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Def Leppard Tour History Fan Archive.
Joe Elliott Says Def Leppard's Fans Mean More To Him Than Awards

Saturday, 26th March 2016





Sunrise, FL 2016.
Screenshot by dltouristory

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was interviewed in June 2015 by Florida radio and was asked about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Joe talked about which songs he doesn't like playing, different live versions, playing live, PSSOM, Vivian's health (when he was away for four shows), Steve Brown, Tesla, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and his Planet Rock radio show.

The interview was conducted before the band's first show of the 2015 North American tour in Tampa, FL when Vivian had to miss a few shows.

Listen to/Download the full 10 minute interview via the radio link below.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Mike Calta/102.5 The Bone - Joe Elliott Interview Quotes

Playing Live

"You know this is a gift man. I mean to be able to do this for as long as we've been doing it in front of so many people. You don't take that for granted. This is a life time opportunity to do something very cool. You know being a rock and roll band. As opposed to working in a factory or something which is what we were all kind of destined to do if we didn't break out. So get that chance to do it, you're gonna do it."

Vivian's Health

"Well, he's not with us tonight. We've got a friend of ours called Steve Brown standing in for him but he's back on Saturday. When we play Birmingham, Alabama. So he's only missing two shows. He's having some kind of experimental treatment. Let's put it that way. That gives him like three/four weeks in between each session. So that makes it a lot more manageable. But it's only a little blip on you know, what he's got here. It isn't like a massive recurrence."

"So he's just taking care of some business basically. It's just that it kind of came upon us pretty quickly so there was nothing we could do about it. But Steve will stand in tonight. He knows the parts. He's been a fan for years and he knows every note. So we know and he's great in rehearsals. So it'll be fine."

Steve Brown/Used to play in Trixter?

"That's right yes. He still does occasionally. He's got a band called 40ft Ringo and we've known him for years and years and years. You know I mean he's played our songs in cover bands. So he knows how to play and sing. And no he's not Vivian but you know the show will go on. I mean that's just the way it goes. You think about the history of stuff like this. The Beatles did a tour of Scandinavia when Ringo had tonsillitis."

"So when you're talking about cancer. I think there's - you know you've gotta give a bit of leeway there. The same thing happened with Fleetwood Mac and Aerosmith. Where you just sometimes you know you just can't cancel the shows. There's just too much gone into it."

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

"I'm more concerned about fans buying records. Fans buying - getting value for money when they come and see us play live. As regards being in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It doesn't do my career any good. It's just something that you say like you've got an award. I mean big deal."

A night you celebrate yourselves?

"Well, we celebrate ourselves every time we go on stage. As soon as the house lights go down and you've got like 10, 15, 20,000 people out there. That's all we need. We didn't join a band or form a band back in the 70s to go oh I really want to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame one day. I couldn't care less about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The fact that we're still able to put new music out. Which we will be doing in October. And tour and play the hits and play some obscure stuff and just be relevant if you like. As best you can. That means so much more to us than..."

"Who are the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?. Who are the six people that decide whether R.E.M., us, U2 or whatever are cool. Or you know Motley Crue and Van Halen aren't. Or Black Sabbath aren't or Deep Purple aren't. They don't want people like us. They only relent when there's a fan base that hound them. And good for them for doing that. But you know I'd rather talk about it with you than be in it you know. It doesn't mean anything. My house doesn't get bigger. I don't get a fleet of cars. There's not gonna be a harem of women queueing up outside my bedroom door. I'd rather make records and do tours and be associated with our audience and all the people that we deal with over the last 20 or 30 years."

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