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Wednesday, 30th December 1992
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Los Angeles, CA - Media Reviews


Def Leppard The Forum, Los Angeles By Brian Brandes Brinkerhoff

Years ago. Def Leppard ceased being a dangerous band. When they first came to America - supporting the likes of Pat Travers, Foghat, Blackfoot and others - Joe Elliott and co. weren't on auto-pilot. They were sloppy at times, aggressive and earthy. It's only fair, of course, to point out that back then they weren't touring in support of multi-million selling albums either!

Somewhere along the way, things changed. Personnel, music, the live show vibe - nothings what it used to be. But, as the Lepps brought their "Adrenalize" show into Los Angeles, it was obvious that one thing's changed over the near-decade since the release of "Pyromania" (the band's third album, and the one that made them a household name) - there are loads of people who like arena rock shows which are long on style and short of surprises!

"Do you wanna get rocked?" asks vocalist Elliott, and the resounding crowd reaction made it clear that "Let's Get Rocked" was a perfect opening number. And newest Leppard member Vivian Campbell sported a smile that let his adopted hometown know it was good to be home again.

Relying mainly on current material, such as the moody 'White Lightning', 'Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)', 'Make Love Like A Man' and 'Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad'. Leppard ran through two hours of hits that spawned a generation of MTV. 'Foolin'' sounded great. 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' rode it's gargantuan riff and chorus to new heights, and 'Bringin' On The Heartbreak' was as punchy as ever.

Elliott still won't ever be considered one of rock's great frontmen, still walking the boards as opposed to having any real presence. But his voice was more than adequate, and having seen Joe struggle through a few nights in the past, tonight was about as good as he gets. Phil Collen was as solid as ever, with the presence of fellow guitarist Campbell seemingly having inspired him to a higher level of lead playing. And bassist Rick Savage was the epitome of the term 'rock star'. Together with drummer Rick Allen, Savage anchored the bottom end, also proving to be a strong visual point.

An acoustic interlude, that saw da Lepps adapt MTV's Unplugged format, was sadly out of place musically, but did provide a welcome moment for me to catch a couple of brews, fortification for the homestretch run. America's been good to the band, and 'Rock Of Ages', 'Women', 'Animal' etc, all inspired singalongs from a large part of the crowd.

Inevitably, the question of whether the band employ backing tapes raised it's head. I won't venture an opinion, suffice it to say that I don't feel it should be an issue. Just because a band sounds like their records doesn't make them criminals. Def Leppard are in the entertainment business and that's just what we got tonight - a big stage, a big sound and a big time.

Long live the Lepps!

By Brian Brandes Brinkerhoff 1992.


Def Leppard Los Angeles Forum By Paul Suter

Front row seats? Surely some mistake, but thank you anyway. Or was it some subtle form of pressure from those mysterious telepathic powers who knew that I'd greeted Leppard's last album, 'Adrenalize', with "We waited four years for this? And only 40 minutes of it too?"

In fact, the set had barely begun before they played 'Make Love Like A Man'. which sounds like the acceptable face of Gary Glitter meets Mud, and just the sort of song guaranteed to earn the Leps their very own panto season. That said, 'Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad' sounded wholly convincing, and 'White Lightning' was big, brash and exuberant, and the perfect supplement to the more aged classics which provided the bulk of the set.

These days, a Def Leppard show amounts to their greatest hits played live. And a live album might be exactly what's on the cards judging by the number of mics pointed into the crowd from all around the circular stage. And despite a weak last album, the band remains one of the standards by which to judge young pretenders.

Having a sound engineer of Robert Scovill's calibre exhibits the band in the best possible light; but even take away the novel stage, Rick Allen's revolving drum kit and the flashy but hardly innovative lighting rig, and you've still got a great band enjoying themselves playing some great tunes.

Guitarist Vivian Campbell already looks like he's been there for years, and during his solo spot the Irishman contrives to soundly show up fellow guitarist Phil Collen's tedious solo stroll. The pair play together magnificently through, most notably in texturing the wildly extended 'Rocket', which may begin and end like a tribute to Mid's 'Tiget Feet', but encompasses an impressive mid-section, superfluous references to Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' notwithstanding.

There's no denying that Leppard's style of rock is desperately untrendy right now, but you've still got a band with a catalogue of truly great songs which will stand the test of time much better than anything to have come out of Seattle over the last two years. Joe Elliott may be a limited singer, and sure, the backing vocals are sample assisted, but any band that can reel out as many classics as these guys deserves kudos aplenty. 'Too Late For Love' was gorgeously bombastic, 'Foolin'' was an infectious classic, and 'Animal' was irresistible.

Elliott even managed to get away with a lengthy rap, thanks to his total lack of pretension, as well as conducting a little audience participation that gave the crowd more credit than the banal sing-a-longs normally thrust upon us. With all the band - apart from Allen - wielding acoustic guitars, one of them would bash out a few unannounced bars of a song and then leave the crowd to recognise and sing it; 'Back In Black' and 'Enter Sandman' were easily spotted, before the band chimed in with a rearrangement of 'Bringin' On The Heartbreak', which while sounding even better during the verses, now has a chorus for the last generation of baggy cardigan wearers and folk-singing hippies.

'Adrenalize' may still be a major disappointment, but Def Leppard on stage are one of the best examples of getting your money's worth. What's more, the crowd knew it. Maybe commercial rock does have a future after all...

By Metal CD 1992.


Def Leppard Rates More Than Just Deaf Ear By Bruce Britt

There was a time when British hard rockers Def Leppard could sell our multiple night engagements at Los Angeles' largest arenas.

But lately, fans have been treating the Leppards like lepers - the quintet's current album sold almost half what its predecessors did, and the band's recent one-night only show at the Los Angeles Forum didn't even sell out.

Irrelevant Music?.

Though there probably are several reasons for the slow erosion of the band's popularity, the most compelling culprit would seem to be the emergence of grunge rock - urgent music that reflects real life, and makes Def Leppard's brand of faux metal seem irrelevant.

If, indeed, Def Leppard is losing its popularity, then the band is going out fighting. Despite its scripted predictability and almost total lack of originality, Wednesday's show was an energetic, crowd--pleasing affair.

Pleasantly surprised.

Musically, the band proved as pleasantly cliched as on its records as the recent addition of flash guitarist Vivian Campbell has not added any muscle to the band's sound.

Long considered a lone wolf - a trait that may have gotten him booted out of such bands as DIO and Whitesnake - Campbell since has become a team player.

Though his more subdued playing hardly was noticeable during the band's original songs, Campbell may be exerting more subtle influence on Def Leppard.

Wednesday the band played sing-along cover versions of rock classics such as AC/DC's 'Back In Black'. Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' and even Ram Jam's relatively obscure 'Black Betty'.

Such excursions were surprising, since Def Leppard is notorious for not knowing any music other than its own compositions.

The concert also helped point up the uniqueness od the band's music, which is an oddly ingratiating mix of weightless guitars, leaden rhythms and chain gang choruses.

Though songs like 'Let's Get Rocked', 'Photograph' and 'Rocket' virtually overflowed with cliches, the music sounded strangely original. There isn't a rock band around with Def Leppard's carefully crafted sound.

All in all, the set established Def Leppard as one of rock and roll's class acts.

The band never once resorted to grandstanding or vulgarity to get fans involved.

Def Leppard's parent-approved show may be safe, but its plenty fun.

By Los Angeles Daily News 1992.

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