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By Melissa Ruggieri

The band, led by the twin guitar wizardry of Phil Collen (who apparently doesn't own any shirts) and Vivian Campbell (sporting some interesting scruff), sounded tight most of its set, the bottom ably held down by gloved bassist Rick Savage. Drummer Rick Allen is still a wonder to watch behind his bank of foot pedals and cymbals, even battering the cowbell for a haunting "Foolin'." Next to Blue Oyster Cult, has a band used the'bell to better effect?

It's too bad Elliott's voice is shot because the otherwise pretty "Hysteria" fell flat under his hoarse tones. More painful were his attempts to hit the notes of "Armageddon It," which he eventually backed off of to let the other guys salvage those layered Lep harmonies. Coming next year from the band is a covers album of songs and bands that inspired them. If the two tunes performed Thursday, Badfinger's sublime "No Matter What" and David Essex's "Rock On," are any indication, Def Leppard might have a new reason to tour next year.

By Richmond Times-Dispatch 2005.

Read the full review at - richmond.com

By John M. Lesko

Def Leppard took the stage at around 9:30 p.m. and quickly loaded the bases with their first three songs - 'Action', 'Let's Get Rocked', and 'Women'. 'Foolin' completed the perfect grand slam before the band slowed it down for their fifth number, 'Hysteria'. More hits from the guitar heavy, hard-driving Leppard included 'Love Bites', 'Armageddon It', 'Rocket', 'Photograph', 'Animal', and 'Rock Of Ages' - all of which featured their famous melodic harmonies.

Def Leppard didn't disappoint on any level, from the moment they took the stage until the encore.

The band was relentless in playing music that fans could relate to. Def Leppard did a remarkable job of interspersing some of their lesser-known songs with their classics. At one point Joe Elliot, Def Leppard's lead-singer revealed that the band has been working on a covers CD featuring the British music that influenced them as teenagers before introducing an impressive version of Badfinger's 'No Matter What'.

The talk of the tour so far, however, is the band's juiced up version of David Essex's 'Rock On' which promises to be a runaway hit for the band when the cover CD is released. Fans who have seen this track performed live have "been blown away" by the Leppardized version of this famous one-hit wonder from the 70's.

By Virginia Beach Review 2005.

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