Portsmouth, VA - Media Review Quotes

By Melissa Ruggieri

Despite a small paunch, singer Joe Elliott - who turns 44 tomorrow - still fills his leather pants well. He is also a thick-lunged howler who knows how to work a crowd, and the shirtless guitar duo of Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell almost matched his energy. Interestingly, the band opened its 2½-hour rock party with 'Let It Go,' 'Another Hit and Run,' 'High 'N' Dry (Saturday Night)' and 'Bringin' on the Heartbreak' - a succession longtime fans will notice as the first side of 1981's "High 'N' Dry" album. By the way, for you kids who think Mariah Carey's current take on "Bringin'" is the real deal . . . um, no. Elliott's defining "No-oh!" is the cry of 1,000 heartbreaks. Carey's is the whine of a diva with a reduced bank account.

Speaking of kids, while the audience of about 5,000 contained mostly'80s holdovers in washed-out Def Lep T-shirts, a healthy showing of older teens who like their rock catchy and melodic were on hand. These pockets of younger fans not only air guitared the majestic acoustic opening of 'Foolin',' but they also knew every word to the time-machine 'Rocket' and the super-sexy 'Women,' which found Elliott's voice floating on a cool echo effect through the welcome breeze.

The adrenalized Elliott hit the brakes for a few minutes to discuss the band's trip that day to Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach with Strike Fighter Squadron 87, where the gang practiced with a flight simulator.

For months on tour, Elliott has dedicated the new 'Long Long Way to Go' to American and British troops in Iraq, but Sunday, he turned it into a personal prayer to the Norfolk crowd, sending the ballad to "everybody who's still doing the job and anyone out there waiting for a swift and safe return."

By Richmond Times Dispatch 2003.

Read the full review at - richmond.com

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