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def leppard / Rock Of Ages Tour Start In Portland, OR

on this day - 1st June 2005

On this day in Def Leppard history the 'Rock 'N Roll Double Header/Rock Of Ages' tour started in Portland, Oregon.
The first of 26 shows with Bryan Adams in minor league baseball stadiums.

Def Leppard 2005.

"Welcome to the first night of the tour."


Def Leppard 2005.

This section looks at the 'Rock Of Ages' tour opening night in Portland, Oregon. The band's first tour of baseball stadiums and sharing the headline spot.


"This next song is the title track from our new album!."

Def Leppard and Bryan Adams kicked off their 26 date tour of minor league baseball US stadiums on this day in 2005.

It was also the first date of Def Leppard's Rock Of Ages tour which lasted until November 2005.

It all started in Portland, OR at PGE Park in front of around 10,000 fans. 'Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad' was played for the first time since 1997.

The sold out show was attended by 9,175 fans and grossed $410,625.

Bryan only toured for 10 shows per month at the time so the band also played shows in between with Tesla and their own headline tour of Canada.

The tour consisted of 26 shows in minor league baseball stadiums throughout the USA. The first time Lep toured with Bryan Adams who had previously guested with them on stage in Paris during the Adrenalize tour in May 1993.

They alternated as headliners with both acts playing 90 minute sets. One show had to be cancelled in Camden, NJ due to inclement weather conditions damaging the stage and equipment. A show Def Leppard were due to headline. As a result of this the headline slot was alternated for the last three shows with Bryan headlining two nights in a row in Charleston, WV and Dayton, OH and Lep headlining the final night in Lansing, MI. This meant Lep headlined a total of 12 to Bran's 13.

The tour had been previewed on 27th May at The Today Show in New York with each act playing two songs on the popular TV show.

Shown below is the press release from March 2005 announcing the tour.


Def Leppard 2005.



Def Leppard 2005.

Rock 'N Roll Double Header Tour - Press Release March 2005

Def Leppard and Bryan Adams bring Major League rock n' roll to America's Minor League baseball parks this Summer on cross-country "Rock ‘N Roll Double Header Tour".

This summer, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams will give the phrase "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" a whole new meaning as they co-headline the Rock 'N Roll Double-Header Tour. Two of the most popular rock acts to ever take the stage, they will team up for the first time and perform at 26 minor league baseball stadiums. The rock 'n roll season opens June 1st in Portland, OR at the home of the Beavers, then travels down the West Coast and through Texas before heading to the East Coast and into the Midwest where it will end the season August 10th in Lansing, MI, at the home of the Lugnuts. In each park, the stage will be set up in the outfield and fans can either bring a blanket to sit on the field or take a seat in the stands. All concerts take place on non-game days. Tickets for some markets go on sale as soon as March 12.

Bryan Adams and Def Leppard, combined, have sold more than 100,000,000 albums worldwide. Each made their album debut in 1980 -- and 25 years later they are still hitting homeruns as each releases a new album in 2005.

Def Leppard's place in music history? Only five rock groups can claim two original albums selling 10,000,000+ copies each in the U.S.: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Van Halen and Def Leppard. The British band's blockbuster "PYROMANIA" hit #2 and 10 times platinum; "HYSTERIA" soared even higher -- #1 and 13 times platinum -- led by the #1 single "LOVE BITES". The retrospective "VAULT" has sold more than 7,000,000 copies worldwide. Now "ROCK OF AGES: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION" (Mercury/UMe), to be released May 17, 2005, marks the band's biggest-ever "best of" album and the first two-CD set in the group's phenomenal career, featuring the newly recorded single, "NO MATTER WHAT" (originally recorded by Badfinger).

Bryan Adams is one of the world's most highly acclaimed musicians whose career has spanned more than three decades. This spring will see the release of Adams' 14th CD, "ROOM SERVICE", which debuted at No. 1 on the European Top 100 Album Chart! Adams' meteoric rise on the charts began when his album, "CUTS LIKE A KNIFE" landed in the Top 10. This was soon followed by the #1 charted album "RECKLESS". With record sales in excess of 60 million worldwide, Adams' career has taken him around the world countless times as rock fans fill arenas and festivals where ever he appears. Constantly in demand, the celebrated rocker is on the road over 150 days a year playing rock n' roll favorites ("SUMMER OF 69", "RUN TO YOU", "18 'TIL I DIE", "SOMEBODY") to sold out audiences on six continents. Holder of the record for the longest running #1 hit in the history of the British charts (16 weeks), Adams' has had 4 #1 singles as well as racked up an impressive array of Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, a Grammy Award, American Music Awards, Juno Awards (Grammy equivalent in Canada) and ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards. An accomplished photographer, Adams' current body of work will soon be seen in his new book, "CALVIN KLEIN - AMERICAN WOMEN", scheduled to debut this spring.

