Ridgefield, WA - Fan Reviews
Fan Review - By Amy H
I thank you Rick, Vivian, Phil, Joe, and Sav for a wonderful welcome home gift!!! Travelling from Springfield, Oregon to Ridgeview, Washington was worth it and I'll do it again next year in a heartbeat! This year I scored a great single ticket. Row 101-Phil's side Seat number 22. Left side of the stage. Figure about 5 or more rows away from the 'thrust'. Perfect for me since I am all about 5'2" inches tall and nobody tall to stand in my way!
Showing up in a bright red tank top, white pants, red with white stripe shoes, hair back, red white and blue wristbands to each wrist and my Sheffield United scarf I was ready for a great show! I really wanted to hand off my scarve to Joe while he was on the 'thrust' but security told me no. Understandable none the less, but the show must go on! I can still play in my mind as if it were happening now, remember during 'Excitable' Joe looking to his left on the 'thrust', freezes dead center, lights flash, he's smiling, looking RIGHT dead at me, laughs and nods! Perfect timing, I had my Sheffield United scarve up in my hands, holding it high as if it were some exciting football game and United just scored!
Of course I get into the whole exciting frenzy with the rest of the crowd and just singing along with the boys on stage too. Vivian provided the shirtless wonder that evening. Didn't see much of him on my side, just was to his own for some reason. Then he was found trotting the 'thrust' quite often too.
You can sure bet I heard Rick! Strong and proud! He is such a cool guy, too bad he can't sit there with Joe, Phil, Sav, and Viv to play 'Two Steps Behind' and not hide. A woman can dream, can't she? Sav, those loud thumping bass lines in 'Mirror Mirror' drove me mad! I had never experienced this song live and boy did that place bounce! Joe's vocals so deep and dark, I absolutely am a fan of this song live!I thought it was (and still is!) very illegal that Phil has a body like he does! He didn't show it off as he has in the past. He looks more in shape this year, he is getting tighter and tighter, age with this man? NO! The man most women crave, the tight body, vocals that swoon the soul, and his talent on guitar is why he is my 'Guitar God'! But I am loyal to one Joe.
Joe gets this wild idea to pick up a huge video camera and films around in the audience! Picking it up between his legs (no complaints from me!) he starts to his right, hits the center, and to the left! I look up, and there he is! Pointing the camera in my direction! I have the scarve in my hands again, over my head, ON THE BIG SCREEN! I go with it, smile and then bust up in laughter! It was great!
Time always goes too fast once Def Leppard comes on. It always is time well spent in my eyes. I managed to get too many photographs for my own good but I have decided to post some of my favorites. Trust me, it was hard to pick! One song was left. 'Rock of Ages' and I was wanting them to stay forever.
The house lights come on and just being my bouncy bubbly self, I held up my scarf one last time over my head. About this time I didn't care who was paying attention, I was just having a great time! OOOPS! Joe saw it again! He gets that smile again and speaks in his microphone 'NICE SCARVE!' looks at me, laughs, and I hear 'yeah, wanna pack that in my suitcase!' as he walked away! I then get it into one hand, smile at him big, point to him and say to him 'ITS YOURS!'
Hey there will be another time to say hi to you Phil, Rick, and Vivian! Sav, hopefully someday I get to meet you. I will continue to hang onto the silver necklace I bought Joe after he and I met each other in Sacramento, CA November of 2005. :) And if you think you're gonna get to have the Sheffield United Scarve, Mr. Joe Elliott, as I said even though wasn't heard "IT'S YOURS!" but I'd say it ever so softly. . .See ya all next year and thanx again Rick, Viv, Phil, Joe, and Sav!!!!!.
Fan Review - By Sweet Elusive
After finally getting out of Portland and arriving at the venue, I parked and went inside. I had to get my ticket at will call cause ticket master was supposed to mail my ticket and I never got it so they reprinted it and had it at will call. Anyway, knowing I would get a hassle at the buses before the show, I didn't go to the buses like I usually do before the show cause lately the security there has been a major pain in the rear.
There was a lady however that came by and her shirt was autographed by Rick and I didn't see a pass on her so maybe she was by the buses, who knows. This venue, Joe never comes out usually anyway. I found my seat and waited for the show. I had a pretty good seat but for once I wish I could get front row. I seen a lady with her daughter there that I have seen at several shows before. The show finally starts at 8 and Styx is onstage.
They did a good job and the audience was pumped for them. They performed for an hour and did a lot of their hits but I wasn't there for Styx , I was there for Def Leppard. After an hour, they leave the stage and I'm getting excited. Then when the song "For Those About to Rock" came on, I knew Def Leppard was going to hit the stage.
