Columbia/Baltimore, MD - Media Review Quotes
Def Leppard and Poison, Merriweather Post Pavilion By gravity508
Def Leppard and Poison's Rock of Ages tour wailed into Merriweather Post Pavilion this past Tues. It was just what I expected the atmosphere to be; beer, blondes, bandanas and day glo. I had to guard my photo pass –a crew of women dressed head to toe in day glo gear side-eyed me…hard.
So….you always hear some crazy story while waiting in the alcohol/beer line between the opening act and the headliner –this time was no different. Between a guy telling me about how he was laying in the grass and just got propositioned to get teabagged to the age old debate; who's the better band –we ALL know the answer to that one right???
The answer: Def Leppard (but you knew that already)
I always wondered how they choose the setlist –they have two decades of singles to choose from. Def Leppard opened with a new tune, "Undefeated", I say start off with the song the crowd doesn't know, grab em from the beginning and then take them on the musical journey. Which is exactly what they did.
All of the chaps in the band look and sound amazing, Singer Joe Elliot, didn't miss a note. Guitarist Phil Collen (who performed shirtless for the entire show, had great abs for a man of 54 years old), the crazy thing was the guitar cam that was attached to the guitar, which gave the audience a crazy view from the guitar's perspective.
One of the highlights of the show, besides drummer Rick Allen's solo, was the acoustic set. It was quite emotional especially when Allen walked down the catwalk to join his band mates during the acoustic set while playing a maraca. Its hard to believe that its been twenty-five years since the release of Hysteria. But the band is still on point, performing fan favorites "Hysteria", "Photograph", "Animal" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me." Their set lasted for roughly 100 minutes rounding out the evening the band tore into "Rock of Ages."
By gravity508 @ The Couch Sessions 2012.
By Jay Trucker
At around 10 Tuesday night at Columbia's Merriweather Post Pavillion, a pair of fans were relieving themselves of $12 margaritas and $10 beers when the following disagreement took place:
Def Leppard, on the other hand, has amassed a collection of singles that can rival any group of its era. That's why opening with a new song, "Undefeated," was an odd choice. Typically, the new single marks an opportunity for fans to fork out a few bucks for another drink and find a bathroom mid-set.
But Def Leppard's presence and command of the audience built from a relatively weak start to full steam by about the fifth and sixth songs, Hysteria's "Animal" and "Love Bites." Singer Joe Elliot, 52, a man who once admitted to shooting needles full of Jack Daniels, now looks like a distinguished British gentleman. Lead guitarist and apparent ab-roller enthusiast Phil Collen, 54, on the other hand, may have the same intense personal trainer as Lita Ford. The band's audio included plenty of reverb and layered vocals, but their acoustic miniset proved that they didn't need flashy studio wizardry to keep the crowd happy. In fact, drummer Rick Allen, 48, who lost his left arm in a car accident in 1984, got one of the biggest pops of the night when he joined the band on the catwalk during the acoustic set to play a maraca.
The band churned out crowd-pleasers as the night drew toward its conclusion, closing with a string of chart-toppers that included "Hysteria," "Armageddon It," "Photograph" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me."
For the encore, the band launched into "Rock of Ages," without any mention of the play or the film that borrowed its name. Before leaving the stage at the conclusion of the 100-minute set, Elliott made a pact with the crowd, "Until next time - and there will be a next time - do us a favor: don't forget about us and we won't forget about you."
Still rolling indeed.
By Baltimore Sun 2012.
Read the full review at - baltimoresun.com
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