Def Leppard Dunstable, England 7th December 1980 Setlist On Through The Night Tour

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Sunday, 7th December 1980

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Location / Dunstable, England
Venue / Queensway Hall

The first show by the band in this town.

The first time at this venue.

The venue was located in the town centre and close to the Central Bedfordshire College Dunstable buildings.

It was opened in 1966 as the Civic Hall.

In 1975 it was renamed as the Queensway Hall.

It was closed down and demolished in 2000 and replaced by the ASDA Dunstable Superstore.

The opening night of a club tour to road test new songs written for the second album.

This was done as the band waited for producer Mutt Lange to become available which would not happen until March 1981.

He had been due to start working with them in October 1980 and when the delay continued Joe suggested this club tour.

Initially due to just be two shows in Chesterfield which was owed to the owner of the paper factory in Dronfield where they where writing and rehearsing songs.

As explained in 'Animal Instinct' the tour became a week long and this show was attended by Phil Collen and Gerry Laffy from Girl.

Phil would witness the live debut of both 'High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)' and 'This Ship Sails Tonight' which he would eventually play on in 1982 when it became 'Too Late For Love'.

The shows were opened by 'High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)' and 'This Ship Sails Tonight' was also played (later to become 'Too Late For Love'.)

'High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)' was used to open the shows on this tour with 'This Ship Sails Tonight' played for at least the first few dates.

The third of the four news songs is confirmed as 'When The Rain Falls' which would go onto become 'Let It Go' in March 1981 as they band began working with Mutt Lange.

The other song played could have been album tracks that made it onto 'High 'n' Dry' or songs already played in April like 'Lady Strange' and 'Medicine Man'.

Tour Story - 'Animal Instinct 1987'

"Attendance was depressing."

"When Leppard played at the Nottingham Boat Club eleven months earlier, four hundred people were turned away at the door."

"This time, 87 people showed up."

"Only one hunred and fifty fans came to Retford Porterhouse."

"In Dunstable, Leppard did good business, about 800 folks."

"But the show was a disaster."

"Joe only got halfway up the speaker stack during one of his climb-the-PA-stunts when he fell off, straight on to his ass."

"Peter Willis' guitar also kept going on the fritz."

"Fortunately two guitarists from a London-based glam-metal band called Girl, Gerry Laffy and Phil Collen, came to cheer the Leppards on."

"Phil helped Pete switch guitars during one number when Pete's roadie momentarily disappeared."

"The band debuted four new songs at the show but without much success."