Nottingham, England - Fan Reviews
Fan Review - By Andylgr
A few thoughts on this UK tour and indeed the final dates of 2011.
As a package this latest UK tour was easily one of the most enjoyable Lep tours I've seen. 3 really good bands that got the crowd going.
Steel Panther were really funny and are good musicians to boot. However, having seen 4 shows with them its clear they use a lot of the same gags on stage. But from these gigs I ordered their last 2 albums, which is a positive.
Motley Crue I havent seen since 1991, and I was looking forward to seeing them after all this time. On the first show in Birmingham I think they just edged the night for me. I loved the show they put on. However despite how good this is, I think I realised over the 4 shows I went to that this also masks some (at times) unprofessional musicianship on their part. Vince isnt fit enough to sing out the lyrics and misses them out many times. Home Sweet Home is a mess with Tommy running back forth from drum kit to piano. Mick's between song guitar solos sound terrible. And also I think that constantly calling the crowd mutherfuckers or bitches isnt really that cool. But I still say they put on a memorable and enjoyable show and I'm glad I saw them. I enjoyed the set they put on and whilst listening to the Red, White and Crue album, its apparent that they don't have many more good songs that they could play live anyway, I think those they chose were near enough the best.
And finally, they have this hell raising image of playing raucous rock music, yet if you listened to just their music without seeing them, its quite weak and commercial in many cases and is very much hair metal imo and they use elements of Kiss too. I think the image actually is there to embellish the not so hellraising catalogue and style of music.
On to Def Leppard. Going in to the tour I had low hopes as to what they may play, after all the US tour was a let down to say the least.
But, first impressions of the show were that the sound was unbelievably good. Gone was the usual ridiculous bass distortion that often destroyed the sound of shows past. Rick drum kit was clear as a bell, they've changed the sound of the snare drum for the better imo. All the instruments were crystal clear in the mix. I didnt experience one muddy sounding show at all of the 4 I went to.
The vocals were very much in the forefront. In previous shows Joe vocals were low in the mix, but he was at the forefront in the all the shows I saw. Even when on the later date in Sheffield he was strugging a touch and he was still there at the front of the mix.
Visually the latest stage set up is stunning, the video screens are fantastic. Certainly I enjoyed the 2 standing shows I went to more than seating, purely because of the visual aspect of the gig. However, I wonder where they can go from here now with the stage set up to make it different?
Setlists. More than any other tour the Lep setlists have been a point of discussion this year. Undefeated I love as the opener, i'm pleased they kept it for the whole tour.
Rocket (single version), I prefer this to the long version and it worked really well live and really got the crowd going after the unfamiliarity of Undefeated.
Action, MLLAM & WLAHC- 3 of my pet hates in the UK setlist, however they still go down really well and I can see why they remain in there.
Let it Go was great to hear as well, its just a pity I didnt get to hear them rotate this with HnD.
Women & GOW - the 2 highlights of the shows for me. I'd forgotten how good Women was live and it sounded massive and mighty, I think this will return next year. GOW was suitably epic and was a welcome addition after 18 years in the wilderness in the UK since it was last performed. i thought Joes voice still sounded good on both these songs.
Slang - another surprise addtion and as its such a short song can be added easily into the set. Its a pity it didnt get more of a response from the crowd.
Acoustic break - It sturck me this tour how much BOTH was going over with the UK crowds, it went down really well. TSB did too, but I maintain its time to drop TSB and keep one acoustic track.
Switch 625 - Ricks solo and Steve on the screens - nuff said. Hysteria, Animal, Armageddon It, Photograph, PSSOM - the perfect end to a leps main set. These songs have the crowd eating out of their hands.
Encores - Love Bites does not work in the encores, its too slow and kills the mood built up by the previous 4 or 5 songs. LGR is perfect in the Uk encore slot as it was such a huge single here. Wasted, despite being great to hear, also does not work in the encores any more. It should be played earlier in the set. Personally a more uptempo song like ROA should of been included in the encores with LGR, that really would of ended the show on a high. Speaking of ROA, I never would of thought it would be dropped from the sets. Quite a bold decision and I think it paid off, it wasn't missed that much and of course when its brought back it seems a little bit fresher.
Set rotation - it was nice to see odd songs come in to and out of the set. I realise in 90mins its hard to keep the hits and the odd raritiy and although its easy to point at songs they didnt do, I'd rather focus (for a change) on what they did play and at least on each show they tried to add something different to the previous night in there.
UK crowds - disgraceful the amount of empty blocks in the venues I went to. I'm amazed they sold less tickets at them than the corresponding SFTSL dates in 2008. I dont know whether thats down to the economic climate or the choice of package to tour with, but I was very surprised they all werent closer to selling out.
Def Leppard and Motley Crue Live - Review By Robbie Duncanson
A flashback to the glam 80s hair metal scene took centre stage at Nottingham last night. Def Leppard and Crue, massive during the 80s and scoring many top 10 hits, were supported by L.A rockers Steel Panther.
A prompt 6.30pm start (as emphasised on the ticket!) meant it was time for Steel Panther to take centre stage. A prologue of 'In the future' from the 'Balls Out' album played during pure darkness on the stage, before Panther exploded into life with 'Supersonic Sex Machine.' Panther looked like they'd been touring as long as Leppard and Crue, they knew just how to get a crowd going, with friendly banter and jokes being cracked off between each song which was almost as enjoyable as the music itself. Things such as bassist Lexxi Foxx asking "who likes to go to the zoo?" pretty much sums up the humour Steel Panther bring to their show. Playing an array of stuff from both studio albums meant they put on a fantastic opening to the night, ending with their most popular hit "Death to all but Metal." The only disappointment is that they weren't on longer, as they were fantastic.
