Houston, TX - Media Reviews

Legendary bands can still pack a punch By Tommy Mann, Jr.

Don't even think the bands Def Leppard and Journey are no longer viable music groups because a sold out crowd at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, outside of Houston would prove you wrong. Both bands delivered CO-headlining sets Sunday night full of the hits that made the standing room only crowd flick their Bics and scream like teenagers all over again.

Def Leppard roared onto the stage shortly before 9:30 p.m., and took up right were Journey left off.

From the opening numbers "Let's Get Rocked," "Let It Rock," and "Promises," the band seemed intent of doing their best to keep the crowd, which consisted of long time fans, and, in some cases, their children, on their feet.

"Bringin' On the Heartbreak," "Foolin'" and "Hysteria" served as great reminders of when the band ruled the airwaves of MTV in the 80s.

It was at this point that the band decided to perform a couple of new tracks from their new release, "Yeah."

The album is comprised of songs from bands that the boys in Def Leppard were influenced by or like, and have decided to pay homage too by re-recording them.

They performed two of the tracks, "No Matter What," by Badfinger, and "Rock On" by David Essex, to mixed results, but they immediately went back to the meat of the set when they launched into "Rocket," albeit a super extended version, but it was still cool.

From there the band did a short medley of three songs, or at least performed not quite the entire version of three songs awkwardly connected. The crowd on hand roared with delight as "Photograph," "Armageddon It," and "Animal" set the stage for "Rock of Ages," which had vocalist Joe Elliot coaxing the crowd to sing along. Guitarists Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen worked fluidly with one another throughout the entire show, and bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen held the rhythm section down as few ever have in rock history. Def Leppard returned to the stage for two encores, the mega-hits "Love Bites" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me," which closed a ferocious 90 minute set that leftfew disappointed.

By Orange Leader 2006.

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