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Friday, 14th December 2018
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Sheffield, England - Media Reviews

Def Leppard at FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield By Andrew Steel

“I was gonna save it for the encore, but f*** it, we’ve just been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” bellows Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott half-an-hour or so into the band’s vast, celebratory homecoming show at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield.

Several thousand punters, dressed to variously appropriate degrees in leather and double denim, bellow back their roar of approval. Indeed, this is the first gig played by the South Yorkshire heavy metallers since it was announced that, alongside fellow British luminaries The Cure, Roxy Music and Radiohead, they would be enshrined in Cleveland for musical eternity. It’s clearly an honour they’re already relishing; a nod to their accomplished legacy as arguably the most successful NWOBH act in history.

It’s to this history they are turning on a wintery Friday night; Elliott and company are revisiting their seminal fourth album Hysteria, playing it from front to back on a major UK jaunt. Now 31 years on from its release, it still measures up remarkably well as a product of its times, a shiny guitar-driven behemoth of a record that topped the chats on both sides of the Atlantic and went diamond stateside.

Despite being frontloaded in terms of hits, Hysteria lends itself remarkably well to a live set too; opener Woman may mix Elliott’s voice, cask-aged yet still potent, a little low in the mix and guitarist Phil Collen, stripped to the waist with his muscular oiled torso gleaming, is relatively fast and loose on Animal, but everywhere else, it is a euphoric hard glam masterpiece that hits with the heft of a thunderclap.

Love Bites sees red lasers bathe the crowd in an insidious valentine-red hue; Pour Some Sugar On Me retains the sublime distinction of arguably being both the best stripper and stadium anthem ever committed to vinyl.

Armageddon It and Gods of War are linked by a brief tribute snippet to late guitarist Steve Clark, who died in 1991, that raises the roof; they later pay additional tribute with a fiery thrash through debut single Wasted to open the encore.

An encore almost feels superfluous after the euphoria; still, the lighters-old cheese of When Love and Hate Collide and the yearning power-pop finale of Photograph ensures Sheffield leaves on a high.

By The Yorkshire Post 2018.


Def Leppard, Sheffield Arena By Graham Clark

It's not often you get chance to see Cheap Trick in the UK these days unless of course you happen to see them as support on the current Def Leppard tour. The American group appear to have lost none of their energy.

There were a few covers too such as California Man by The Move and Ain't That A Shame by Fats Domino but they really ignited on their own hit I Want You To Want Me.

Def Leppard are currently touring their classic 1987 album Hysteria - it was one of their biggest selling albums. With the news that the Sheffield band are going to be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame next March and tonight playing a home town gig, the experience was always going to be special.

As a digital clock counts down their appearance on stage the moment arrives with the band's logo and Sheffield displayed across the stage and then there they are as the guitar riff of Women rings out. Can you imagine any of today's albums sounding this good in 30 years time?

The album contains some of their best work with Rocket, Animal, Love Bites and Pour Some Sugar on Me following in succession just like they did on the 1987 album. Singer Joe Elliott and the band might have been playing stadiums across America the last few months but they all looked surprised at how much the Yorkshire fans had missed the band.

Adding to the excitement was a stunning light show and a huge video screen behind them which at one Point showed a clip of their Don Valley Stadium gig from 1993.

Fittingly following an earlier tribute to the band's late guitarist Steve Clark the band now played Wasted, Def Leppard's first single which was written by Clark and Joe Elliott. The raw energy of the song still resonated 39 years after the track was first released. The song is not normally played on this tour but then they don't play Sheffield every night.

Do You Wanna Get Rocked asks Elliott as Let's Get Rocked followed by Rock of Ages (started off by Rick Allen, "the Dronsfield Dynamo") and Photograph ends a slick and consummate performance.

"Until next time" bids Elliott as the band leave the stage "and there will be a next time" he continues. After tonight's success It can't come soon enough.

By Yorkshire Times 2018.


DEF LEPPARD w/ CHEAP TRICK [SHEFFIELD ARENA]14th December 2018 By John Hayhurst

Its Friday and it was certainly crackerjack time for the Def Leppard faithful. Currently, on a mammoth world tour celebrating 30 years since the release of the chart-topping “Hysteria” LP, the Sheffield boys have finally arrived for their hometown gig.

Support on this leg of the tour are the ubiquitous kings of rock’n;roll Cheap Trick. And they delivered a warm-up show as if they were the headliners. The support for the band is huge .. in fact so much so that security staff were overheard saying that they have not seen the arena so full for a support in a long time, They delivered a greatest hits set, that had the crowd rocking and reeling from the get-go, in their inimitable brash yet fun style.

Robin Zander and Rick Nielson worked the crowd to perfection and brought a perfect mix of attitude and fun. The Yorkshire crowd proved to be in fine voice during the crowd-pleasing hit “I Want You to Want Me” and of course the inevitable 70’s anthem “Surrender”. It certainly was a great way to start the evening.

Ok, so for Def Leppard fans around the world (including this reviewer I might add), this tour is a pinnacle of achievement for the band. Topped off by the earlier announcement that the band are to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to an outstanding career. The anticipation on the Arena was unbelievable. As the countdown to the start of the show appeared on the video wall began the atmosphere was electric. With just a few minutes to go the PA went up a notch and the bands cover of “Personal Jesus” was played at full volume (man that track is immense played at that volume).

The countdown ends and the introduction to the Hysteria LP begins with Def Leppard, Sheffield filling the screens in front of us .. Phil Collen comes out .. front and centre bathed in yellow spotlights and the crowd erupts as the iconic guitar intro to “Women” opens the show. This is what we came for “Hysteria” played from start to finish in its full glory.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the band is sounding better than ever, no longer are they going through the motions, they are playing with the same passion as they did on the original “Hysteria” tour .. but no longer in Sheffield City hall but here in its full arena glory. Full respect has to go to the production team the sound was crystal clear, the visuals were stunning and the lighting .. just wow.

The ‘new boy” Vivian Campbell was introduced to us but let us be honest this line-up has been together since the tragic passing of Steve Clark in 1991. And so the Hysteria train rolled on .. Indeed as we reached “Gods of War” the band paid a fitting tribute to their former guitarist.

It would be difficult to highlight any one particular song during this album playthrough, for me it had to be “Armageddon It” and “Hysteria” were sublime. However, the reception and ovation that the band received when Joe Elliot announced the induction to the hall of fame .. fair brought a tear to the eyes of each and every member of the audience.

The cheer at the end of the set as Joe announced .. “Ladies and gentleman Hysteria 2018” was phenomenal .. and yet the show was no where near over. A five song encore of “Wasted”, “When Love and Hate Collide”, “Lets Get Rocked”, “Rock of Ages” and the huge sounding “Photograph” proved to be a fitting end to the night. Def Leppard had well and truely come home to Sheffield.. And long may they do so…

By Sound Sphere 2018.


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