Details on ticket sale dates for the Rock 'N Roll Double-Header Tour will be available locally. All shows begin at 6:30 PM; the gates open approximately one hour in advance. The base ticket price is $45 (plus applicable service charges). For each paid adult, one child under 12 will be admitted for free.

Promoting the Rock 'N Roll Double-Header Tour is Chicago-based Jam Productions, three-time winner of Pollstar Magazine's award for Independent Promoter of the Year. Jam is the largest volume independent concert promoter in the country and was the producer of last year's Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson tour of minor league ballparks-honored by Pollstar as the year's Most Creative Tour Package.

Def Leppard 2005. Portland 2005

Def Leppard Portland, OR - 1st June 2005 Setlist

  • 01 - Action
  • 02 - Let's Get Rocked
  • 03 - Women
  • 04 - Foolin'
  • 05 - Hysteria
  • 06 - Promises
  • 07 - No Matter What
  • 08 - Love Bites
  • 09 - Armageddon It
  • 10 - Rocket (Extended Version)
  • 11 - Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
  • 12 - Photograph
  • 13 - Animal
  • 14 - Rock Of Ages

  • 15 - Bringin' On The Heartbreak
  • 16 - Pour Some Sugar On Me

Def Leppard 2005.



Def Leppard 2005.

Rock 'N Roll Double Header Tour - Press Release March 2005

International recording stars Bryan Adams and Def Leppard will kick off their cross-country, co-headlining "Rock 'N Roll Doubleheader Tour" at Portland's PGE Park on Wednesday, June 1, it was announced today.

Tickets for the PGE Park show go on sale Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. On that date, tickets will be available at PGE Park and area Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets can be purchased by phone at (503) 224-4400 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

The unique tour begins at PGE Park, home of Triple-A Baseball's Portland Beavers, and will include visits to 26 minor league baseball stadiums throughout the country this summer. With a concert seating capacity of 21,500, PGE Park is the largest of the 26 venues, the lone Pacific Northwest stadium on the tour, and is one of three Pacific Coast League ballparks to host the acclaimed acts (Fresno, Oklahoma).

The tour-opening Portland show begins at 6:30 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.




Def Leppard 2005. Portland 2005

Def Leppard Portland, OR 1st June 2005 - On Stage Quotes

Joe Elliot - Before Let's Get Rocked

"Whoo! Thank you. Good evening Portland!."

"Do ya wanna get rocked?!."

Joe Elliot - Before Women

"Oh yeah. Thank you."

"Let's see some hands in the air come on."

Joe Elliot - Before Foolin'

"Thank you. I'd like to introduce you to one of the coolest people I know."

"Ladies and gentleman Mr. Vivian Campbell!."

Joe Elliot - Before Hysteria

"Thank you whoo!."

Joe Elliot - Before Promises

"Whoo! Thank you very much. Oh yeah!."

"Let's see those hands in the air come on."

Joe Elliot - Before No Matter What

"Thank you very much. Oh!."

"And welcome to the first night of the tour."

"Big hand for Bryan Adams as well. It's gonna be a lot of fun this summer."

"We're obviously out here for many reasons but the biggest one of all is we've got this 25 year anniversary, celebratory best of album out called Rock Of Ages."

"And in keeping with the times we've got a new song on it for ya."

"This is a cover of a song that we really dug when we were like little kids."

"This is an old Badfinger number called No Matter What."

Joe Elliot - Before Love Bites

"Thank you. Thank you very much."

Joe Elliot - Before Armageddon It

"Oh!. Thank you very much."

Joe Elliot - Before Rocket

"Thank you!!!."

Joe Elliot - Before Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad

"Thank you. Thank you very much indeed."

"This next song we haven't actually played for about 12 years."

Joe Elliot - Before Photograph

"Thank you."

