Wednesday, 14th October 2015
Pic by Chele Drappel
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has been interviewed by Marcus Goldman and mentioned the new album.
Vivian talked about his illness, recording the new self-titled studio album, the 2016 Hysteria cruise and Last In Line.
Vivian says that Def Leppard may not be on the road in March/April/May of 2016 and he will be busy with Last in Line whose album may be out on 19th February.
Viv's tour news suggests that the Lep/Styx/Tesla package continuing to tour in 2016 will actually be a summer tour and not Spring dates. But no dates for 2016 have yet been announced outside of the cruise.
Listen to the full interview from 93.3 WMMR's Public Affairs show below which was probably recorded on 9th October before the Tulsa show.
Visit the Album News section. For more news on new music (based on band member quotes) dating back to January 2011.
03.3 WMMR - Vivian Campbell Interview Quotes
Health Impacting Album Recording?
"Well, it impacted me in so much as I actually missed a big part of the recording process. Last year. The record was done in three different instalments over the course of a year in Dublin. And I was there for the first and I was there for the last. But I missed the whole middle session because I couldn't travel due to my health. So I actually didn't contribute an awful lot to this record. But having said that, I do think it's the best record that Def Leppard has made in decades."
"Maybe the Universe is trying to tell me something. You know that they're maybe better off without me when it comes to the creative aspect. But it's a great, great record and like I say I was there for a fair amount of it but not for all of it. But you know I've had to devote a lot of my time in the last couple of years to my health and I'd much rather miss studio sessions than miss the live work you know. To miss the shows on tour so I guess I had to choose one of the other."
The Rock Tracks/His Guitar Work all over the record?
"On most of it yeah. You know there are actually a couple of songs I didn't play on at all. But that's not unusual for Leppard you know. We kinda make records very methodically and very slowly and one guy at a time you know for the most part. Although with this album the first thing we did were the rock tracks and that was kind of the easy part. And we did play those the old fashioned style. You know real time with all five of us in the room so we could make eye contact. But then after that you know when we got into the more produced songs. The more, you know the more studio style songs then we do tend to do it one guy at a time. And there have been records in the past where not everyone has played on every particular song you know. It's just whoever happens to be there."
A damn good time in the studio?
"You know. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't. I mean there's no one route to making a Def Leppard record. We'll basically try anything and everything to get the end result you know. A means to an end as they say."
"This one was relatively straightforward. At least it was for the time that I was there. Like I said there were three sessions and I was at the first and I was at the last. I would imagine that the middle session was the most tedious and the most difficult. Although I can't really say for sure because that's the one that I missed. But it was certainly a lot of fun first session because we were just kicking around the rock songs and we were actually doing what we do best. Which is play rock music and the last session was particularly joyous because that's when it all came together. You know when the final lyrics and melodies were written and the songs really started to take shape and you could really see the light at the end of the tunnel."
"So that's always a good feeling you know. But like I said the other four guys probably had to endure most of the heavy lifting during that second session. The one that I missed."
Last In Line Album Release Date
"We have a new record coming out for that in February next year. Yes. I think we're looking at about February 19th is our release date. Yeah it'll be after the cruise..."
Def Leppard 2016 Tour Plans
"...But I think they'll be a bit of time off from Def Leppard in March, April, May. So I'll be able to take the Last In Line project on the road."
"And then obviously the Leppard thing will continue. We'll more than likely be on the road again in America next summer. Playing a couple of songs I would hope at least from this new Leppard record."
Let's Go Live Debut
"Thank you. Yes, it's great. We actually just started playing it live for the first time at the last show in Moline in Illinois a couple of nights ago. So it went well."
- Interview Source - soundcloud.com
- Def Leppard - Public Affairs 2015 Show Page
- Def Leppard - Radio 2015
- Def Leppard - 2015 Album News
- Previous News - 10th October 2015