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Thursday, 20th October 2011
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Sydney, NSW, Australia - Media Reviews

DEF LEPPARD live in Sydney Mirrorball tour 2011 By Julio

If there was a night to get out that moth-holed rocker band shirt, tonight was it. For Sydneysiders, it was a chance to relive the big haired eighties with the ever-rockin' Def Leppard, as they attempted to 'pour some sugar' onto the punters at the Entertainment Centre. A nostalgic band coupled with a nostalgic venue set the scene, as they made way for the salt and peppered fans that were hardcore enough to come out to play on a school night.

Whilst there were a lack of bourbon beaters in the crowd, there were ample father and son duos sharing a bonding moment along with a few well dressed middle-aged couples who were ready to rekindle the memory of their mullets and leopard leggings.

Those who were in the venue early got to embrace a bittersweet performance by The Choirboys before the Sydney debut of the American icons Heart. Yes, that's right - Heart! Ms Ann and Nancy Wilson were a huge drawcard for this tour. After all, it had only taken them 35 years to visit their Australian fan base (a few nips and tucks later).

The ladies still had it, and proved it with their passionate performance of Magic Man, their soothing embrace of What About Love, and championing rock-out of Barracuda. The crowd adored them, and in return the Wilson sisters got a taste of the lovin' they had missed from their Aussie absence. Their only downfall was their Farnsey homage in You're the Voice. The reality is that although Heart gets brownie points for bringing back the green and gold eighties, a Def Leppard crowd really is not all that interested. Their redeeming feature was certainly found in their encore with a cover of The Who's Love, Reign O'er Me. It takes a solid vocal performer to do this song justice, but Heart's Ann Wilson certainly delivered; and gave it female edge that was truly inspiring.

Although there were only a few original Hysteria shirts to be seen, there was still an energetic vibe to be had as Joe and the boys rocked onto their podium with the raw electricity of Undefeated. With all the humility of a WWE entrance, the song acted like a theme song for Def Leppard's return to the centre stage. Phil Collen entered the stage shirtless flexing his hard-earned muscles, whilst it must be said that Joe Elliott may just have the tightest face in 'cock rock'.

Let's Get Rocked got the head-bangers in the crowd primed as they thrust their head, remembering the hair that once followed. A bit of a light-show was to be had (and let's face it, we would have been disappointed without one), along with an extended rendition of Rocket which added fuel to the fire. The indulgent bass solo gave Richard 'Rick' Savage the chance to flex his own muscles, and the David Essex cover of Rock On allowed Joe to elaborate on this borrowed 'coolness'.

Def Leppard's strong points are singing their own songs, not those of others. And on a tour such as this, 25 years post release of Hysteria, the reality that people want the hits! The crowd sung "Pour Some Sugar on Me" with mighty gusto and it was only fitting that the encore consisted of Rock of Ages, which acted almost as a self-proclamation.

By Chakota Mag 2011.


Def Leppard go hard in Sydney Australia By Eva Rinaldi

Def Leppard have still got it. Rolling Stone Magazine, the music and entertainment bible, may have labeled the British rock group the "unluckiest band in the world", but the fans and media tonight sure felt lucky to experience them live.

They headlined the Sydney Entertainment Centre tonight, and support group, Heart, showed they had plenty of that. It was Heart's first Australian tour believe it or not and Ann and Nancy Wilson sounded fantastic.

We understand Def Leppard are just coming off a rest, having spent more than a decade on the road.

One may have thought that DL may have slowed down quite a bit, but this wasn't the case. The boys - Phil Collen, Rick Savage, Rick Allen and Vivian Campbell fronted by Elliot, we're here to party big time.

They offered up loud, monster rock, helped along with fist pumping and strong crowd support, joining in for much of the fun.

The track list included Rocket, Animal, Let’s Get Rocked Two Steps Behind.

Base man Savage and the strong one-armed drummer Allen led the open.

The number that many of the crowd had come to see was Pour Some Sugar On Me, with fans going nutso.

Like fellow rock gods, The Rolling Stones, age has hardly put a dent in their performance or sound.

The Sydney Entertainment Centre has been the Sydney home to a lot of great rock bands over the past year and Def Leppard need not play second fiddle to anyone. Heart gave it their all too. Rock on.

By Street Corner 2011.


Def Leppard rocked with a whole lotta Heart By Matt Lawrence

Sydneysiders looking to get their rocks off last Thursday night were well and truly catered for by the well-weathered lads from English powerhouse Def Leppard.

In town to support the releases of their first official live album, Mirrorball, the Joe Elliott-led band made Sydney Entertainment Centre their home.

The band served up what could only be described a greatest hits package, with the majority of the set's tracks coming from classic releases, Pyromania and Hysteria.

Highlights from the 90 minute performance were many, from note perfect renditions of chart-topping singles Love Bites, Rocket and Hysteria, to full-steam ahead heavy hitters including Foolin' and Pour Some Sugar On Me.

Elliott was classic rock frontman, with poses aplenty and the audience at all times safely held in the palm of his hand.

Dual guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell traded licks and chops like the best in the business, while drummer Rick Allen proved again that you don't need two arms to pack a punch. His use of foot-pedals in place of several pieces of the traditional drum kit had to be seen to be believed.

A real high point of the Def Leppard experience came midway through the show in the shape of a stripped down, acoustic rendition of power ballad Two Steps Behind. Once finished the acoustic guitars continued for the intro to the band's mega hit, Bringin' On The Heartbreak.

With so many classic tracks offered the gig seemed to move at breakneck speed, and only a check of the watch confirmed the time had actually passed when Elliott signified the band's departure from stage.

