Copenhagen, Denmark - Media Review Quotes

By Tom Hibbert

159 shows of the world tour later, Def Leppard - the biggest band in the world, allegedly (well, they sell millions of records but they're experiencing difficulties in filling venues in Europe - have arrived in "wonderful, wonderful" Copenhagen.

Backstage at the city's Forum (6,500 capacity; 4,000 tickets, approx, sold) singer Joe Elliott is working out mildly with some soft weights while guitarist Phil Collen does, with practice amplifier and electric guitar, that which he likes to do most - twiddly-twiddly skereeee. They are suggesting that Def Leppard are not, actually, as it happens, rock 'n' roll at all.

The Danes, milling around in their dowdy, distinctly non-HM clothes upon the concrete floor of this unfriendly venue, seem quite pleased to hear this. Def Leppard take the stage, Elliott points at the audience (he is very big at pointing at the audience; it's his party piece) and the Danes point back and Joe howls something like "Awright Copenhagen" into his microphone and the Danes howl something like "Oooh Hurrah!" back.

"The language thing in Europe is a bit of a problem," Elliott explained earlier. "Most of them understand Whoo! Yeah! F**k! But I don't say F**k too often. All that happens is I get to Germany and start going 'Bon Nuit',"

"Bon Nuit", perhaps, go the Danes as the two guitarists and Rick "Sav" Savage run a-scurrying oop and down the game-show styled stairs of the stage and Elliott points at the audience and does little pirouettes (copyright: Robert Plant) during the opening song, the one with the "stupid" lyrics, Let's Get Rocked. Beneath, Allen's drumkit there are spotlights and these wobble about sending out signals of entertainment - green laser beams! - to this pocket of Scandinavia.

"I like a band to put on a spectacle," Elliott said earlier. "People think it's pretentious but so what? Look at a band like Pink Floyd. They still have the flying pigs and the beds shooting all over the place. There's nothing wrong with that whole entertainment side of stuff."

There are no fat pigs or shooting beds with Def Leppard. There are some wobbly old green lasers and some Mysteron-styled circling circles on the foot of the stage, but that is it. For entertainment we must depend upon the music. Some of this is quite irksome, we have lengthy unaccompanied solo guitar work-outs from Phil and from Viv and, oh dear, what could be more dull than indulgent twiderlee-dee nonsense apart from a drum solo. We don't get a drum solo.

But, goodness, Def Leppard, when they are not rocking out in idiot fashion, have some excellent songs which could accurately be described as pop. There's Make Love Like a Man which is a splendidly chunky rock anthem and there's Foolin' which is a cracker and sounds like Abba with teapots and there's Animal which is so rousingly thrilling that no one could be forgiven for thinking that Def Leppard have turned into Blue Oyster Cult.

Then we get a snatch of an old favourite - "Oh-oh-Black-Betty-bam-a-lam" - and then the cigarette lighters of the Danes are called up and stand to attention for Tonight whose harmonies are surprisingly delicate and impressive.

Yes, at their best Def Leppard are an enjoyable experience "indeed". They say all the corny things like "let's see some hands in the air" and "rock 'n' roll" and they are clearly happy in their work.

"Touring makes it all worthwhile," Collen claims. "We're not a Limo band. We make a point of going in a van because we all get on so well."

"It's not quite male bonding," added Elliott "but it's not The Who either, where Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry kick the shit out of each other."

"For an encore; a 'special guest' is dragged into the spotlight: Robert Plant out of Led Zeppelin whooping in battle with the pretender Joe. Denmark rocks.

By Tom Hibbert @ Q Magazine 1993.

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