31 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD Announce Sheffield DON VALLEY STADIUM Show
Def Leppard announced their first UK headline stadium show in Sheffield, England on this day in 1993.
The show had been rumoured since the end of 1992 and mentioned by both Joe and Sav on MTV Europe in January 1993.
In February or March of 1993 Kerrang! magazine reported the show might take place at Wembley Stadium in London. It was also suggested by Joe in January 1993 that a show in the Sheffield area would happen in either August or September.
But ultimately the band's original idea of a homecoming stadium show in Sheffield was confirmed and announced on 5th April 1993.
Joe announced the show live on BBC Radio 1 from the stadium itself having returned from the last In The Round show of the Adrenalize tour in Ottawa, ON (3rd April-where the 'I Wanna Touch U' promo video was filmed).
He is shown in the photo below taken by the local press in front of the scoreboard which had the concert date on it.
Both venues confirmed that the shows in Moncton, NB and Halifax, NS did not actually take place or were cancelled. The dates were listed in many tour programmes and on T-Shirts for April 5th and 6th.
Tickets for the event at Don Valley Stadium also went on general sale on 5th April.
Special guests Ugly Kid Joe took the place of Motley Crue, who pulled out before the announcement due to delays on their next studio album. Fellow UK bands Thunder and Terrorvision were also on the bill. Both of whom toured with the band again in 1996 and 2008 in the UK and Europe.
The show eventually sold out with around 40,000 fans attending the first ever rock concert at the stadium, which was sadly closed in 2013 and demolished shortly after.
Footage shot during the show was used in two different TV broadcasts on Yorkshire TV and in Japan. Also included on the 1993 'Visualize' VHS and the 1995 'Video Archive' VHS.
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Def Leppard Tonight - UK Promo CD Quotes
"Def Leppard release a new single on 19th April. 'Tonight' is taken from their worldwide hit album 'Adrenalize' and follows the success of their previous hit singles. The band are currently on tour in the States and planning to come over to Europe later this year."
"Def Leppard will shortly be announcing a very special outdoor concert to take place this summer which will be co-promoted by One FM (BBC Radio 1). The exclusive announcement will take place on air from Sheffield this Monday 5th April."
Def Leppard 1993 - Show Details
"Tickets on sale Monday 5th April at 9.00am."
"The new single 'Tonight' released 19th April 1993. Also features 'Now I'm Here' with Brian May. Recorded live at The Freddie Mercury Tribute concert. All proceeds from this track go to the Mercury Trust."
Joe Elliott/Rick Savage - 24th January 1993 MTV Sunday Quotes
Joe Elliott - (asked about Donington) "Well Donington is on in August and unfortunately in August we are gonna be playing outdoors in America. But there is a possibility that we'll be doing an outdoor show in Britain, at the end of August, beginning of September maybe. But it unfortunately won't be Donington."
"But what we'd like to do is, is do our own show where we're not part of something that's like a tradition. It's more like this is a Def Leppard thing you know. It's something we've always kicked against, is being lumped in with something that it doesn't really matter who's on. It's the event which is more important than the bands. And I think we're a little bit too arrogant to kinda accept that."
"The same way when the British New Wave Of Heavy Metal was around, we didn't want any part of it, because when the movement sank, we would've gone down with it."
"When it comes to doing an outdoor show in Britain we'd really like to put our own show on where we pick our own bands and play in our own venue. And we'd like to try and do it as near to our home town as possible. So we're looking at a gig in and around Sheffield."
Kerrang! Story (February/March 1993) - Leppard For Wembley
Def Leppard are lining up a Summer show at Wembley Stadium.
Late last year, Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott told Kerrang! that the band were planning a major UK outdoor show for 1993. The suggested venue was in Leppard's hometown of Sheffield.
Mayhem understands that the proposed venue has now been switched to Wembley Stadium.
Motley Crue have been slated for the special guest slot. If the US superstars were to appear with Leppard, it would be their first major show with new singer John Corabi, who last year quit Scream to replace Vince Neil. The Crue release their first album with Corabi in the Summer through Warner Brothers. The album is titled 'Til Death Do Us Part'.
If Def Leppard do play at Wembley Stadium, the likelihood of the Donington festival going ahead this year would seem remote.
Donington promoters MCP will not make a final decision on this year's event until the end of April, but with Aerosmith reportedly turning down an offer to headline, MCP appear to have run out of options for putting a suitably strong bill together..
Donington would also face serious competition this year in an unprecedentedly busy Summer festival season. Guns N' Roses and Metallica play at Milton Keynes Bowl with special guests including The Cult, Megadeth and Alice In Chains. The Cult also play at the Reading Festival, while Faith No More and The Black Crowes appear at the inaugural Long Marston Phoenix Festival.
In addition, Bon Jovi, Van Halen and Iron Maiden all have major UK tours this Summer.
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- Def Leppard - Sheffield 1993 Show Page
- Def Leppard - Adrenalize Tour 1992/1993
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