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30 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD's HYSTERIA Tour In PROVIDENCE, RI (Photo/Review)

Wednesday, 12th October 2016. Providence 1987

Def Leppard played a Hysteria world tour In The Round show in Providence, RI on this day in 1987.

The show took place at the Providence Civic Center.

The eighth show of the US Hysteria tour which had started in Glens Falls, NY on 1st October.

This show is where the iconic In The Round stage photo shown above was taken by Ross Halfin.

That view of the stage and many other photos taken at this show were many fans first view of this stage as the photos were used in many rock magazines at the time, especially in the UK.

(Note) - This was discovered by comparing the photo to one taken from the same angle before the start of the U2 show in 2000 during their Elevation tour.

The photos of the band and road crew used inside the 1988 Hysteria tour programmes were also shot backstage at this venue set against red walls.

The show ended with the encore song - 'Good Golly Miss Molly' which they were alternating with 'Travellin' Band'.

The band had previously played one headline show here at the same venue in August 1983 during the Pyromania tour.

The first visit took place in August 1981 with Ozzy Osbourne at the Ocean State Theatre on the High 'n' Dry tour.

Read some excerpts from a media review written by Kerrang! journalist Steffan Chirazi who now works for Metallica's fan club.

Def Leppard Providence, RI (Kerrang!) - Concert Review Excerpts

8.45pm, and I'm way, way up in the seats 'n' clouds, on eye level with a giant hockey scoreboard, looking down on the now neon kabuki curtain. "I sa-id a wel-come to mah shooooooow..." screams Joe Elliott. Kabuki disappears, lights go up and there they are, Def Leppard, cavorting around the neon fluorescent floor with the assurance of supa supa stars. They slide around (yes, around as in 'circular) the stage on invisible carpets of Vaseline, Joe composed, relaxed and full of genuine excitement. He saunters 'n' skips up to one of those front rows, throws his arms aloft, screams, receives a deafening roar and hops back across to the centre.

Rick Allen sits bang in the middle, his drum kit on a circular pad atop a spine of three steps. Whilst the Crue's Tommy Lee has chosen to go upside down, Rick rotates a full 360 degrees, allowing everyone a view of what has now become a quite brilliant drumming technique. Clark and Collen spit out the riffs to 'Rock Rock...', the crowd go ape and already, just three-odd minutes into the show, it's patently obvious (even to the deceased) that Def Leppard and America not only remember each other but love each other way beyond mere infatuation.

Def Leppard 1987.

'Women' is received like a die-hard regular. Elliott's cries met with a unified thrust of hands skywards and a choral chant that even surpasses the band. The musical moments work brilliantly, the circular stage making sure that Leppard give the arena the complete runaround. There isn't a person here who can say that they didn't get a good view of the proceedings. As Leppard promised, every seat is now the best seat in the house.

A veil of superbly worked lights heralds the start of one of the star songs in this US set, 'Too Late For Love', both sensitive and majestic. Make no mistake, no matter how good the staging, it's moments such as these that remind you just how strong Def Leppard songs really are.

The 'return of the 'Thundergod' line signals the most impressive visual display of the night, a fan of green laser lights erupting all around Allen, creating a purple film-negative type image of the drummer amongst the green rays. Then come the laser games, beams shooting and bouncing off every corner in a matrix of perfection, F**k Pink Floyd and their two oh-so boring beams, this, kiddies, is how lasers and rock were meant to be married, in one sweet display of technical ecstasy and excess.

(Read the full review on the show page).


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Phil Collen - Guitar
Phil Collen - Guitar
Phil Collen - Guitar
Phil Collen - Guitar