Birmingham/Pelham, AL - Media Reviews

Def Leppard, Styx, Tesla make crowd cheer on rainy night at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Alabama By Mary Colurso

Who: Def Leppard, making its first appearance in the Birmingham area in seven years. The British band dominated the charts during the 1980s and early '90s, specializing in with propulsive hard-rock anthems and glam-metal ballads.

When and where: June 27 at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham. Def Leppard headlined around 9:25 p.m., after opening sets by Styx -- led by Alabama native Tommy Shaw -- and Tesla.

Note: Def Leppard didn't allow media to photograph the band during its set, but you can see shots of Styx and Tesla in the gallery above.

Audience size: Fans packed the outdoor venue, which seats about 10,500 people. A few empty seats could be spotted here and there, but folks were presented and accounted for in all three tiers.

Styx setlist: Included "Renegade," "Too Much Time on My Hands," "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)," "Come Sail Away" and "Blue Collar Man." (See more photos from Styx's set here.)

Tesla setlist: Included "Love Song," "Edison's Medicine," "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Hang Tough." (See more photos from Tesla's set here.)

Atmosphere: Rowdy and reverent, as is typical when Def Leppard headlines at Oak Mountain. Dark clouds loomed early in the evening, and rain showers intermittently drenched the crowd. That didn't seem to dampen the audience's enthusiasm, especially during Def Leppard's set. Ticketholders pulled on ponchos or simply let their black T-shirts get soaked, cheering amid the puddles and steam.

Def Leppard on stage: Lead singer Joe Elliott, guitarist Phil Collen, bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen were joined by guitarist Steve Brown of Trixter. Brown filled in for Vivian Campbell, who missed the show because of flight delays, according to Elliott. Although Campbell has been battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, he'd planned to perform at the Oak Mountain show, according to a June 24 story in Billboard.

Def Leppard setlist: About 80 minutes of music, including "Animal," "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Rocket," "Let's Get Rocked," "Let it Go," "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)," "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," "Rock of Ages," "Love Bites," "Photograph," "Foolin'" and "Armageddon It." The band also tossed in a cover of "Rock On," the 1973 radio hit by David Essex.

Song about the Southland: Before Elliott swung into a solo rendition of "Two Steps Behind," he teased the crowd by playing the intro to "Sweet Home Alabama" on acoustic guitar. A brief sing-along ensued, with the audience providing most of the vocals. There was barely enough time for a lusty "Roll, Tide, roll!" but Crimson Tide fans managed to sneak it in before Elliott switched gears.

Still Def?: The band came out strong and continued in that vein, powering through a set of greatest hits. Although Def Leppard's concerts have become quite predictable -- this one wasn't much different than the 2008 date at Oak Mountain -- that's not necessarily a bad thing. Familiarity, consistency and nostalgia are Def Leppard's stock in trade these days, and the band delivered on all three counts.

On Elliott: Def Leppard's frontman was in good voice and cheerful spirits, joking with audience members about the slippery stage and promising them he wouldn't take a tumble that would go viral on YouTube. (Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters knows all about that.)

On the band: Collen, Savage and Allen have this down to a science, moving through the setlist with workmanlike skill and rock-steady confidence. Although Campbell's absence surely was felt among Def Leppard's faithful, Brown slipped into the role with apparent ease, handling Campbell's parts like a pro.

Verdict: If Def Leppard rocks your world, this show satisfied.

By Alabama Local News 2015.

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