-resolution video screens, enough fog to replicate London’s, and the oiled chest of guitarist Phil Collen, Poison’s set design of a banner proclaiming the band’s 25th anniversary was understated.
But showmanship goes a long way, and though Poison’s best song-writing days ended 20 years ago, Michaels showed why he is one of the most likable frontmen in rock, no matter what red bandanna and green-glittered cowboy hat he sports on any given day. There is a reason The Donald chose him as the Celebrity Apprentice several seasons ago.
Once Poison finished its 50-minute set in front of a surprisingly packed amphitheater, Def Leppard took the stage with a solid confidence that differed from Poison’s party-hardy anthems of youthful decadence. In comparison to Poison, Def Leppard seemed almost cerebral.
Note: That will be the last time "Def Leppard" and "cerebral" will be used in the same sentence. It is impressive that the British band’s frontman Joe Elliott can sing, with a straight face, lyrics from "Pour Some Sugar On Me: such as:
Livin’ like a lover with a radar phone
In the spirit of the NBA Finals and the state's upcoming Republican primary, it's tempting to want to cast Wednesday's Usana Amphitheatre concert as a Battle of the Bands.
Which hard-rock band -- Def Leppard or Poison -- bested the other?
In the end, it was no contest, though opening act Poison, led by the death-defying and eternally tanned Bret Michaels, certainly did its best to warm up the crowd before Def Leppard’s headlining set.
But Poison was at a disadvantage because the L.A. foursome went onstage at 8 p.m., with the sun still high in the sky. Compared to Def Leppard’s phalanx of lights, high-resolution video screens, enough fog to replicate London’s, and the oiled chest of guitarist Phil Collen, Poison’s set design of a banner proclaiming the band’s 25th anniversary was understated.
But showmanship goes a long way, and though Poison’s best song-writing days ended 20 years ago, Michaels showed why he is one of the most likable frontmen in rock, no matter what red bandanna and green-glittered cowboy hat he sports on any given day. There is a reason The Donald chose him as the Celebrity Apprentice several seasons ago.
Once Poison finished its 50-minute set in front of a surprisingly packed amphitheater, Def Leppard took the stage with a solid confidence that differed from Poison’s party-hardy anthems of youthful decadence. In comparison to Poison, Def Leppard seemed almost cerebral.
Note: That will be the last time "Def Leppard" and "cerebral" will be used in the same sentence. It is impressive that the British band’s frontman Joe Elliott can sing, with a straight face, lyrics from "Pour Some Sugar On Me: such as:
Livin’ like a lover with a radar phone
Lookin’ like a tramp, like a video vamp
Demolition woman, can I be your man?
But the band sells it with a militaristic approach despite two decades without a hit, and thousands didn’t seem to care Wednesday night. And with impeccable background singing (which is no small feat, and underrated), layered guitars, electronically programmed drums, the quintet was précise with its catchy, twin-guitared songs that included the best parts of glam and what was once called the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
It was good night for big, dumb rock. And with songs such as "Unskinny Bop" and "Armageddon It," brainless chewing gum never hurt anyone. But it certainly doesn't produce any thought bubbles.
By Salt Lake City Tribune 2012.
Def Leppard/Poison, USANA 6/20 By Pat Reavy
Joe Elliot is no Tom Cruise.
And the rock world is a much better place because of it.
Over the weekend, the movie Rock of Ages opened in theaters and critics are already calling it a flop. Wednesday night, Elliot and Def Leppard launched their summer Rock of Ages Tour across the U.S. at the USANA Amphitheatre. And if the rest of the tour is like Utah, the Leppards’ summer trek will be anything but a flop.
The iconic hard rock band from Sheffield, England delivered their typical blend of monster hits mixed with a few deep cuts, lightning fast guitar riffs, and all backed by an elaborate stage show with enough lights and digital screens to light up all of West Valley. Elliot’s vocals were strong the entire evening. And what particularly made for enjoyable evening was this year’s set list is stronger than other recent outings.
Def Leppard opened with one of their most recent singles, "Undefeated," a song used by ESPN in their promos. Although many in the crowd didn’t seem particularly familiar with the song, Def Leppard quickly dove into the material most of the fans in the packed 20,000 seat amphitheatre came to see.
As with most Def Leppard tours, the set list focused primarily on the Hysteria and Pyromania albums. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the massively successful Hysteria album, prompting the band to give it special attention. Eight of the 12 tracks were played Wednesday night. As one would expect, "Rocket," "Animal," "Love Bites," "Hysteria," "Armageddon It" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me" were all played and well received by the crowd. But the band also put "Women" back into the set list (Elliot was in fine form rocking the stratospheric high notes) and pulled out a deeper track, "Gods of War," that hasn't been played in several years.