With Steel Panther leaving the stage, the curtain that served as their backdrop came down, which revealed Tommy Lee's much talked about 360 degree drum kit. Despite the sound teething problems Crue did put on a show that involved all their biggest hits. Even during the sound issues, drummer Tommy Lee came to the front of the stage and kept the crowd entertained. Crue certainly started with an unexpected bang, out of nowhere the curtain dropped to a flurry of ear drum bursting fireworks as they played 'Wild Side,' the opening track of their set. Motley Crue certainly enjoy being on stage, with vocalist Vince Neill still hitting the high notes and bassist Nikki Sixx still having as much stage presence as he ever has. The moment most were anticipating however was Lee's 360 drum kit in action, and wow did it deliver.
With the back screen showing a hand under the drum kit, Lee began to play out his solo as hit 360 drum kit started to turn him round in a vertical loop, with the hand following. After playing his solo upside down and sideways which was phenomenal, Tommy then invited an audience member to join him on his drum kit. What was to follow was just surreal, a fan back to back with his drumming hero, doing a full 360 loop several times to the song 'Love Rollercoaster' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Certainly not something anyone will forget about anytime soon. A good selection of old and new were played by Crue, from 'Shout at the Devil' all the way to the more recent 'Saints of Los Angeles.' 'Shout at the Devil' was in particular brilliant, with thousands fist pumping and yelling "shout" in unison with Crue.
The show that was put on was so lively, to say the band are well into their 50s they showed no signs of slacking off, with guitarist Mick Marks blowing up several of his amps during the show. Nixx Sixx yelling "I can't believe we're still alive!" pretty much sums up the nature of their live shows and their lives off stage. They were just born to rock crowds.
The big hitters were left until last, with 'Dr Feelgood' and 'Girls Girls Girls' being the penultimate songs in the set list. Both were fantastically done, with lead vocalist Vince jesting starting up a motorcycle, which stalled, before revving into gear for the opening of "Girls Girls Girls." That wasn't all they had to offer, after a minute of leaving the stage Motley Crue came back to end with 'Kickstart my Heart,' which signaled the end to a lively set full of fireworks, explosions and pyrotechnics. On leaving the stage the crowd had fake blood thrown all over them, much to everyone's amusement. Before the show Nikki Sixx was on 'Kerrang! Radio' and said that Motley Crue will probably stay around another 5 years before doing a farewell tour. This could well be their penultimate UK tour, if so they're going about it the right way, going out with a literal bang. With Crue leaving the stage, the bar was well and truly set for Def Leppard, and they didn't fail to deliver. The stage setup was huge, with there being 2 levels to the stage with drummer Rick Allen in the centre, allowing Leppard to dominate the stage. They opened with new track 'Undefeated' before going straight into big hitter 'Rocket.' The American leg of the tour had the extended version of Rocket, which was sacrificed for the shorter radio version in this case which was a disappointment. Def Leppard did get the crowd singing along to the hits, and even got the crowd to sing 'Happy Birthday' to 54 year old guitarist Phil Collen.
An acoustic set was played in the middle of all heavier songs, with lead Joe Elliot inviting the crowd to 'join the band for 10 minutes' and sing along. 'Two Steps Behind' was followed by an acoustic start to the track 'Bringing on the Heartbreak' which then exploded into action as the final chorus turned into the heavier rock version. The big hits were all left to end of the set list as the crowd got louder, with the momentum of all the greatest hits Def Leppard have to offer built the atmosphere around Capital FM Arena.
Def Leppard have always used the screens at the back of the stage to great effect, but 'Photograph' was a particular delight. Eyes were taken off the band and onto the screen, as a montage of photos from the bands formation in 1977 all the way up to now lit up the screen, a particular highlight of their set. Other big hits such as 'Animal' and 'Hysteria' encouraged the crowd to join in with the catchy tunes, Nottingham was rocking. Joe Elliot sounded as good as he has anytime in the last 10 years, with Leppard rounding off their set with monster hit "Pour Some Sugar On Me." The crowd loved it, the applause and screaming at the end of the track signalling that this was what they'd been waiting for.
Def Leppard left the stage, with Union Flags spread across the back screen. An encore was on the cards. Sure enough, Def Leppard came back out to perform power ballad 'Love Bites,' which hit the top of the charts back in 88'. Despite being a difficult track to sing vocally, the subtle key change suited Elliot and he powered out the big notes, a fantastic encore. There was one more track to come, with Elliot asking the usual question, "Do you wanna get rocked." Cue fist pumping and the whole crowd singing to the chorus, Leppard had left on a high. The set list was a well chosen oen from Def Leppard, who decided to mix things up a bit from their tour in the US. All the big hitters remained, but tracks such as 'Gods of War,' 'Women,' and 'Let it Go' were played to keep the hardcore Leppard fans happy, leading to smiles all round.Overall the show could have been double the price and been value for money, with the gig lasting a gigantic 5 and a half hours. Steel Panther opened the set with a bit of fun to get the crowd going, then Motley Crue and Def Leppard came out with popular sets and performed like pros, both bands have been around for over 30 years and are still going strong. From a neutral viewpoint, i have to say Motley Crue stole the show. Despite Def Leppard being my favourite band, Crue almost made their set a stage show with Tommy Lee's drum kit, the explosions, fireworks and flames flying out of the stage. They didn't just put on a rock show, it was much much more.
As Def Leppard's set came to an end, the band came to the front of the stage to a round of applause and screaming from the crowd. The band took a bow, with Joe Elliot telling the crowd, "Don't forget about us, and we wont forget about you," and "We'll see you next time Nottingham, and there will be a next time." On what was on show last night, it is doubtful anyone in the crowd will forget such a fantastic night of music. And if next time does come as promised, i can't wait.
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