Liverpool, England - Media Reviews
Def Leppard / Cheap Trick – Liverpool Echo Arena (15th Dec 2018) By Jack
Having listened to 80s rock bands such as Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and of course Def Leppard since I was still in the womb, I have been looking forward to Def Leppard: The Hysteria Tour ever since tickets went on sale way back in January – and for this gig I even took my mum with me.
In the support slot for the tour were American classic rockers Cheap Trick. The band came armed with the perfect tracks to open and close their set in the form of “Hello There” featuring lyrics of “Hello there, ladies and gents, Are you ready to rock?” and “Goodnight Now” later in the evening with the line “That’s the end of the show, now it’s time to go” clearly signalling the last song of their set. During the first song, it was clear that the band were trying to impress with their eccentric poses and encouraging the crowd to cheer. However I think choosing to enter the stage to the PA system announcing that you were about to see “The best rock n’ roll band ever!” may have been a bit of a stretch, especially when they weren’t even headlining tonight’s show.
While lead vocalist Robin Zander’s outfit, a rather unique matching shirt and trousers set featuring photo montages, almost stole the show it was upstaged by eight tracks cherry-picked from the band’s early career, and a couple of covers thrown in for good measure. The standout track for me was “I Want You To Want Me”, a song made famous to my generation by the Letters to Cleo cover featured in the film 10 Things I Hate About You. During the final song, guitarist Rick Nielsen played a stunning 5-neck guitar at the end of the walkway extending from the stage into the crowd. An amazing sight I wish I had been allowed to take a photo of.
As soon as the Cheap Trick performance was over, the three huge screens that had been above them descended to hide the stage and a 30-minute countdown began. When the countdown hit zero it was showtime with vocalist Joe Elliott and the rest of Def Leppard making their way on stage. When the tour was announced at the start of the year, it was also publicised that the band would be playing their 1987 album Hysteria in full. The album was one of the longest ever issued on a single vinyl record and would be the majority of the band’s set this evening. Sticking with the original order of the album for tonight’s set, the evening started with “Women” and “Rocket” in quick succession. I unfortunately missed the majority of “Animal” and “Love Bites” while I quickly packed my camera away and found my seat for the rest of the evening, although I was later informed by my mum that the lights and staging for these two tracks were way better than during the first two songs, nothing like rubbing salt in the wounds!
Continuing the album track order, the massive “Pour Some Sugar on Me” was the fifth of the evening. Despite its early appearance in the set, the crowd were definitely warmed up by this point and were more than ready to sing along and get their arms waving. Elliot then took the chance to chat to the crowd about the album they were performing, asking them who was even alive when it was released. From the sound of the response, the majority of the audience owned an original vinyl copy of the album, although there were a considerable number of youngsters like myself who probably downloaded a copy. The energy in the venue continued as arguably the album’s second biggest hit “Armageddon It” followed Elliot’s interaction.
That was side one of the album complete. However, before side two began there was a moment to remember Stephen Maynard Clark, the band’s original guitarist who passed away in 1991. Side two of the album includes some of the lesser known tracks such as “Gods of War”, “Don’t Shoot Shotgun” and “Run Riot”. Throughout all three of these tracks, there did appear to be less of a reaction from the crowd although the faultless performance from the band ensured there was still a big cheer and applause at the end of each.
Normal service was resumed for the rest of the main set, with the song “Hysteria” re-engaging the crowd for the final three songs. With a “Liverpool, we give you Hysteria 2018!” from Elliot and a mighty applause from the crowd, the arena went dark.
After a few moments the lights kicked back into life and the band reappeared for a five-track encore. This began with a thank you to the fans for voting Def Leppard into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which had been announced earlier in the week. They then played the track “Promises”, an exclusive just for the Liverpool show. From one track that they don’t play live very often, to one that gets played most nights, it was time for the crowd to get their lighters and phones in the air for “When Love and Hate Collide”, during which there was an impressive solo from guitarist Phil Collen.
“Let’s Get Rocked” had the audience singing along from beginning to the end with some impressive crowd participation for the chorus. Elliot then mentioned the fact that the band has now been together for 41 years and like everyone, have “been through some shit”, referring directly to the loss of guitarist Steve and the accident which saw drummer Rick Allen lose his left arm in 1985. He then gave Allen the pleasure of introducing the penultimate song “Rock Of Ages”. The final song could have only been “Photograph”, and the crowd again sang along to every word.
It is often said that bands including Def Leppard have reached their expiry date and should call it a day, however what was witnessed tonight showed that there is plenty of life left in these guys. While their newer material might not be as popular as albums such as Hysteria, Def Leppard are still more than able to wow the crowd and perform their classic material. Taking fans back to the 80s, to a time when mullets were fashionable and there wasn’t a mobile phone in sight at a gig… unlike tonight where it seems some of the audience had filmed the entire performance!
By The Moshville Times 2018.
Def Leppard + Cheap Trick @ Echo Arena, Liverpool on December 15th 2018 By Stewart Lucas
According to Spotify, I spend approximately eighty percent of my time listening to obscure extreme metal but I still absolutely adore Cheap Trick. They are the sonic equivalent of devouring all of a king-size packet of Haribo by yourself; indulgent, sickly sweet and so so wrong but god oh so enjoyable. Tonight they are wonderful as ever, the sound is a bit raw and ready (you would expect me to say that), but for every single moment of their fourty five minute set they are just utterly magical. Yes I could have lived without the Velvet Underground cover, but you will not find a finer trio of vintage bubble-gum pop rock than the closing crescendo of ‘Want You to Want Me’, 'Dream Police' and 'Surrender’. They are each up there with the greatest songs ever written, but together it's like getting a sugar rush of the most epic proportion and I expect to still to be high on the saccharine rush for days to come.
But as much as I worship at the very feet of Cheap Trick tonight is for me all about Def Leppard doing ‘Hysteria’ in its entirety. This is very simply a childhood dream come true as it’s the album that the socially inept teenaged me listened to on a daily basis for two solid years. I literally wore my cassette copy of it out and with money earned on my Saturday job had to go buy it again on vinyl. Now ‘Pyromania’ may be a better album (don't argue, it just is) but these twelve highly polished slick rock songs spoke to the geeky perpetually awkward fifteen year old I once was.
Now that I'm a socially inept forty-six year old it has been a good long while since I revisited ‘Hysteria’ and to come in totally fresh I resist the temptation to listen to it again before the gig. So what immediately hits me is that in many places it has dated incredibly badly. 'Women' feels crass in a post #metoo world and both 'Armageddon It’ and 'Excitable' sound paper-thin and very much of their time. However there are some tracks that have aged remarkably well, 'Gods of War' for instance still sounds both vital and relevant. It is also the only decent thing side two as Hysteria turns out to be a colossally lopsided album. Side one is just hit after hit after hit as it unloads ‘‘Rocket' followed by 'Animal’, followed by 'Love Bites', followed by 'Pour Some Sugar On Me’. It's six single straight run one from the beginning to the end of the side. Side two however is where the filler lives as the title track is the only song from this end of town that was deemed to be single material. As the band do the album live in its precise order the unevenness of distribution means that the concentration of the crowd starts to seriously peater out towards the end of its performance and by the time we reach the conclusion of 'Love & Affection', we have lost around a third of the arena’s capacity to the bar.
Because this is a party crowd who want to bellow along with songs they know, they are not interested in the fact that it is 'Run Riot’ first airing in twenty six years and therefore the whole celebration of a life-changing album (well, for me it was) all falls a bit flat. Even with the singles the almost capacity arena are virtuoso when it comes to the choruses but come across a little lost and confused with the verses. On the other hand, I can still recite on demand the every lyric on the album in order without hesitation or deviation. And that is my whole issue with tonight. For ninety percent of the people here, this is simply a Def Leppard gig where they can happily scream along with the songs they sing along to on Planet Rock in the car.
For me though this was meant to be musically cathartic, a tearful but joyous return to one the cornerstones of my pubescent years and the fulfilment of a lifetime’s ambition and in that sense it is all a bit of a non-event. Yes, Def Leppard are musically brilliant tonight and the way that the songs are performed is faultless but I come out disappointed and deflated as I have realised that one of the albums that made me who I am is probably not the masterpiece I remember.
By Rock Flesh 2018.
Def Leppard/Cheap Trick – Liverpool, Echo Arena – 15 December 2018 By DJ Astrocreep
A rarity for me: a hometown gig, which means a much shorter journey than my usual hour plus to Manchester. Def Leppard with special guests in the shape of Illinois' Cheap Trick, a band that have been going a mere 45 years themselves, means no support, just arena-level rock bands for the duration - what a shame! *coughs* It's my first time seeing both bands, so I have a high sense of anticipation before the gig, deciding to head in early to settle myself in my seat, to prepare myself for the music to come.
So, Cheap Trick come on stage to longtime opener ‘Hello There’, before moving straight into ‘Big Eyes’. As mentioned above, these guys have been around for 45 years now and their stage familiarity is obvious from the start. Both Robin and Rick take their turns going along the extended stage middle and showing off their skills, greeting the crowd from amongst them, as the band move into the likes of ‘California Man’, a cover of The Move track, ‘Downed’, and another cover in the shape of Fats Domino's ‘Ain't That A Shame’
Rick is frequently throwing out guitar picks too after a couple of strums, delighting those that are able to catch one on his side of the stage. ‘California Man’ sees us get our first sing-along chorus, which the audience are quick to join in with, while a slightly extended drum solo welcomes in ‘Ain't That A Shame’. We get the band introduction next, as they move on to ‘Voices’ before it's big single time in widely loved track ‘I Want You To Want Me’. They still haven't finished yet though, as the crowd sing loudly along, moving on to ‘Dream Police’ and ‘Surrender’ before set ending track Goodnight Now sees them gradually leave the stage after a band bow. An excellent warm-up act, as if they wouldn't be any way!
Headliner time then, after an electronic clock forms on the screens, giving us a 30-minute countdown to the start of their set. Finally, they take to the stage, coming on and going straight into album opener ‘Women’. As this is a tour for the ‘Hysteria’ album, I had been wondering beforehand whether we would get the album in full chronological order, or whether it would be staggered out - the short answer was quickly found to be chronological order was correct. It's Def Leppard's most accessible album, in my opinion, with the likes of ‘Animal’, ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and ‘Hysteria’ all featuring amongst their best-known tracks. Indeed, it's ‘Animal’, our third track of the evening that gets the first massive sing-along from the crowd for the Def Leppard set, with plenty of people singing and dancing away to it and the atmosphere has increased to an even better level than it was already at after Cheap Trick.
With ‘Love Bites’ next, then arguably their biggest song in ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ after that which almost has the crowd drowning out the impressive sound system in the arena (and that was potentially just me!), we then get a sombre moment as we get a twominute tribute to fallen brother Stephen Maynard Clark, who had been their principal songwriter until his death in. With this over, it was back on to the celebration of the album, as ‘Armageddon It’, ‘Gods of War’, ‘Don't Shoot Shotgun’ and ‘Run Riot’ are all played emphatically by the band, who have sounded incredible all evening.
There are three unplayed songs on the album yet to come and next is the title track, ‘Hysteria’, itself, which goes down, as expected, incredibly well with the crowd, with a short 12 bar addition of David Bowie's ‘Heroes’ just prior to the end of the track. ‘Excitable’ and ‘Love And Affection’ close off the album part of the set, earning the band another short break, before they come back on stage. The next track was a bit of a surprise, being a tour debut, as ‘Promises’ rings out across the crowd, before we get another four of their better-known tracks to finish, in ‘When Love and Hate Collide’, ‘Let's Get Rocked’, ‘Rock of Ages’ and set closing ‘Photograph’, which all gain loud sing-alongs and help create a remarkable end of set atmosphere.
Everything about both sets has been all but perfect - great sound, good lighting and backing screens and impressive performances from both bands - a great way to endear themselves to those in the arena, who have come far and wide to attend - a number around me having come down from Scotland for it, to sample the nightlife after! A gig that barely misses out on making my top 20 of the year, only due to having so much fierce competition.
By Uber Rock 2018.
Def Leppard, Cheap Trick: Echo Arena, Liverpool By GetInToThis
Def Leppard performed their classic Hysteria album in its entirety and Getintothis’ Nedim Hassan joined the party at the Echo Arena.
Making a mockery out of lazy marketing labels like ‘dad rock’, tonight the Echo Arena is full of a whole range of rockers, whether male, female, young or old.
Like us, they could not resist the temptation of seeing one of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal‘s most successful acts revisit their glory years.
We take our seats in time to see Cheap Trick cram their special guest slot with hits that attest to their enduring appeal. Ever youthful looking frontman Robin Zander swaggers across the Echo Arena stage as his band rip through immaculate versions of melodic gems from their superb back catalogue. Dream Police and I Want You to Want Me are joyous blasts of pop rock, but it is Surrender with its clarion call to a younger generation that still lives long in the memory.
The ‘mommies’ and ‘daddies’ (and there were plenty in this audience) may still be a ‘little weird’, but they know how to have a good time and their kids do too.
This is made plainly evident when Def Leppard take to the stage. Many people in the seats in and around us stand up and stay stood up as they dance, raise their fists and play air guitar to surely some of the finest rock anthems committed to record.
If ever there was an album that lent itself to being played live in its entirety then Hysteria is the one.
Envisaged by the band and producer Mutt Lange as a collection of singles, rather than mere album tracks, the sheer catchiness of these rock songs is almost overwhelming. Indeed, the album title takes on a whole new meaning as we are provided with hit single after hit single to sing along to.
The feeling of experiencing Rocket, Animal, Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Armageddon It and Gods of War played in succession was (to paraphrase one of Def Leppard’s later album titles) nothing short of euphoric. This epic sequence also illustrated the uncanny ability of Sheffield’s finest to produce memorable riffs; with Pour Some Sugar’s groove-laden hooks sounding particularly immense.
A moving tribute to late guitarist Steve Clark played across the giant video screens, which were a constant backdrop to tonight’s performance, momentarily provided us with time to catch our breath and reflect on how Def Leppard have so often triumphed in the face of adversity.
Then the band hurtled towards a finale that unleashed Let’s Get Rocked, Rock of Ages and Photograph. Once again most people were up out of their seats singing along to every line. Admittedly the playing of Hysteria in its entirety meant that none of their more contemporary songs made the set list, but then again with hits like these why should the Leppard change their spots?
By GetInToThis 2018.
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