Virginia Beach, VA - Media Reviews

Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick in Virginia Beach By Mike Doyle

Who'd have thought that four guys from Sheffield, England, and one from Belfast, Ireland, who had made it HUGE 20 years ago would have the entire Virginia Beach Verison Wireless Amphitheater eating out of their hands on Saturday night?

One of the few bands from the infamous era of "hair," Def Leppard's music stands up as much today as it did back then.

Now in their late 40s and early 50s, gone are the lasers and explosions that were once staples of their live shows. They're replaced with a giant television screen, which opened the concert with a montage of footage illustrating their career.

Over 60 Top 40 hits and 65 million records sold worldwide, the video montage/intro ended with giant words "That was then. . .This is NOW." Ironically, they then proceeded to unleash classic hit after hit, only playing one song from their current CD, "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge." But no one cared.

Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell (the "new guy" who joined in 1992) ruled the night, laying out riff after riff of instantly recognizable hits. Campbell particularly shined throughout the evening with several extended solos ("Too Late For Love" and "Love Bites") and a confident swagger fitting for a rock star.

Whether it was the staccato intro to "Photograph" or the syncopated line to "Pour Some Sugar On Me," the six-stringers led the audience thru decades of memories fueled by their music.

Lead singer Joe Elliot, the ever-charming frontman, was full of energy and confidence. While his voice may not be as strong as it once was, the band's incredible backing vocals more than made up for it.

The Leps made it known early that this was going to be a trip down memory lane, playing some of their huge hits, such as "Rocket" and "Animal" early in the night. A surprise was the acoustic break that featured "Bringing On The Heartbreak" and "Two Steps Behind."

The songs were stripped back to their simplest form - just three acoustic guitars and vocals. Campbell, Elliot, and Collen stood at the end of the runway, surrounded by the crowd for this intimate moment. Afterward, the band (minus singer Elliot), rocked thru the instrumental "Switch 625" showing that words aren't needed to convey emotion, as the song clearly evoked memories of former guitarist Steve Clark, who died in 1991.

"Rock Of Ages" from 1983's breakthrough album "Pyromania" and "Let's Get Rocked" finished out the night.

By The Virginian-Pilot 2009.

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