London, England - Media Reviews

Live Report - Def Leppard By Sam Wallace

This week, our gig-going geezer Sam Wallace has been 'avin' it large in 'Ammersmiff - the Hammersmith Apollo, to be precise. The notorious venue was packed to the rafters with devotees of the Sheffield rockers, but bovver-boy Wallace managed to pogo his way down to the front. Here's the reportage from Row A.

"It's Monday morning, I've just got into work and my head is pounding, but in a good way - like when you know you've had a good time the night before - and last night I went to see Def Leppard. That's right, Sheffield's finest came to London's Hammersmith Apollo and rocked the roof off, and I'm so glad I was there. Their latest album - called Yeah! - is a collection of covers. It's just been released, so here they are to play a few shows in support of said disc... I'm a live Leppard virgin (ha! Can I get away with saying that?!), so I didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, they didn't disappoint."

"The first thing that becomes apparent when they walk on stage to cheers only rock legends receive, is they have a GIANT screen behind them and a camera crew filming as they play. This means that EVERYONE in Hammersmith's legendary Apollo can see what's going on. For me, this is great because I'm only a tad taller than a hobbit! Anyways, they pull tracks from their latest album throughout the set, but it’s the old classics that really get everyone going. "Lets Get Rocked" brings everyone in unison so much, that we all feel like starting our own clan. The atmosphere is amazing and by God, I've never seen so much denim OR mullets in one room! (Saying that, I haven't seen Saxon live yet)."

"Jackson endorsee Phil Collen is an amazing guitarist and in front of a live audience, he shows just how good he is. When "Rocket" is played, not only is that song worth the entry fee alone, but halfway through, we are presented with a guitar solo duel between Phil & Vivian; the battle back and forth is so brutal they'd make the Vikings proud! Phil throws every single "Rock Star" shape in the book throughout the night as he plays on his very own signature Jackson, but without looking cheesy or clichéd with it, which not a lot people can do. "Animal" simply rules, and then "When Love And Hate Collide" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" are played as an encore; it dawns on us that the night is sadly drawing to a close."

"So, after playing for little over an hour and a half, we’re on our way home with songs of the mighty 'Leppard ringing in our ears. I have the utmost respect for these guys, they're proud to be English, there were no egos on stage, they put on a great rock show (which seems to be a dying art as of late), and they've been doing this literally since I was born. Here's to another 25+ years!"

By Fender UK 2006.

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