Toronto, ON - Media Reviews

Def Leppard @ CNE Grandstand By Toronto Star

The return of warm weather was the only comeback more eagerly anticipated by the crowd than Def Leppard's.

When Leppard took the stage, they washed no time in setting a torrid pace.

Roaring through 'Rock! Rock ! (Till You Drop)', 'Don't Shoot Shotgun' and 'Hysteria', before dropping the tempo down enough to accommodate Joe Elliott's moving vocal on 'Too Late For Love'.

Likewise, the fans were properly reverential through Joe's reading of 'Bringin' On The Heartbreak'.

Another fine moody tune but not what the punkers had turned out for.

Indeed, the middle of the set tended to be flaccid, despite fine guitar histrionics from the energetic Steve Clark.

Rick Allen got his moment in the spotlight, and gave new meaning to the term drum solo.

But it took dual guitarists Clark and Phil Collen to move the crowd response from respectful to ecstatic.

The stretch run of 'Pour Some Sugar On Me', 'Women' and 'Rock Of Ages' was set-piece Leppard at its finest.

So distinctive has the Leppard sound become to so short a time that the new material blended seamlessly with the old.

Which was both a good and bad thing.

While the easy familiarity of the music allowed the set to flow by almost effortlessly, it also left a vague feeling of expectancies not met.

No one seemed quite sure what to expect of Def Leppard.

While the band turned in a competent, emotional and attention-getting show, it never quite conveyed the feeling of 'event' that the return of Def Leppard seemed to warrant.

Like (Jeff) Keith before him, Joe Elliott closed the set by promising to be back soon.

In his case, it was neither a threat nor promise, more like a veiled apology from a band that can do much better.

By Toronto Star 1988.

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