Def Leppard News - 41 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD Support THE NEXT BAND In Grantham, England

Monday, 23rd December 2019

41 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD Support THE NEXT BAND In Grantham, England

Grantham 1978

Def Leppard played an early show in Grantham, England on 23rd December 1978 which was Rick Allen's second with the band.

The show was the second with then "new" drummer Rick Allen who had played his first show with the band in Rotherham on 21st December 1978.

The show was a Christmas End Of Term Dance event headlined by The Next Band featuring Lep's guest drummer Frank Noon who played on The Def Leppard EP. It took place at The Guildhall in Grantham, England. A market town in Lincolnshire.

Joe has mentioned 'The Def Leppard EP' story and Frank Noon several on his Planet Rock radio show.

Rick replaced original drummer Tony Kenning on 27th November 1978 who had been fired on 18th November.

Rick contacted the band in response to a local newspaper story before they recorded their first EP.

Many thanks to Lee Gauntlett for sharing the show info in 2014 and musician John Medd for use of his original 1978 tour poster.

Def Leppard - Rare 1978 Show Poster

Def Leppard - Animal Instinct Biography Quotes

"In a panic over the upcoming recording session, Joe called Frank Noon, the drummer with a Sheffield-based trio called the Next Band, asking if he could pitch-hit for Tony (Kenning). Noon was an obvious choice, He was an acquaintance of the Leppards and the Next Band had been the chief inspiration for the recording idea. They had recorded their own independent EP, cutting it on the cheap and selling it at gigs."

"One night previously at the Wapentake, Joe had cornered Frank and pressed him for information about the EP. Where did they record it? How much did it cost? Frank recommended the inexpensive little recording concern, Fairview Studio in Hull, where the Next Band recorded their record, Four By Three, in September '78. Joe, in return for the info, helped sell a few Next Band EPs around Sheffield."

"Joe asked Frank if he would consider joining Def Leppard permanently. Noon declined, remaining faithful to the Next Band."

The Joe Elliott Show - 19th December 2015 Quotes

Def Leppard

"Recorded in 1978. Released in 1979 that from The Def Leppard EP is a song called Ride Into The Sun. Recorded at Fairview Studios in Hull. A studio we were very to work in knowing that Mick Ronson from The Spiders From Mars had worked there."

The Next Band/Rick Allen

"Rick Allen joined the band the day after we recorded that EP. Which hints at the fact that he didn't play on it. Who did play on it?. One Mr. Frank Noon who came to visit us when we played Nottingham earlier this week. I've got a great picture of Rick and Frank together. frank Noon also played on this record. In fact it was Frank that suggested we went to Fairview Studios in the first place. This is the band that we borrowed him from. This is The Next Band."

"And before that we heard from The Next Band EP featuring the great Frank Noon on drums who we borrowed for our EP because we were - between drummers, with a song called Never On A Win."

Def Leppard - Grantham 1978 Show Page
Def Leppard - Early Years 1978 Tour
Def Leppard - Frank Noon Page
Previous News - 21st December 2019
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