Houston/The Woodlands, TX - Media Review Quotes
By Kristy Love
Def Leppard sounded great. They appeared happy. The music was incredible. Yet, something was off.
Lead singer Joe Elliott was oddly clad in heavy leather pants and jacket (not the miniature one he famously wore in the '80s) and sporting a shoulder-length, strawberry-blonde highlighted bobbed haircut (think: your middle-aged 6th-grade teacher). Regrettably, there were no ripped-up jeans, permed mullets, Reebok hi-tops, or over-teased bangs.
Like, gag me. This is not what I imagined. I needed Def Leppard to transport me back to the '80s in all of its smoke-filled, roller-rink, junior-high fantasy awesomeness. I needed to be reminded of the Def Leppard that glossed the covers of Circus, Metal Edge and Hit Parader that 7th-grade me stole from the grocery store by stuffing them under my Guns N' Roses T-shirt and jean jacket. I needed to remember what the world was like when Def Leppard was (get ready for it) heavy metal, much more than my tiny goblet of $10 Pavilion wine would allow me.
By Houston Press 2015.
Read the full review at - houstonpress.com
By Tommy Mann
Def Leppard hit the stage shortly before 9:30 p.m. and gave every fan a show to remember with a 90-minute performance of hit songs packaged with a state of the art digital backdrop the size of the stage. The songs were enough to make the night unforgettable, but the new production was well worth every penny spent.
Fans knew they were in for a great night of rock music when the band hit the stage to “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” and segued into popular songs “Animal” and “Let It Go.”
Joe Elliott’s voice, once a source of discussion and concern on previous tours, as some fans stated, was in fine form Saturday night in Houston, especially during the songs “Love Bites” and his own solo-acoustic performance of “Two Steps Behind.”
By The Orange Leader 2015.
Read the full review/1 photo at - orangeleader.com
By Misty Baldwin
As fans rush to get back to their seats in time for the main event, headliner Def Leppard’s back drop hangs tall from the stage, with their famous logo in the center. As “Disintegrate” is playing in the background, the back drop falls as they appear and begin their show with “Rock Rock”. With an enormous wall of vivid screens & tons of lights high above, Def Leppard brings the night to life! Vocalist Joe Elliott, guitarist Phil Collen, guitarist Vivian Campbell, bass guitarist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen were all smiles.
Honestly, at this point, I was so involved in the show I’m not sure how great I’ll be at describing it. This was my fourth Def Leppard show but never had I been this close. The sound was incredible, you could feel the bass in your chest. The energy could almost take your breath away. The band continues to take the fans on a hit filled set with “Animal” up next. People everywhere were dancing and singing and I even watched one lady fall over, ha-ha. They also performed a cover of David Essex’s hit single “Rock On” where Joe stands high above the stage on a platform behind the drums with a top hat. Their take on this song was very cool. A highlight of the show for me. You can check it out on their 2006 album, “Yeah”.
Joe eventually takes the center stage solo to deliver “Two Steps Behind” with just an acoustic guitar. It was absolutely beautiful. I do want to add, that this was by far the best I’ve heard Def Leppard perform and Joe’s vocals were top notch all night long. Just another reason to not miss this tour. During “Switch 625” Rick Allen performed a drum solo followed by a Phil guitar solo. If you weren’t aware, Rick lost an arm back in 1984 in a car accident but returned on stage in 1986 after a drum kit was designed for him to play with one arm. His challenges and determination is never forgotten by the fans and the massive cheers after his solo proved that. We also couldn’t help but notice that neither guitarist, Vivian or Phil played with effects pedals. Although not required, it’s not as common to see this. They play in a dual lead fashion taking turns throughout the night with their solos.
After another three back to back hits, “Hysteria”, “Let’s Get Rocked” and fan favorite “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, they leave the stage. No one moves from their seat. They just can’t wait for more and the roar of the crowd is all you can hear. Def Leppard returns to play their encore songs “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph”. At the end of the show, they take a moment to bow and give thanks. I didn’t see the immediate rush of the crowd to leave like I normally would at that point. The band wasn’t in a hurry to leave the stage which was a very nice touch. It was like they were taking the time to appreciate us while we appreciated the show they had just given to us. Rick Allen comes out from behind the drum kit and everyone just shows him so much praise. As Rick gives a continuous gracious smile, everyone is wishing them well and waving goodbye! Per the words of Joe Elliot, “We’ll see you next time and there will be a next time”.
By Woodlands Journal 2015.
share this page:
explore def leppard tour history