Joe Elliot - Before Rock Of Ages

"Oh yeah!!!."

"Thank you very much."

"This is something that I never ever thought that I would say, but I'm gonna anyway."

"This next song is the title track from our new album!."

Joe Elliot - After Rock Of Ages

"Portland!. Thank for having us. Look after yourselves. And we'll see you then. Goodnight!."

"Let's do this again one day."

Joe Elliot - End Of Show

"Don't forget us and we won't forget you."

"Goodnight!."


Def Leppard 2005.



Def Leppard 2005.

Fan Review - By Tammy

The show began at 6:00 pm with the opening act Randy Coleman an acoustic duo. To be honest I wasn’t really listening, but they sure seemed enthusiastic.

Bryan Adams came on about 6:30 PM and really put on an energetic show. His guitar player seemed to use a different guitar for every song and it was fun to watch Bryan and the guitar and bass player playing together in their matching outfits; black t-shirts, boots and what appeared to be exactly the same jeans. One lucky lady got to come up on stage and sing with Bryan because she knew the words to the song he was about to sing. She was absolutely beaming. What an awesome fan moment. Bryan’s set was done around 7:55 pm and then the crews went into action. Bryan’s crew totally dismantled everything and Def Leppard’s crew set up their equipment. They had approximately a half and hour to do it, but they appeared to be ready in less than ten minutes. They worked like a well-oiled machine; it was hard to believe it was the first show.

Def Leppard came out at about 8:35 and from the first moment on stage rocked the house. The crowd went wild. The lights made a difference in the performances between the first two sets and Def Leppard’s set. Everything seemed to come alive. The entire band looked lean and ready, everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there. They played “all the hits”: Action, Let's Get Rocked, Women, Foolin’, Hysteria, Promises… there was very little break between songs. The lights would dim and then come right back up again. Joe announced No Matter What and the audience seemed to sing along to it just as they had for all of the standards. The show continued with Love Bites, Armageddon It, Rocket, Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad, Photograph and Animal. Joe announced that he never thought he would introduce the next song as the title of their new album Rock of Ages and then after playing it with all their hearts they took their bows and asked the audience to come and see them again and left the stage. The lights only dimmed slightly and the audience continued to clap and scream, although not as much as some concerts that I have been to where you really feel that you are calling them back on stage. I think everyone expects an encore these days. Def Leppard delivered with a rendition of Bringin' on the Heartbreak began by Vivian that actually gave me chills. They finished the night with Pour Some Sugar On Me and left the stage. It was over so quickly - a true fan always wants more. Def Leppard has such a great catalog of songs and to me each one is a hit even if it wasn’t ever on the charts. I could have danced all night.


Fan Review - By Janet Crum

The opening date in Portland rocked!! Couldn't get the set list b/c a bunch of drunks nearly squashed me, trying to push their way up front. When will these idiots learn that you can't dislodge women from the front of a Def Lep show?? Sheesh. Now for a few random observations about the show. I hope others who were there will share their notes too. The set is totally different, not to mention short. They opened with 'Action', played 'Let's Get Rocked' early in the show (and did the clean version like last tour), and encored with Bringin' On The Heartbreak' and 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'. Oh, and they played Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad'! Joe said it was the first time they'd played it live in about 12 years, but I think I remember them playing it in Vancouver BC on the Euphoria tour. But maybe I just dreamt that - not sure.

Newer stuff - not much. They played 'No Matter What', nothing from X, 'Promises' from Euphoria, and nothing from Slang. But then this is the greatest hits tour. Bryan Adams rocked. I hadn't seen him live since 1985 (yeah, I'm old), and he can still rock with the best of them. He even pulled a fan out of the crowd to sing with him on one song. Very cool.

And now for some shallow comments on the boys' appearance. Guys, you can skip this part :-) In no particular order... Phil looks the same as always, and his shirt was off by the second song (maybe sooner - I was distracted by the obnoxious drunks). Viv wore a DL shirt and jeans and also looked the same as always. He was very smiley and adorable. I could hardly see Rick except when he came out to say farewell at the end. Joe proved that he still looks great in leather pants. And Sav is still into the vests. I won't say anything else about him, in the interest of keeping this post family-friendly ;-)

It's wonderful having the first show on the tour but also a little sad, because already I don't have another show to look forward to. *Sniff*.


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