I admit it, I'm the guy at Def Leppard concerts who has seen the band perform so many times that I'm constantly wishing for the deeper and not-often-played tracks from the band’s storied three decade career like "Another Hit and Run," "Rock Brigade" or "Tear It Down." Maybe that's why "Gods of War" was a refreshing addition to the set list and was one of the highlights for me, sounding as good as it did in 1987.
Elliot and crew weren’t done with the deeper cuts. Halfway through the show, all five band members walked out to the center of the catwalk and sat on an equipment case for an acoustic session. The band blended pieces of five songs into one melody, including the never before played "Where Does Love Go When It Dies" off the Slang album, "Now" off the under-appreciated X album, "When Love and Hate Collide," "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" and "Two Steps Behind."
Elliot was his typical cheerleading self, moving about all parts of the stage to keep the crowd pumped up. The audience was a wide range of age groups, from 40-somethings and older re-living their college and high school days to younger fans in their pre-teens who were seeing Def Leppard for the first time.
Phil Collen impressed with both his guitar playing and chiseled 54-year-old frame as he and bassist Rick Savage moved about the bi-level stage. Guitarist Vivian Campbell also appeared to be enjoying himself (when he wasn’t arguing with a stagehand whom he eventually flipped off) with a bevy of solos of his own. Rick Allen was solid all evening behind the drums, impressing with both his hand and footwork.
Def Leppard reached into the archives to pull out 'Let It Go" and 'Brining on the Heartbreak/Switch 625" off the High 'N' Dry album. Their most recent single, "It's All About Believin'" off the Mirror Ball album sounded decent in concert. Elliot noted to the crowd that 70 percent of the live Mirror Ball CD was recorded in Utah.
The big 3 songs from Pyromania were in the set list - "Foolin'," "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" - with "Rock of Ages" finishing out the evening.
After 30+ years of packing stadiums, arenas and amphitheatres all over the world, Def Leppard are showing no signs of slowing down. After Wednesday's performance, it wouldn't surprising if Def Leppard continue to tour Utah for another decade.
Poison once again opened this year's summer tour. Although the song placement was juggled a little, the set list was essentially the same as it has been for many, many years (even their backdrop banner was the same with the exception of strategically placed black tape changing 2011 to 2012) but somehow Poison still delivers them with a ton of energy and the crowd responds.
Lead singer Bret Michaels - headband and cowboy hat intact - was in high spirits and extremely interactive with the audience, slapping hands, fist-bumping, waving and pointing to numerous people. Michaels, Rikki Rockett, CC DeVille and part-time Utah resident Bobby Dall all seemed to be getting along fine on stage. And the crowd responded to them as they blasted through another summer of 80s rock anthems including “Talk Dirty to Me,” “Unskinny Bop” and “Nothin’ But a Good Time.”
There’s really no rhyme or reason to what Poison does or how they’ve managed to stay together so long with the four core members. Yet, year after year, they deliver a highly energetic and fun set, and in Utah they are always well received.
By Deseret News 2012.
'Hysteria' abounds as Def Leppard, Poison kick off 'Rock of Ages' tour at USANA By Doug Fox
One down, 42 to go.
The first show of the Def Leppard/Poison "Rock of Ages" tour is in the books, and if opening night was any indication, fans in the remaining 42 cities across North America can expect nothing but a good time. The two bands toured together previously in 2009 and the pairing seems to make even more sense now since it coincides nicely with the Friday premiere of the "Rock of Ages" movie, which features the music of both bands prominently in its 1980s story line.
British rockers Def Leppard seemed especially at home Wednesday night at USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City -- and why not? The band has now performed there five of the past six years, and as lead singer Joe Elliott pointed out during the show, it is a little-known fact that much of the group's live "Mirrorball" album, released last year, was recorded at the venerable outdoor amphitheater, which is marking its 10th anniversary this summer.
As such, there were many aspects of the live Lepp show that had begun to seem familiar, you know, things such as setlist structure, stage design, video board content and the overall live presentation. But just as things seemed on the verge of settling in to the same routine, Def Leppard unveiled some new wrinkles that longtime fans should find especially exciting this summer.
The addition of adrenaline-inducing "Let It Go" early in the set was not a total surprise, but it's always a welcome addition whenever it makes an appearance. Things took a complete left turn several songs later, however, when the band launched into "Gods of War," a deep cut off the band's tremendously successful 1987 album, "Hysteria."
Immediately following "Gods of War," the band slipped into its popular mid-set acoustic breakdown -- a standard section of the past several tours. But that was where the band dramatically switched things up again. Instead of the "Two Steps Behind" into "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" acoustic treatment of recent memory, the band instead played a five-song medley featuring, as Elliott noted, "Some songs we haven't played in a long time and some songs we've never played."
