Tuesday, 12th September 2017
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PHIL COLLEN Discusses DEF LEPPARD's HYSTERIA In The Round Tour/Album

Def Leppard 1988. Def Leppard 1988 Stage

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen has been interviewed about the Hysteria 30th anniversary and talked about the In The Round stage.

Phil spoke to Jude Gold for the No Guitar Is Safe podcast.

Phil talked about playing guitar live, guitar sound, joining the band in 1982, starting Hysteria recording, , Mutt Lange/Pop sound, influences, Hysteria pre-production, PSSOM, recording with a Rockman, Rick Allen's drum sound, Mutt Lange production, background vocals, different studios, Love Bites, Hysteria tour, guitar influences, In The Round stage, Steve Clark, Hysteria engineers, guitar picks, Animal, Fairlight Computer, not using backing tapes live, Armageddon It, Excitable, 2017 staging, 30 years since Hysteria, Rocket and handling success.

Amongst all of the album talk Phil remembered the In The Round staging from 1987/1988. Which "might" be used again in 2018 and was of course used in a different form in 1992/1993 on the Adrenalize tour.

Listen to the full 1 hour and 7 minute interview below. Phil's part starts at 6 mins in.

Joe seemingly announced and confirmed plans to play In The Round again in 2018 during his UK Hysteria interviews last month.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

No Guitar Is Safe Podcast - Phil Collen Interview Quotes

Hysteria Tour

"We were out on tour for about a year and a half 'cause the album didn't break initially. You know we were out there and we were playing half empty arenas in the States. It didn't go as expected you know. So we were like, it was a bit weird. And then PSSOM, the third single broke and then it all changed and we were playing the same venues and you know you're doing three nights there and stuff like that."

"One of the other things that happened. Love Bites went to Number One while we were on tour and we'd never played it live.

Note to Phil - 'Love Bites' was first played 16th July 1988 (and played for the rest of the tour). Release as a single in the USA on 27th August 1988 and didn't get to Number One until 9th October 1988. (couldn't resist...).

In The Round Tour Staging

"Big challenges doing that In The Round thing was that you couldn't get the equipment ready. I mean we had 13 trucks and I remember the first show in Glens Falls, New York. And they barely got the equipment down when they started. Got it down, it's like there's no way we're gonna get to the next town and put this up. So it was like Oh my god. But they did, our crew was amazing."

"The whole idea came about. Peter Mensch, our then manager, saw Frank Sinatra at the Garden in New York and was like: 'Dude, ewe gotta play in the round. I just saw Frank and it was killer. We gotta do it'. I know Yes had done it, but no one had done it - you know they had a revolving stage. But I had six different mics to sing down. So it was like, it was a challenge, but it was something that we all loved doing. You know it was so exhausting but just total fun."

"You know it's like not a bad seat in the house. You have four front rows basically like I said I had a microphone to sing down there. One on the side, one that side, one over there. So it's four, eight altogether. And you'd be like stuck on a mic. It was great."

Running Into Each Other On Stage?

"We did start running into each other initially and then you get proficient at it. And the you kind of avoid the clangers. So yeah."

How did you get to the stage?

"So how we got to the stage. Rick Allen would play along with the opening act. So he would go out in disguise. He'd like wear a baseball cap and a fake arm actually. He'd gone out with a beer in it. He'd be strolling around like this and he would get there and he'd jam along with the other band. That was his warm up."

"We would get in laundry hampers and one day we played in Chicago and Robert Plant was there and he said: 'Let me push it out.'. So we're like whoah!. So me and Sav was sharing this laundry hamper and we're like all crunched up and Robert Plant is pushing us out there with this bandana wrapped around his head and no one even noticed. So we're freaking out 'cause it's Robert Plant, but yeah he got us to the, that's how we'd get to the stage. Obviously we didn't always use Robert Plant."

Don't people ever figure it out?

"No. No one ever figured it out. In all that time no one ever figured it out."

How did yo get off the stage. Just wait?

"Yeah you have to chill. Just hang out there. You're just under there and you're kind of stuck there. You'd have a bucket to take a pee in. You'd have a mirror there so you could see. You know you'd come down between songs or whatever. And the guitar changes. Obviously all your guitars are down there. There's a little kind of room with the amps and everything else."

"Even now when we play regular stages you have to pee. I drink tons of water. I have to get, OK, that section there, Joe's gonna talk for a minute and that's my cue. Absolutely, we kinda know where they come."


The 'Hysteria 30th Anniversary Edition' was released around the world on 4th August.

Hysteria 2017.

Buy 'Hysteria 30th Anniversary Edition' Online

  • Amazon - (5CD/2DVD Super Deluxe Edition)
  • Amazon - (2CD Deluxe Edition)
  • Amazon - (1CD Edition)
  • Amazon - (2LP Vinyl-Black)

Related News - RICK SAVAGE Promotes DEF LEPPARD's SAO PAULO Show (Video/Photos)

Related News - JOE ELLIOTT Says DEF LEPPARD's 2018 HYSTERIA Tour To Start In May

Related News - JOE ELLIOTT On DEF LEPPARD In The Round Tour: 'Watch This Space'

Related News - JOE ELLIOTT On DEF LEPPARD's Special UK HYSTERIA Shows In 2018

Related News - RICK SAVAGE Says DEF LEPPARD To Play 2018 HYSTERIA Show In SHEFFIELD

Related News - JOE ELLIOTT Hints At DEF LEPPARD HYSTERIA In The Round 2018 UK Tour


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