Bethel, NY - Media Reviews

Def Leppard rocks Bethel By Nathan Mayberg

Def Leppard, once one of the biggest rock bands in the world, played their hearts out and electrified the home of Woodstock Saturday night.

In front of a cross-generational crowd of about 10,000 people at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the band known for hits like “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” brought the Catskills into a frenzy at times with an inspired set that recalled their late 1980’s arena rocking glory.

Though they played without their late lead guitarist, songwriter and co-founder Steve Clark, who died in 1991 due to alcohol-related circumstances, they were in top form.

Def Leppard is still a big deal.

The band, whose mix of Led Zepplin and Thin Lizzy inspired hard rock and power ballads made them international superstars, brought the crowd at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival to a roar on Saturday.

While the void of Clark’s magic guitar work is deeply felt, it takes a close listener to notice the guitar changes of his long-time professional replacement Vivian Campbell.

Clark helped revolutionize the sound of rock with the way he mixed distorted guitars and “clean” electric guitar playing along with alternative tuning, solos and understated playing at times.

Combined with lead singer Joe Elliott’s rang that can crescendo to a Robert Plant howl and the band’s soaring gang vocals, they took on a natural progression from Led Zeppelin. Though never considered the masters Led Zeppelin were, they no doubt changed the sound of rock into what many in the 1980’s would emulate.

On Saturday, Elliott was the consummate showman, leading the crowd in chanting, waving and noise making. At one point, he berated some in the high-priced front row seats for sitting around on a night when most were on their feet.

Four-fifths of the band have played together for more than 30 years, including drummer Rick Allen who has played with one arm since a 1984 car accident

From the opening bell Saturday with their “Rock! Rock! (Til You Drop),” the lead song off their landmark “Pyromania” album which flowed into an enthusiastic “Animal,” from their “Hysteria,” album, the band didn’t miss a hit.

They played “Foolin,” a signature song off the “Pyromania” album that showed how the band had perfected its news style.

After some slow songs, they played perhaps their best slow song, “Love Bites,” which hit all of the right notes. Elliott once joked that the number one hit song took two years to make.

One couldn’t expect 55-year-old Joe Elliott to hit the scores of screaming high notes that he did in the 80’s that few others could, but he hit most of them on Saturday.

Elliott showed he could still sometimes belt out the Plant-esque howls he did in his heyday.

“Bringin’ on the Heartbreak,” one of the band’s earliest and greatest hits, was another standout, as was “Hysteria" and "Rocket."

When they played “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” the crowd went into a frenzy.

Elliott’s stucatto, nearly rapping words in the first half of the song were delivered with the punch of a boxer, still bearing the gritty English toughness it had when it came out in 1987. The growling of the band’s guitarist Phil Collen and bassist Rick Savage on the backing vocals were still strong.

They almost sent the crowd back to 1988.

Opening acts

The 80’s rock band Tesla opened up the night, followed by the 70’s popular rock band Styx.

Tesla, featuring four-fifths of the original group roared through their opening set guns blazing with their hits like “Love will find a way,” and their popular cover song “Signs.”

The crowd had a lot of Tesla fans who reacted with loud approval to the dynamo performance by the band.

Their singer Jeff Keith hasn’t lost an ounce of his signature raspy voice and was wheeling out the vocals as If on cue from their multi-million seller “The Great Radio Controversy.”

Original guitarist Frank Hannon sounded flawless, playing with replacement guitarist Dave Rude, providing stealth twin guitars.

Their approximately 30-minute set seemed a little short but the show had to go on.

Styx delivered their 70’s mix of guitar and wild keyboard/synthesizer playing.

Their original keys man and singer Dennis DeYoung is estranged from the band though his replacement since 1999, Lawrence Gowan, is a talented player who led the group on their crowd pleasing “Sail Away” on Saturday.

Original guitarist James Young showed he still has serious chops on songs like “Fooling Yourself,” and 40-year-member guitarist Tommy Shaw was a good bandleader.

The band’s finale “Renegade,” was a crowd stopper.

Make no mistake about it, though.

This was Def Leppard’s night.

After the band had played its double encore of “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph” to non-stop rancorous applause, Elliott promised:

“There will be a next time.”

By Warwick Advertiser 2015.

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