The acoustic set exuded an extremely casual vibe, starting out with Elliott at the end of a ramp jutting about 10 rows deep into the audience sitting on a tour equipment storage case. He was subsequently joined, one by one, by the rest of the band, until everyone was parked on the rolling tour case playing acoustic guitar, except for drummer Rick Allen, who was shaking maracas. The just-under-10-minutes medley included parts of "Where Does Love Go When It Dies," "Now," "When Love and Hate Collide," "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" and "Two Steps Behind." Elliott remained on the ramp alone to finish the latter song as the others repositioned themselves to play the traditional electric treatment of "Women."
One other deviation, albeit a return to norm, was a switch back to the full electric version of "Bringin' on the Heartbreak." As mentioned, the band had been giving it a mostly acoustic treatment for a half dozen years and it was nice to see the group's first hit return to its roots, followed, naturally, by its album segue, the instrumental "Switch 625."
Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, of course, are a big part of the Dep Leppard sound and live experience. Their styles complement each other nicely, with the shirtless Collen being the more flashy of the two and Campbell, with his cadre of sparkly Gibson Les Pauls, a bit more understated. The two effortlessly jumped back and forth between lead and rhythm roles -- often in the course of the same song -- and some of the evening's best highlights were when the pair teamed up on melodic doubled guitar solos before venturing off into their own separate lines.
Allen and bassist Rick Savage held down the rhythm section with authority during the band's 1-hour, 40-minute set. And Elliott's voice seemed the strongest its been in recent years -- perhaps a benefit of catching the band on opening night, before the rigors of a grueling touring schedule begin to take effect. Speaking of opening night, there appeared to be a few minor technical issues. Both Campbell and Collen could occasionally be seen wandering over to offer direction to their side-stage techs mid-song, and Collen even had what appeared to be an unscheduled guitar change in the middle of one song early in the set. Nothing too unexpected, though, for the first show of a tour.
Stage spacing is something Def Leppard has always seemed to manage well, dating back to the band's in-the-round style tours during the "Hysteria" and "Adrenalize" eras. There always seems to be something going on at most portions of the stage at almost all times. Band members, for example, made copious use of both the ramp that went into the crowd and the walkway up behind Allen's drum kit. They often did so solo, allowing the others to hold down other positions of the stage. There was a lot of movement by everybody, yet band interaction on stage didn't seem to suffer because of it. It was an engaging show all around.
The video board behind the band was broken into five different panels, which flashed lots of accompanying visual pop and circumstance mixed with live action. It was especially effective when each panel showed a different band member, allowing fans in the cheap seats on the grass a more up-close-and-personal view of the proceedings.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of "Hysteria," and the album was the clear focal point on the evening with eight songs making it into the set. The record charted seven hit singles, and Def Leppard played every one of them Wednesday. Highlights included "Rocket," "Animal," "Love Bites," "Armageddon It" and the title track. The main set closed with another, the ubiquitous and party-hearty "Pour Some Sugar on Me." As cliche as that song has become, one can't deny that it is an extremely catchy and powerful live anthem that gets most everyone on their feet and making some, often-humorous, attempt at dancing.
The band returned for a one-song encore, which, to no one's surprise, turned out to be "Rock of Ages." As Elliott states early in the song, "It's better to burn out than fade away." It may be 29 years since Elliott first sang that line, and the band's big hit-making days may be behind it, but as to the question of whether or not the band is still capable of lighting a fire live, the answer is a resounding, "You betcha!"
Poison lit the fuse Wednesday with a tight 55-minute set featuring nine well-known songs along with the requisite guitar and drum solos. Admittedly, I have not been a big Poison fan over the long haul but the band has apparently been wearing down my resistance over the past few years with its sheer exuberance and energetic stage show. The band just seems to be having so much fun on stage that it's hard not to eventually give in.
Frontman Bret Michaels worked the crowd like he was running for office. He was constantly pointing in direct acknowledgement to individual members of the audience, and he also frequently reached down to shake hands with or fist bump those in the front rows and along the sides of the ramp. It was easy to get caught up in his enthusiasm as the band -- which also features guitarist C.C. DeVille, drummer Rikki Rockett and bassist (and Salt Lake City resident) Bobby Dall -- jammed out uptempo songs like "Look What the Cat Dragged In," "Ride the Wind," "Fallen Angel," "Unskinny Bop," "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and "Talk Dirty to Me."
Poison closed its set with the infectious rocker "Nothin' But a Good Time." Let's face it, if you can't get caught up in the catchy guitar riff and groove of this song, it's not a Poison problem, it's a you problem.
Rocker Lita Ford kicked the show off with seven songs over 30 minutes. The former member of the all-girl band The Runaways, Ford played two songs off her brand new album, "Living Like a Runaway," which was just released Tuesday. She opened things off with a rockin' rendition of an Elton John hit, which might seem at complete odds with her brand of music, until you consider the title and the statement she no doubt is intending to make. I'll let you ponder the possibilities, but you can check out the accompanying setlist for the answer.
Ford and band closed the set with her two best-known songs, "Close My Eyes Forever" and "Kiss Me Deadly."
By Herald Extra 2012.
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