Def Leppard News - 31 Years Ago STEVE CLARK's Last UK Appearance With DEF LEPPARD

Sunday, 16th February 2020

31 Years Ago STEVE CLARK's Last UK Appearance With DEF LEPPARD

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Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark made his last UK appearance with the band 31 years ago today in 1989 on Top Of The Pops.

The band had appeared at the Brit Awards earlier in the week at the Royal Albert Hall.

This Top Of The Pops playback appearance was taped at BBC TV Studios on 15th February. At the time episodes were filmed on a Wednesday before being broadcast on Thursday night at 7:30pm.

It was then broadcast on the 16th and sadly turned out to be the last UK performance with Steve in the band.

The full original episode was recently re-broadcast on BBC Four in the UK for the first time since it first aired in 1989.

The other acts performing on the show on 16th February 1989 were - Gloria Estefan, Texas, Sam Brown and The Style Council.

Backstage Photo

Steve's last actual "live" performance in the UK was the 22nd April 1988 Hysteria tour show in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He turned 28 the day after.

Rocket had been released as a single in the UK on 30th January 1989. The sixth UK release from the album.

The single was at Number 20 in the charts at the time and thanks to the performance and playing PSSOM at the Brits it rose to its peak of Number 15.

Sadly, they only showed the first 2:39mins of the song.

Top Of The Pops - 16th February 1989

01 - Def Leppard - Rocket
02 - Simple Minds - Belfast Child (Promo Video)
03 - Gloria Estefan - Can't Stay Away From You
04 - Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Promo Video)
05 - Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians (Promo Video)
06 - Pop Will Eat Itself - Can U Dig It? (Promo Video)
07 - Debbie Gibson - Lost In Your Eyes (Promo Video)
08 - Texas - I Don't Want A Lover
09 - Sam Brown - Stop
10 - The Style Council -Promised Land
11 - Marc Almond & Gene Pitney - Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart (Promo Video)
12 - S'Express - Hey Music Lover (Promo Video)

"Mark Goodier and Andy Crane present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 16 February 1989 and featuring Def Leppard, Gloria Estefan, Texas, Sam Brown and The Style Council."

View all the Fan Videos available so far on this YouTube playlist.