Lethbridge, AB - Media Review Quotes

Def Leppard plays the hits and nothing but the hits By Richard Amery

They began the show with “Rock, Rock Till you Drop,” and seamlessly segued into into hits like “Foolin, ” “Animal,” “ Hysteria ,” and a couple panty removers “Bringing On The Heartbreak” and another crowd favourite “Love Bites.”

They had a pretty basic stage set up. There were massive screens on each side of the stage and a massive screen set dead centre.

Drummer Rick Allen thundered away on top of a chrome drum riser.

A big screen on the back of stage showed neon signs and city images, but switched to old videos and promo stills of the band in their heyday during Hysteria, Collen and Campbell looked in great shape and sounded better strutting up the catwalk jutting into the crowd playing together. Campbell, celebrating 23 years with the band and recently recovered from cancer, had every right to wear his beaming smile, strumming his glittering red spangled Les Paul as he played most of the best known solos from original guitarist Steve Clarke.

Frontman Joe Elliott sounded great, though not quite 1983 great. He had a solo spot, playing “ Two Steps Behind” on his acoustic guitar.

A very buff looking Phil Collen handled the rest of the solos and most of the big riffage.

It was a thing of beauty when they strutted up the catwalk jutting into the crowd and harmonized, But everybody got to solo, there was a short and to the point drum solo, and brief chordal bass solo for a solid cover of David Essex’s ’70s classic “Rock On.”

One of my favourites was “Armageddon It,” which was one of a pair of more serious songs, and which featured visuals of war planes and disaster. They played a couple of songs from their 1999 Album “ Euphoria” including “ Promises” and the other more serious song “ Paper Sun,” a rare departure from breezy rockers and ballads, because the show was mostly all about having mindless fun. Mission accomplished.

They wound down an upbeat set with “ Rocket,” “Let’s Get Rocked and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

I left before the encore which included “ Photograph.”

By L. A. Beat 2015.

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