The guys came on and looked amazing. Joe wearing his black pants with buttons down the side and a gray shirt with denim jacket. Sav wore all white and Viv had on jeans and a black shirt. Phil came out wearing a black vest shirt that was open down the front, looking mighty sexy and I couldn't see what Rick was wearing. They went into Rocket and they had the runway that Joe used quite often. I wish my seat had been close to it but I'm glad they had it cause it brought Joe closer. The runway was shorter than I expected but this time there wasn't anyone grabbing Joe around the ankle cause I wasn't close enough. Just kidding. Lol
They didn't sing Women which seems very unusual. They have sung Women for as long as I remember. They did Animal differently this time and it was funny. In the background they had these different pictures up and they morphed the guys into different animals. I didn't catch the other guys but they morphed Joe into a snake. Lol! Joe's head was on a snakes body, which looked really funny. I couldn't help but giggle on that one.
They did Two Steps Behind and Bringin' On the Heartbreak as both acoustical. Viv has a new electric guitar which is silver and all glittery and a new acoustical guitar which is red. It took HALF way into the concert for Phil to lose his shirt, Viv lost his before Phil. They seemed to do one song right after the other with hardly any breaks. Sav did his solo which ROCKED, Sav looked very HOT and he was all over the stage. Joe changed shirts a couple of times and Viv and Phil just decided no shirt was the best. Security allowed you to take as many pictures as you wanted so I was snapping away and when they came out to do the acoustical numbers, I got some good shots of them standing there.
The venue was packed and while on the catwalk, Joe and the rest of the guys gave hand slaps to the audience, lucky dogs and Joe seemed to like being out there. He stuck to that and the right side of the stage a lot and so did Phil. The show was absolutely amazing and the guys were in top form. Joe's voice sounded great and they were excited to be there. At one point, Joe came out and said "Being we're 5 guys from the UK , we thought this was Portland or something" and the audience booed. Lol Well, that isn't Joe's fault cause Portland is only about 15 minutes from there and is considered part of the county.
Joe said they were hoping to tour next year so hopefully they will. He talked about a world tour to support the new album. Joe surprisingly did little talking in between songs but at one point, he'd wanted the audience to get their hands up and they hadn't gotten them up to his satisfaction so he said "Since only some of you got your hands up, we're going to try this." He grabs the guys camera that was filming the show and panned it around the crowd.
That got the audience excited and during Bringin' on the Heartbreak, the guys wouldn't sing the part Bringin' On The Heartbreak and left it up to the audience. They sung but would lose their voice. Joe looked at us like "Okay, come on we can do better." Lol He stood there with his arms crossed, shaking his head. Joe is so funny and so cute. The acoustical performances were great and all of them except Rick were on the catwalk and sung the two songs. Phil didn't use his new double neck guitar. Phil looked hot as well and at one point, he stood there swaying those hips with his eyes closed and driving the women wild. This man does not look like a man about to turn 50.
At the end of the show, Joe said goodnight to the crowd and said "We'll see you next time and there will be a next time" Sav did his signature look, putting his hands on his forehead and raising his head. I got a good shot of that but the pic of him on the big screen at that moment captured a perfect moment as you will see in the pictures I will post. As excited as I get to see the show and am anxious for them to take the stage, I also hate seeing the show end.
After the show, I head straight for the buses and at first I am the only one there and then about 8 more showed up but then security came along and said "You have to clear out of here." They went so far as to say "You'll be arrested if you don't leave" and one person, they followed out to make sure they went. I don't get it. Security acted like we were criminals, causing trouble and acted like we were going to rush the gate and try to get on the buses. We were just hanging out, waiting and hoping to get to talk to the guys. They never used to be such assholes, they had no problems with the fans hanging out and I ALWAYS saw Phil, Rick and Viv most times and they'd be more than happy to come out and sign autographs and pose for pictures.
The last two times I've been there though, they refused to let the fans hang out and the fans weren't causing any trouble and weren't getting in the way. The next time I am at this venue, I am going to go back there and INSIST on talking to the person in charge of their stupid security and give them an earful because that is complete bullshit. I think most of it is that they are on some power trip and think because they are working security, they can push people around.
Well, I am not going to stand for it and I am planning to take a stand and see how they like being made an example of. The fans were not out of hand and were very quiet, just hoping to meet the guys and these assholes ruin it by telling us we had to leave. After dealing with this one bitch last year, I've had enough and I think security is out of line. It would be one thing if the crowd was rowdy and causing problems but when they do nothing, security should be cool about it. Maybe something happened, I don't know but I am going to get a reason for it. Anyway, sorry to be so long winded. The show ROCKED and pictures are going to follow soon. Thanks for reading.
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