Calgary, AB - Media Review Quotes

Rock, Rock, Till You Drop By Jason Clevett

"Next time, we start the tour in Calgary and with a reception like that we will be back again and again and again!" Joe Elliott told the crowd, which of course caused us to cheer even louder.

Although the tour was supporting their current "X" CD the band was smart in giving the crowd what amounted to a greatest hits show. Tracks from their last three albums were few. "Now" and Four Letter Word were the only tracks from "X", 1999's Euphoria was represented only by the single "Promises" while the title track from 1996's "Slang" was the only song from that disc.

Kicking things off with "Let It Go" off of "High and Dry," Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) off of Pyromania, and Adrenalize's "Make Love Like A Man" the crowd jumped to their feet and never sat down, lighting up the dome with little flames for Leppard's first big hit "Bringin' On The Heartbreak." From there the night was a blur as they raced through the hits. Nearly every big hit the band has had we heard.

As for the group itself, all of whom are now in their 40's, they looked and sounded great. Lead singer Joe Elliott's voice was in fine form as he belted out the songs and danced around the stage like a man possessed. Backed up by former Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell (Who replaced Steve Clark in 1992 when Clark died of a combination of drugs and alcohol overdose), Rick Savage, the always shirtless Phil Collen and the infamous "One Armed Drummer" Rick Allen they proved that they can still, well, rock.

Read the full review at - calgaryherald.com

By Mike Bell

But for the 10,500 or so fans Sept. 15 at the 'Dome, it was all about remembering - some came for a goofy retro giggle, others for the serious reconnection with their party-hard past.

There would be nothing wrong with that if the veteran quintet delivered the goods.

Sure, the songs themselves were there - Let It Go, Bringin' On the Heartbreak, Rocket, Hysteria, and 20 or more from Def Lep's waning 25-year career, including tracks from their tepid latest release, X - but the performances were hardly inspiring.

Compared to other throwback acts, such as Aerosmith and AC/DC, the band's on-stage energy level and showmanship has dipped incredibly.

Read the full review at - calgarysun.com

Back

share this page: