Monday, 5th June 2017
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38 Years Ago Def Leppard Play Crookes In Sheffield (Classic Review)

Def Leppard 1979. 5th June 1979

Def Leppard played a local show in Sheffield, England on 5th June 1979 and an archive concert review is available to read.

Sounds magazine journalist Geoff Barton reviewed the show which took place at the Crookes Workingmen's Club.

This was the first time the band met him and photographer Ross Halfin.

View the iconic photo of the band on stage below along with others Ross has posted online since joining Instagram.

Joe recalled the meeting in his foreword for 'The Definitive Visual History' book.

Geoff recently helped to put together the Classic Rock Fan Pack Edition magazine for the 2015 'Def Leppard' album.

Rick Savage went back to the club to film an interview in December 2014.

Sounds - Geoff Barton Review Quote

"Kicking off with the punchy 'Glad I'm Alive' the band cavort around the stage with wild abandon, belying their tender years by exuding confidence and professionalism. 'Rosalie' follows, making the Thin Lizzy version sound like something off a 99p Woolworths album."

The Definitive Visual History - Joe Elliott Quotes

"This shot was taken the day we met Ross for the very first time, at the Crookes Working Men's Club , Sheffield, in 1979. Hopefully this was the very last time we put our fists up at the request of a photographer."

"I first met Ross Halfin on the 5th of June 1979 when I picked him and Sounds journalist Geoff Barton up from Sheffield's Sheaf Street train station to take them to Crookes Working Men's Club to watch a fledgling Def Leppard perform that night. I don't remember much about the actual journey that day, but as I was driving my work van, which only had two seats in it, and at the time I would have considered Geoff Barton more important, I can only surmise that Ross was in the back getting thrown around all over the place, holding on for dear life and trying to protect all his camera equipment from any damage!. Ah, rock 'n' roll people, it isn't all limos and five-star hotels; well, it certainly wasn't back then."

"Both Ross and Geoff were pleasantly surprised at how cheap the drinks were at the club and consequently were pretty loaded when they came back to our dressing room after the gig. Geoff was waxing lyrically about how great the gig was and how sorry he was for not taking the letters I'd been sending to him more seriously. Ross was just shouting loudly in agreement and pissing in the sink. This is my lasting image of Ross. Loud, opinionated, oblivious to the more conventional bathroom habits that most of us adhere to but more importantly, possessing an uncanny knack for taking GREAT photos."

A photo posted by Ross Halfin (@rosshalfin) on

A photo posted by Ross Halfin (@rosshalfin) on

A photo posted by Ross Halfin (@rosshalfin) on

A photo posted by Ross Halfin (@rosshalfin) on

A photo posted by Ross Halfin (@rosshalfin) on

A photo posted by Ross Halfin (@rosshalfin) on

A photo posted by Ross Halfin (@rosshalfin) on

A photo posted by Ross Halfin (@rosshalfin) on


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