Needless to say, to the delight of every punter in the venue, the band quickly returned for breath-taking run through the momentous Rock Of Ages.

In a career that has now spanned more than 30 years, Def Leppard are certainly proof that some things do truly get better with age.

Supporting the band on the night were American rockers Heart.

They too boast a career that started in the late 70s, by unlike Def Leppard, this was their maiden Australian visit.

By Fairfield City Champion 2011.


'On the Spot' - Def Leppard rocked Sydney with so much Heart! By thespotlightreport

Last Thursday, October 20, Sydney's Entertainment center was transformed into a massive rock venue infused with nostalgia, because this was Def Leppard and special guest performer Heart's first visit to the Down Under which made all their fans rock in a unforgettable world of their own.

The stage was set up with a Catwalk, so we knew we'll be close to the bands, a great feature for a venue in the Entertainment center. The concert started with Aussie band the Choirboys, performing the best of their hits, warming up the small crowd inside the venue as a great kick-off.

After a 30 minutes break, around 7:30pm, one of the big highlight on the night started, with Ann and Nancy Wilson, better known as 'Heart' hitting the stage for the first time ever in Sydney. The band opened with great energy jumping from 'Rock & Roll' to 'Magic Man' and 'What About Love' pumping up their fans who sang along to every single song. And Heart had a surprise in store, as they suddenly the played John Farnham's 'You're the Voice', a moment full of emotions for all.

Heart kept on going with their set list of hits, creating a momentum especially when they played their classic ballad 'Alone' and of course the iconic 'Barracuda', which sounds better than ever. Moreover, they came back to the stage to do an encore of 'Love, Reign O'er Me', leaving everyone bursting with joy in such a pleasant surprise.

After another half an hour, the greatest moment arrived, as the lights went off and the first tones of 'Undefeated' made the crowd jump; because Def Leppard was on stage, ready to rock Sydney!

The concert was just perfect, not missing any classics, with outstanding presence on stage from each of the Leppard's members: Joe Elliot singing with so much energy, taking you back to the 80's in every song, Rick Savage's potent bass and his strong presence was a delight to see, as well as the shirtless Phil Collen, who is technically a master of the guitar. Add to them the great Vivian Campbell moving around the stage with his band mates and the spectacular Rick Allen in the drums, giving a master class of drumming in every track.

The band traversed all across their hits, playing 'Let's Get Rocked', 'Animal', 'Rocket', 'Hysteria' and many more. However, one of the best part of the gig was when the band walked on the catwalk to perform 'Two Steps Behind' in an acoustic version, followed by 'Bringin' on the Heartbreak' which was half acoustic and half electric.

Obviously 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' could not be absent, and it was played at the end of the set, with the entire crowd singing every word of the song. But most of all, that was not the last song, as the major surprise came after a short encore, where the band returned to play the timeless 'Rock of Ages', closing a perfect moment in time and space that will surely be a topic amongst the fans for many years to come.

By thespotlightreport 2011.


Def Leppard, Heart @ TheEntertainment Centre, Sydney By beegirl

If there was a night to get out that moth-holed rocker band shirt, tonight was it. For Sydneysiders, it was a chance to relive the big haired eighties with the ever-rockin' Def Leppard, as they attempted to 'pour some sugar' onto the punters at the Entertainment Centre. A nostalgic band coupled with a nostalgic venue set the scene, as they made way for the salt and peppered fans that were hardcore enough to come out to play on a school night.

Whilst there were a lack of bourbon beaters in the crowd, there were ample father and son duos sharing a bonding moment along with a few well dressed middle-aged couples who were ready to rekindle the memory of their mullets and leopard leggings.

Those who were in the venue early got to embrace a bittersweet performance by The Choirboys before the Sydney debut of the American icons Heart. Yes, that's right - Heart! Ms Ann and Nancy Wilson were a huge drawcard for this tour. After all, it had only taken them 35 years to visit their Australian fan base (a few nips and tucks later).

The ladies still had it, and proved it with their passionate performance of Magic Man, their soothing embrace of What About Love, and championing rock-out of Barracuda. The crowd adored them, and in return the Wilson sisters got a taste of the lovin' they had missed from their Aussie absence. Their only downfall was their Farnsey homage in You're the Voice. The reality is that although Heart gets brownie points for bringing back the green and gold eighties, a Def Leppard crowd really is not all that interested. Their redeeming feature was certainly found in their encore with a cover of The Who's Love, Reign O'er Me. It takes a solid vocal performer to do this song justice, but Heart's Ann Wilson certainly delivered; and gave it female edge that was truly inspiring.

Although there were only a few original Hysteria shirts to be seen, there was still an energetic vibe to be had as Joe and the boys rocked onto their podium with the raw electricity of Undefeated. With all the humility of a WWE entrance, the song acted like a theme song for Def Leppard’s return to the centre stage. Phil Collen entered the stage shirtless flexing his hard-earned muscles, whilst it must be said that Joe Elliott may just have the tightest face in 'cock rock'.

Let's Get Rocked got the head-bangers in the crowd primed as they thrust their head, remembering the hair that once followed. A bit of a light-show was to be had (and let's face it, we would have been disappointed without one), along with an extended rendition of Rocket which added fuel to the fire. The indulgent bass solo gave Richard 'Rick' Savage the chance to flex his own muscles, and the David Essex cover of Rock On allowed Joe to elaborate on this borrowed 'coolness'.

Def Leppard's strong points are singing their own songs, not those of others. And on a tour such as this, 25 years post release of Hysteria, the reality that people want the hits! The crowd sung 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' with mighty gusto and it was only fitting that the encore consisted of Rock of Ages, which acted almost as a self-proclamation.

By fasterlouder 2011.

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