Tuesday, 24th September 2013
Pic By DefDazz/Darren
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was interviewed by 94.5 WXKR radio today and a transcript is available plus an audio download.
The interview on the Mornings With Mark Benson show was recorded yesterday.
Vivian talked about his health, the Las Vegas residency, the cinema release and not having seen it himself.
The full 5 minute audio can be downloaded via the link below (Note - If it doesn't work click on Subscribe and download directly).
94.5 WXKR - Vivian Campbell Interview Transcript
DJ - Good morning Vivian.
Vivian - "Good morning how's it going Mark?."
DJ - Good. How are you doing? I wanted to ask that first. How's your health and how are things going?.
Vivian - "My health is great thank you. I did my last round of chemotherapy last week and my hair's even started to grow back.
I should have eyebrows by Christmas time so we're all good."
DJ - There you go feeling good and I've read that you were so happy that the band was able to accommodate, you were able to really do the shows
that you wanted to do during all this.
Vivian - "Yeah well I enjoy my work. I always have you know so I found it very cathartic to be able to keep going forward and to be able to be able to work while I was going
through the chemo was a big plus for me I think that really helped me, mentally. You know it gave me something to aim towards. So I'm glad of that."
DJ - Well let's talk about the series of shows in Las Vegas first of all. How was this pitched to the band and was it a tough decision. Was this
something that you wanted to do because you haven't done it before as far as playing Vegas through an extended period of time?
Vivian - "No it was an easy call for us. The idea came from the promoters at the Hard Rock Hotel. In Vegas and they approached us and they said they'd like
Def Leppard to do a residency there which we'd never done anything like that before. But not only did they want that they actually suggested that we perform
the Hysteria album in sequence and entirety. So we kind of rose the the occasion we thought yeah let's do it. And we designed an entire show around that and built an entirely new
stage set and video content and what not."
"And then we went a stage further. Joe Elliott actually had a great idea that we become our own opening act because to perform Hysteria
I think it's 40 something minutes - maybe 47 minutes or something worth of music. So that in and of itself wasn't enough for a show. And we didn't wanna sully the
Hysteria performance so we wanted to provide more entertainment for people or more value for money. So we became Ded Flatbird which was our opening act and so
Ded Flatbird is supposed to be you know the greatest Def Leppard cover band. I mean obviously it was really us and we give ourselves these alter egos these aliases."
"We went on stage as Ded Flatbird and basically Ded Flatbird played anything that wasn't on the Hysteria album and we even went way deep and gout out a couple of really
early and obscure Def Leppard songs that most people would never of heard. And in fact in a couple of instances songs that we hadn't performed in probably 30 years.
So then after the Ded Flatbird show there was a video montage for about 15 minutes of all clips of Def Leppard through the years from the Hysteria period making of the album to the present day.
And then the curtains would reveal the big stage set and it was Def Leppard doing Hysteria. So it was a very entertaining show and then for us it was a real opportunity to be theatrical.
You know which is very different from our regular touring schedule where you travel from city to city and just put on a conventional show so we really enjoyed it a lot."
DJ - I'm so glad that you and the band have OK'd seeing it on the big screen. I've seen a number of my favourite bands. There's nothing like having the concert experience on a state of the art theatre.
Vivian - "Well I hear it's good. To be honest I actually haven't seen it yet you know. I've heard the audio obviously and I have seen little clips and stuff.
It looks good from what I've seen but I have a weird sense about - I don't like watching myself on film anyway. You know that's kind of an occupational hazard for me
because first and foremost I'm a guitar player or musician. So I've never been comfortable with watching myself on screen and the idea of seeing myself on a big screen is kinda scary."
"And for me especially because when we did that back in March and April of this year there was literally - a week before we started start I got my cancer diagnosis so it's kind of weird to go back and
look at pictures that I've seen of myself. I actually don't think I look very well. You know and it's also weird to see myself having hair. You know because when I look at myself in the mirror lately I've got a very.......covering [hard to make out what he said but basically - not much hair!].
So it's kind of weird even though it was only you know 6 or 8 months ago or something it's bizarre to go back and look at that. But having said that of course I will see it in due course.
Bit it is good and I've enjoyed you know when other bands have done that kind of thing I've always enjoyed the experience."
DJ - Well we're so looking forward to this and I'm glad you're doing well as well. Guitarist Vivian Campbell from Def Leppard. Hey thanks Vivian.
Vivian - "Thank you very much Mark."