Grand Rapids, MI - Media Reviews
Are you Def: Van Andel crowd loves it loud from Leppard By Lorilee Craker
Tim Matlak, 18, sneaked out of classes at Catholic Central High School to get tickets for 10 to see Def Leppard.
On Tuesday night, the buddies all met and went shirtless, their torsos each painted with one of the letters in Def Leppard. Their backs were painted, too. "We Luv 97 LAV," they spelled out.
Aren't these guys supposed to like Eminem or something? Apparently not. "We like real music," said Brian Fallon, 18, of the group. "Classic music for classic guys."
He said it. Somehow Def Leppard, the epitome of '80s arena rock, has graduated to the rarefied echelons of being called "classic." And the guys are just that, if the enthusiastic throng of about 8,000 in Van Andel Arena had anything to say about it. From the crunching guitars of "Hit and Run" to the mushy "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," the fans chanted every lyric. For all the strenuous denials of the men of Def Leppard that they aren't a metal band, the dudes from Sheffield, England, sure could have fooled us on a few songs. And guitarist Phil Collen went out of his way to build up steam in a couple of monster guitar solos.
But Lep didn't get its massive fan base with pure metal. The group has always known how to hook a listener with infectious melodies and soaring harmonies. "Hysteria," perhaps one of the greatest of fist-pumping anthems, revved up the middle of the show with its big and glossy chorus. "Foolin" also hit a nerve with the crowd as everyone stuttered along with lead singer Joe Elliott on the bridge.
Tucked in with old hits were a few cuts from the new album, "X." The fresh "You're So Beautiful" was kind of fabulous, actually, with its great hook and melody. "Long Long Way to Go," a sappy-sweet power ballad, was dedicated by Elliott to "Americans and British serving overseas in Iraq." Every lighter in the building flickered. Hey, doesn't this new material sound a lot like the old material? Who cares! Not this crowd, who warmly welcomed the new tunes.
Lead singer Elliott was as spry as ever, twirling his microphone stand with all the boisterous energy of his spandex days and yell-singing the vocals with admirable oomph. He even grabbed an acoustic guitar - of all things! - to accompany himself on "Two Steps Behind, a cool, campfire sing-along.
Momentum built with some of the songs from days of yore. On "Photograph," the crowd went wild. "Animal" was even more of a barn-burner, and served as a warm-up to that irresistible Lep staple "Pour Some Sugar on Me." Wa-hoo!
It was impressive how the band re-created its huge "wall of sound" on-stage, replicating the towering choruses and layers-deep guitar of their recorded music. Thankfully, Elliott's vocals - and that of his posse, Rick Savage, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell - were bold and rowdy enough for the songs.
Following a thunderous round of applause for drummer Rick Allen, who lost his arm in a car crash years ago, the crowd had just enough juice left to belt out the lyrics to "Rock of Ages." It was time to call it a night.
Two decades after the band's first gig, Def Leppard remains a polished and passionate rock band, worthy of being called "classic" by former 18-year-olds who loved the guys in the '80s and other 18-year-olds who embrace them today.
By Lorilee Craker @ Grand Rapids Press 2003.
The Farr Side: Going Def: The band still rocks By David T. Farr
There's only one way to describe a Def Leppard concert: it rocks! Tuesday night, Def Leppard rocked Van Andel Arena, reminding most everybody what a rock band is supposed to be. They had the crowd on its feet for more than two hours. I have always been a big fan of Def Leppard's music, and to see them perform live was better than I expected. The concert might have been called a "greatest hits tour" because it simply was all of their greatest hits mixed in with a few tracks off of their latest CD "X."
Anyone who knows Def Leppard knows the band has had tons of hit records, but seeing them live and hearing them one after another after another sort of puts it in perspective. I was amazed by the band and the song repertoire.
"Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)" opened the show. The song pretty much described the crowd's reaction.
I quickly discovered that even though 20 plus years have gone by since their debut, they've still got it. They sounded great and Joe Elliott's voice was just as consistent Tuesday night as it was years ago on the band's first records, "On Through The Night" and "High N' Dry."
For a while in the 1980s, Def Leppard could do no wrong. "Pyromania" and "Hysteria" could not have been any bigger. The music from these albums defined the era and songs like "Photograph," "Animal," "Armageddon It," "Rocket," and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" were like hits on the soundtracks of our lives.
When Vivian Campbell began playing the first licks of "Pour Some Sugar On Me," I got flashbacks of high school and hearing the song for the first time. I thought that was the coolest song ever, but so was every other song from "Hysteria." Seeing them do it live was fantastic.
You don't have to be a fan of Def Leppard to appreciate drummer Rick Allen. His story alone emits inspiration, but watching him play is just awesome. If you ask me, he's one of the best drummers in music.
One of my favorite parts of the show was when Elliott said Allen doesn't say much, but that his words on one particular song helped to make a big hit for them. That song in question was "Rock of Ages." And of course, it was a fan favorite at the show.
Another highlight came when they toned the show down, trading in their electric guitars and substituting them with acoustic ones on "Two Steps Behind." I hope that more bands like Def Leppard go back out on the concert circuit. The definitely have an audience out there waiting.
On a side note, it was nice to see some familiar Sturgis faces at the concert in Grand Rapids.
By Sturgis Journal 2003.
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