Friday, 31st March 2017
By Chele Drappel
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was interviewed in New York recently and the full audio is available.
Vivian spoke to DJ Eddie Trunk on 23rd March before playing in Elmhurst/Queens, NY with Last In Line.
Vivian talked about his current health treatments, Last In Line, their formation, Boston drummer Sib Hashian's death, relearning old DIO solos, appreciating his DIO era playing, LIL touring, a second Last In Line album, new Riverdogs album, the Def Leppard 2017 North American tour and referenced South American dates.
He mentioned 2018 touring and "dates elsewhere" later this year, suggesting those other shows in South America with Aerosmith will soon be confirmed alongside Rock In Rio.
Vivian once again mentioned the clinical trial his is currently a part of is ending in June (started in June 2015). He first mentioned this back in November 2016, saying if he can't continue using the drug Pembrolizumab, that radiation is a possibility again.
This new mention of it seems much more positive.
Listen to the full minute interview below now available via the Eddie Trunk Podcast.
Vivian's part runs from 20:51 to 38 minutes into the one hour podcast.
Listen to the full 14 minute interview below.
Eddie Trunk - Vivian Campbell Interview Quotes
Def Leppard 2018 Touring/More 2017 Shows
"Yes it is yeah. It'll be pretty much the same kind of thing. Just some kind of loose ends to tidy up. We kind of do look at that as an extension of last Summer's tour for the most part. That's it, we may have some shows elsewhere, not in this country, but further around the globe later in the year. But I don't know if I'm at liberty to talk about that right now. I don't know if it's been announced."
"But then we'll be back - 2018 will be, hopefully, a big touring year for Def Leppard."
His Current Health Treatments
"Least of my concerns, as always yeah. It's all good you know. It's just ongoing. I'm still doing this wonder drug that cured Jimmy Carter's cancer. So it's working well for me. It's holding things in place. I'm coming to the end of the two years of the clinical trial. That'll be up in June."
"So some time over the next couple of months my doctors will decide whether or not I can stay on this drug, beyond the trial. I hope that that's the case, 'cause it's really working for me. The hardest part about it for me is scheduling and the extra travel because I've gotta fly back to LA every month to do it. But yeah it's all good you know."
Second Last In Line Album
"Oh we've more than thought about it, we've got it half-written already. Yeah we started writing in January, and we have six songs on the go and it sounds amazing. It's so so good. So we're excited for that. We were hoping to get it out this year, but unfortunately due to my schedule with Leppard and Jeff Pilson's schedule with Foreigner, 'cause Jeff produced the Heavy Crown album and we wanted to work with him again on the next one. So we have to wait, it looks like September before we'll actually get to start recording it. So it will probably be an early 2018 release."
New Riverdogs Album
"In fact in this case I'm in three great bands 'cause I'm doing a new Riverdogs record. Well Frontiers (Records) again. After the Heavy Crown album come out last year, they called me and said; 'Would you fancy doing another Riverdogs record?'. As long as it was like the original, the debut Riverdogs album from 1990 or 1991 when that came out."
"It was very guitar heavy, so I talked to Marc and Rob and Nick, the guys in Riverdogs and they were all up for it. So we got together. We .wrote song and the record's done actually. It's coming out July 7th I believe on Frontiers and it sounds absolutely amazing, and there's a shitload of guitar. I mean a load of guitar. It was such fun to do."
No Live Shows With Riverdogs
"I'm not planning to do any live shows with Riverdogs. It's just, it's too much work. I mean being in Leppard and - recording and touring with Leppard and recording and touring with Last In Line. That's as much as I can handle. It took a lot of my free time, and I don't have a lot of free time. But what I had I devoted recently to doing this Riverdogs record as well, and that's it. I can't commit to doing any live shows for that. There are only so many hours in the day Eddie you know."
Buy 'And There Will Be A Next Time...Live From Detroit' Online
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Related News - Rick Allen Says Def Leppard To Play More New Album Songs In 2017
Related News - Phil Collen Says Def Leppard Planning World Tour/New Music In 2018
Related News - Vivian Campbell On 2017 Def Leppard Tour/Health Update
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- Interview Source - podcastone.com
- Def Leppard - Eddie Trunk 2017 Show Page
- Def Leppard - Radio 2017
- Def Leppard - Vivian Campbell Band Section
- Previous News - 29th March 2017