Def Leppard News - VIVIAN CAMPBELL Says DEF LEPPARD Looking Forward To Sin City Residency

Monday, 27th May 2019

VIVIAN CAMPBELL Says DEF LEPPARD Looking Forward To Sin City Residency

By dltourhistory

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was recently interviewed by Doll Hut radio and the full audio is available.

Vivian spoke to Junkman for his Junkman radio podcast in late February to promote the Last In Line II album and upcoming Def Leppard residency in Las Vegas. NV.

Vivian talked about being busy/ his health issues, Thin Lizzy 2011 tour, playing guitar, Last In Line formation, Last In Line II, producer Jeff Pilson, modern production/loudness war, new songs - Landslide/the Light, Def Leppard's Sin City Residency and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction.

He went into great detail about the new 'Last In Line II' album and it's production as well as commenting on why Def Leppard deserves to be in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

Listen to the full 53 minute interview below.

From songs from 'Last In Line II' are also played during the chat - 'Landslide', 'The Light' and 'Blackout The Sun'.

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

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

Junkman Radio - Vivian Campbell Interview Quotes - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

Being Busy/Health Issues

"It is actually I've had a very colourful career. And I'm very pleased you know that I got the chance to work with so many great artists and bands and musicians over the years. Yeah and now I'm in not one but two very good bands. Two very different bands you know with Leppard and Last In Line."

"Yeah it's kind of the opposite for me I've actually never been so busy as I have been in the last several years of my life. And really enjoying it too, you know. It's sort of like and maybe it was the health issue."

"You know I had a lymphoma diagnosis in 2013. And, you know, so I've been dealing with that for...ever since and it's still kind of ongoing but I've been very fortunate that I found a treatment that works for me, Immunotherapy. So the hardest part about that to be honest is just scheduling treatments, you know, 'cause I'm so busy. I think it lit a kind of a fire under my ass you know. Life is always gonna be shorter than you anticipate you know."

The Sin City Residency/Def Leppard

"Yes indeed so we're looking forward to Vegas. This is our second residency in Las Vegas. The first one was back in 2013. And that was at Hard Rock and we did the Hysteria album in sequence. That was the first time we'd ever done that and presented a show like that."

"So the good thing about doing a residency in Vegas is it really allows you a lot of leeway and a lot of latitude in terms of how you can present the show. When you take a show on the road and you're just going to a different city night after night it's a very conventional sort of a performance."

"In Vegas when you're doing a residency anything can go you know. Literally I mean we can present the show anyway we want."

2013 VIVA! Hysteria/Ded Flatbird

"In 2013 we actually became our own opening act. Because we were presenting the Hysteria album in sequence. And Hysteria's only like 42 minutes or something like that from start to finish. So it's not enough to actually play... you can't just play 40 something minutes and call it the show."

"So we had to build a show around that. We had a big stage set and, you know, all the bells and whistles, the usual. But we had a big curtain that closed on the Def Leppard stage. We set up in front of that old school with a small drum riser and the amps on the floor and no production beyond that. And we went out as Ded Flatbird. So we billed ourselves as the world's greatest Def Leppard cover band. And it was great because we went out there and we played a completely different show as Ded Flatbird every time we played. And we went deep and we'd play album cuts. We played some really obscure stuff. We played a couple of songs from the band's first album."

"We played one song the band had never ever performed live before you know. And it was a lot of work to learn it and rehearse it but it was certainly worth it. And it's the sort of thing that the hardcore fan I think really appreciated you know."

"And then we went off and there's a video intermission and then the curtain opened up and revealed the big set and there was Def Leppard playing Hysteria."

2019 Las Vegas Staging/Setlist

"So having said that I'm not sure exactly how we're gonna present this upcoming Vegas show this summer. We will be reconvening again to discuss that at the end of March at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. We're gonna be together for about five or six days and I think that's when we'll sit down."

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction/Fan Vote

"Thank you. Yeah I mean it's, you know, with the passage of time the more it kind of really sinks in what an honour it is for the band to have it. And I really think, you know, I have a very unique perspective on Def Leppard. I've been with the band as a member of Def Leppard for 27 years, but for many many years before that I was a fan. Going back to before the first album I remember buying the Wasted single."

"And then all the albums from then on up. Until I joined the band now I get the albums free."

Def Leppard Were So Young When They Started

"Yeah probably 1980 yeah. Rick Allen, Rick was sixteen when he joined the band. He had to have his parents sign contracts."

"But, you, know, so I really think Def Leppard deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame. Leppard is a band that since before my tenure and since my tenure, I don't think that Def Leppard has ever gotten a lot of industry recognition. We've always got our fan base and our loyal fan base. Our core fan base has been with us forever and sticks with us."

"In fact that's probably the biggest and most exciting aspect of all of this, with the Hall Of Fame is the fact that we won the biggest ever popular vote. I really think that that speaks volumes about Def Leppard's fans and how connected they are to the band and how much history we have together."

"So but you know this perspective I have of being in the band 27 years and being a fan of the band for many years beforehand. I think, you know, speaking as a sort of an outsider you know. Having not been there from day one. I really really feel that the band deserves it. I really feel that Steve Clark's memory deserves it. I feel that Pete Willis deserves to be there too and I know that Joe reached out to Pete. And, you know, I hope he shows up and, you know, 'cause the early records are what started the band going. I mean that's the foundation upon all of this. On which all of this was built you know."