Orlando, FL - Media Reviews

Def Leppard @ Orange County Civic Center By David Okamato

Playing a rock concert in the round may be a treat for the fans, but it also poses a problem: How do you get to the stage without being seen?.

Most of the 11,000 people packed inside Orlando's Orange County Convention/Civic Center last month wondered the same thing as Def Leppard magically appeared center stage and launched into a roaring version of 'Stagefright'.

The trick seemed decidedly less magical to anyone who happened to notice the two bulging laundry carts that security guards whisked across the floor just before the lights went down.

So, okay, Penn and Teller have nothing to worry about, But Def Leppard came dangerously close to pulling a real vanishing act after drummer Rick Allen lost his ;left arm in a 1984 car accident.

These five battled-scarred rockers from Sheffield, England, have been missing in action for three years, struggling with personal and creative setbacks that delayed their long-awaited follow-up to 'Pyromania' their 1983 breakthrough effort which elevated them from heavy-metal cult heroes to AOR darlings.

Now in the midst of a five-month American tour to support its new album, 'Hysteria'- which has already gone double platinum.

Def Leppard rampaged through a raucous, two hour performance in Orlando, proving that past misfortunes have not dampened the die-hard spirit of these hard-working rockers.

Wearing shredded jeans and a sleeveless tour T-shirt, lead singer Joe Elliott prowled the multi-tiered stage like a manic cheerleader, throwing his fist in the air and earnestly working all four sides of the sold-out arena with bassist Rick Savage and guitarist Phil Collen and Steve Clark.

A dazzling light show and swirling laser effects enhanced the group's blistering updates of familiar, '70s-rock riffs.

Raging anthems like 'Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)', 'Foolin'', 'Another Hit And Run' and 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' boasted a rawer, punchier sound in concert, retaining the bite of Clark's and Collen's snarling guitar leads but stripping away some of the producer Mutt Lange's polished, multi-tracked sound.

But even without the studio gloss, such favourites as 'Animal' and 'Hysteria' blended metal muscle with engaging pop textures, showcasing a new-found sense of musical maturity.

For the most part, the live arrangements stayed faithful to the album versions.

The most obvious departures included an acoustic rendition of 'Bringin' On the Heartbreak' and an extended version of 'Rock Of Ages' which was dragged down by the inevitable audience scream-along contest.

Despite Elliott's non-stop calisthenics and the high-tech special effects, most eyes focused on Allen.

Instead of shying away from the spotlight, Allen sat on a revolving drum riser perched on center stage which served as a both a visual anchor and a pedestal-like testament to his dogged determination.

Behind the specially designed electronic drum set, the energetic Allen pounded away with his right hand while his feet triggered a mixture of percussion sounds via a series of foot pedals.

He performed one brief solo early in the evening, and received a thunderous ovation after the band climaxed the set with 'Rock Of Ages'.

Removing their shirts and cranking up the energy level, the members of Def Leppard capped the concert with ferocious encores of 'Photograph' and a medley of Creedence's 'Travelin' Band' and Zeppelin' 'Rock And Roll' with a verse of 'Good Golly Miss Molly' thrown in.

So even if 'Hysteria' fails to match 'Pyromania's' success in millions of copies sold, the boys in the band - all still in their 20s - have already survived long enough to make a gutsy, triumphant comeback.

By Rolling Stone 1987.

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