Tulsa, OK - Media Review Quotes

By Jeb Wright

Def Leppard hit the stage and it was clear from the opening notes of "Rock! Rock! Till Ya Drop" that they owned the Tulsa crowd. They had the audience eating out of their hands the entire show. Unlike Poison, their sound was immaculate and while vocalist Joe Elliott did struggle to hit the high notes, he was left out on his own to either sink or swim. Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell stole the show. Both looked amazing, sounded amazing and are talented craftsmen. Collen had a tiny camera mounted to the headstock of his guitar pointing down his fret board. This view on the video screen showed a finger frenzy of guitar mania every time he took a solo. Viv played a much more active role in terms of guitar solos than he has in previous years. After a decade or so in Def Leppard he may finally be comfortable showing off his talents.

Ten of the fifteen tunes were classic hits from the albums Pyromania and Hysteria. The other five tunes were the David Essex classic "Rock On," High N Dry's "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," "C'mon C'mon" from Sparkle Lounge, "Two Steps Behind" from Adrenalize and the encore "Let's Get Rocked." The musical highlights of the set were the acoustic "Two Steps Behind" and "Bringin' On the Heartbreak." The one/two/three punch of "Photograph," "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock of Ages" ended the regular set on a high note.

While many of Lep's songs have corny lyrics (see "Sugar," "Armageddon It" and "Rocket") one can't deny they are a talented band capable of pulling out the hit machine and delivering the goods. The set list may have been predictable, and long time fans may have loved to see more songs from High N Dry, but to blow a fun time, party band like Poison off the stage is not an easy feat. Lep showed up wanting to prove that this was their show. By the end of their set, 19,000 rock fans agreed that on this night, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Def Leppard ruled the stage.

By Classicrockrevisited 2009.

Read the full review at - classicrockrevisited.com

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