Hartford, CT - Media Reviews

Def Leppard @ Hartford Civic Center By Hartford Courant

Playing on a multicoloured stage in the center of the arena, band members ran around, twirling, swooping and jumping as if they had been freed after years of imprisonment, which in a way they had.

In the center, on an occasionally revolving platform, drummer Rick Allen, barefoot and in swimming shorts, was still capable of pumping out the beat with just one drumstick.

Thanks to a marvellous foot pedal-powered device.

Still, the setup stops short of giving him the full reign of a drum solo, so that wasn't part of the show.

Guitarists Steve Clark and Phil Collen spared the crowd excruciatingly long solos, and were mostly pressed to keep the songs going.

Elliott, in a Def Lep T-shirt, and methodically shredded jeans, marched from one corner of the stage to the other and raised his arms to incite the audience.

They didn't need encouragement, what with the punchy music, meticulous laser and light effects and crisp sound.

Although a number of songs were breathless in their pounding execution, too many of them sounded alike after a while.

Which caused some immunity and listlessness in the audience.

By Hartford Courant 1987.

Back

share this page: