Wichita, KS - Media Review Quotes

By Denise Neil

Nutritionally fortified from a cookout on the Wichita Boathouse lawn the day before, British rock band Def Leppard put on an energetic show for fans Wednesday night at the Kansas Coliseum.

The crowd was smallish - the 3,500 people who attended the show gave a rather vacant feeling to the 10,000-capacity venue.

But what it lacked in size, the crowd made up for in enthusiasm. Many danced and played air guitar in the aisles. One group of fans waved a British flag.

The five-member band, which includes founding member and lead singer Joe Elliott as well as drummer Rick Allen, who lost an arm in a 1984 car accident, played mostly old favorites. But it also threw in a few surprises.

Elliott performed a brief, acoustic rendition of 'Wichita Lineman.' The group also played a song from its new album, titled "X." Elliott dedicated the song, 'Long Long Way to Go,' to the British and American troops still serving in Iraq.

The band, which has been in Wichita all week, was spotted on Tuesday having a cookout on the lawn just south of the Wichita Boathouse. The group's tour manager reported that the band also played golf while in town and possibly checked out one of Wichita's malls.

By Wichita Eagle 2003.

Read the full review at - kansas.com

By Classicrockrevisited

The band took the stage and immediately my jaw dropped. 'Let It Go' from High N Dry blasted through the arena as old school fans screamed for more. We were not disappointed as the band played the entire first side of this forgotten hard rock gem from the early 80's. 'Another Hit & Run,' 'Saturday Night' and the smash hit 'Bringin' On The Heartbreak' complete with guitar solo 'Switch 625' worked the audience into a fury. I could have gone home then and there and had a smile on my face for a week.

The band finished the evening playing all the hits including, 'Photograph,' 'Love Bites,' 'Hysteria,' 'Rock of Ages' and 'Animal'. Lesser hits such as 'Women' were met with widespread approval and even the new songs off of the band's latest album X were received well. Lead Singer Joe Elliott sang a bar or two of 'Wichita Lineman' before going into an acoustic version of 'Two Steps Behind' with everyone in attendance joining in on the chorus. Each member of the band played with finesse and tenacity.

By Classicrockrevisited 2003.

Read the full review at - classicrockrevisited.com

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