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By Tanya Pedersen

Def Leppard was, well, Def Leppard. There's a reason they've been around since '77. They put on a rock show that had it all: A backdrop full of video screens, a set with several levels to run around on, huge sound, and an amazing light show. Although there was some autotuning (I'll cut them some slack since they're "seasoned"), Joe Elliot and the rest of the boys vocals were solid. The musicianship in this band is absolutely phenomenal. The current members of Def Leppard have been playing together since '92, and they practically know what the others will do before they do it. What I loved is that they mixed their songs up so much…. A couple of rocking and dancing songs, and then they'd slow it down.

I personally loved when they covered David Essex's "Rock On". They put their spin on it and it was a great song to perform live. Another favorite time of the night was when they went unplugged to perform "Two Steps Behind". Very nice. They closed the show with "Pour Some Sugar On Me", with the epic "Rock of Ages" as the encore. If you're a fan of live music and concerts, you really need to try to see these guys while they're still touring.

By Houston Music Review 2011.

Read the full review/1 photo at - houstonmusicreview.com

By Pete Vonder Haar

Def Leppard hit the stage to "Undefeated," one of a handful of new tracks from their latest release, the live retrospective Mirrorball (this would explain the giant disco ball hanging over the good seats during the show). Judging by the video display featuring a series of athletes at the top of their game (Lance Armstrong, for example), we'd say Def Leppard was maneuvering to have "Undefeated" join "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits and John Fogerty's "Centerfield" as the next sports-arena anthem.

Even so, we were a little puzzled by the inclusion of Bethany Hamilton, the young surfer who lost an arm to a shark attack. Uh, hello? You've got a one-armed dude behind your drum kit. Just show a bunch of pictures of Rick Allen, fer crissakes.

Def Leppard's set list plays like one of those K-Tel greatest-hits compilations from the '80s and '90s, if K-Tel still existed. Relying heavily on Pyromania and Hysteria, they steamrolled through "Let's Get Rocked," "Animal," "Foolin'" and "Love Bites" in short order. And if they didn't quite jump around as much as you may remember from 1988, the band still plays (mostly) lean and loose onstage.

By Houston Press 2011.

Read the full review at - houstonpress.com

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