Bristow, VA - Media Review Quotes

By Leslie Silverman

Def Leopard continued their 46 plus show tour with a stop on July 23 at the Nissan Pavilion. Attending the show with some trepidation, I wondered how would this latest salute to the power of 70s'/80s' rock n' roll fare. So many of the bands from that era have returned, or have never gone away...The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Page and Plant of Led Zeppelin fame, and of course, those icons of 70's glitz, Kiss, are back on the road again.

But fare well Def Leppard did. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, a full set of rock n' roll with the same energy that this tenacious group first exhibited in 1979, but with a grown-up attitude befitting a 90s' tour.

Def Leppard is on tour to support their May release, "Slang." "Slang" provides the catchy, pop melodies so well remembered, interplayed with Def Leppard's signature hard rock line.

During the show we were treated to such Def Leppard hits as "Music from Queen; Rock! Rock! 'til you drop," "Hit and Run," "Hysteria," "Love Bites," "Do You Wanna Get Rocked," and "Rock of Ages." These past hits were remembered en-mass and word for word by the audience and Def Leppard delivered them with the same characteristic deluge of sound they provided so long ago.

Also interspersed was new Leppard, including "Work It Out" from "Slang" and a very interesting acoustical number "2 Steps Behind." From "Slang" and played on this tour, "Work It Out" is the first release that drummer Rick Allen has played on an acoustical drum kit since losing his arm in a car crash in 1984.

Aside from Allen's crash, Def Leppard is a band plagued by misfortune. Guitarist Steve Clark died in 1991, and was replaced by Viv Campbell mid way through the bands recording of "Adrenalize" after a long battle with alcohol.

Most of the show was inkeeping with the early 80s' music through which Def Leppard reached the status of being the first band to sell 9 million consecutive albums in America alone. "Pyromania" was released in 1983 and is certified for sales in excess of 9 million, while the release "Hysteria" tops that record with sales exceeding 11 million copies.

By Pop Art Times 1996.

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