Wednesday, 16th October 2019
Prev  |  Next

VIVIAN CAMPBELL On His Spinal Surgery/Health/DEF LEPPARD's Las Vegas Residency

Def Leppard 2018. By dltourhistory

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has been interviewed by US radio and mentioned his recent back surgery.

Vivian spoke to Eddie Trunk to promote the current Last In Line II tour.

Vivian talked about Last In Line touring, Exit 111 Festival, Sin City Residency, Opening With Die Hard The Hunter, 40th Anniversary Of OTTN, Mixing Up Setlists/Exit 111 Setlist, Last In Line Touring/Show With Def Leppard, DIO/Last In Line/Guitar Playing, third Last In Line album, Last In Line Setlists, Re-embracing DIO Music, Phil Soussan On Bass, Music Industry, DIO Hologram Tour, Live Concerts/Cell Phones At Shows and his Current Health.

He revealed that he had to have back surgery recently and his ongoing health issues.

He also commented on the Sin City Residency shows and setlists.

Listen to the full 40 minute interview via the radio link below.

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).

Trunk Nation - Vivian Campbell Interview Quotes - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

Sin City Residency

"That was so much fun I mean we put a stadium show into a theatre in Vegas for the residency. I mean it was the biggest production. the biggest stage we've ever had. So I don't think we'll make much money as a result I think . We put it all back into production. And it was great, it was wonderful. We tried to vary the show every night. You know we had a core setlist but we had a couple of spots within that where we could, you know, pay homage to Pyromania or to the Euphoria album or whatever."

"You know and it was nice. I like it when we mix it up. It kinda kept us on our feet you know. It's a bit more mental when you do a show like that. When you're not doing it by rote you know. You gotta kind of think about what's coming up next. It was nice for me as a guitar player. I always like as you know to revisit the, you know, more rock stuff from the Pyromania album and whatnot. Billy's Got A Gun and Die Hard The Hunter and all that stuff. So it was great to do that."

Opening With Die Hard The Hunter

"We did yeah and it was epic. It really was. It's such a great song to open with. It's such a dramatic song. You know the way that the intro opens with acoustic guitar. Sav was playing acoustic guitar in a stand and yeah and there's lots of guitar widdly bits for Phil and I in the middle of the song."

40th Anniversary Of OTTN

"Oh good yeah maybe we'll play more of these shows where we'll get a chance to dig deep into that. I'm always a fan of it you know."

Mixing Up Setlists/Exit 111 Setlist

"Yeah absolutely it does. I mean we would rather do that to be honest you know. But we are kind of beholden to that hits. And, you know, it's fair to say that a lot of Def Leppard fans that come to the show are kind of marginal fans. You know they really only know those hits. Then of course there's the other 30 or 40 percent that are the die hards and they really really really really wanna hear those deep cuts you know. So it's always a question of finding the balance you know."

"I think for this show on Saturday in Tennessee we are gonna include a couple of songs that we haven't played for a while that are, you know, as a result of playing the Vegas residency. So that's gonna be nice. I think we're kind of in the frame of mind where we can. We feel confident enough to mix it up."

Last In Line Touring/Show With Def Leppard

"And at the end of that we tagged on a show, another show with Def Leppard. Def Leppard are doing a one-off show at an amphitheatre that's just opening outside of Sacramento on November 2nd and Last In Line are gonna open that show. So I'm doing double duty that night."

Have you ever done that?

"Yeah, well I did it at the Download Festival in the UK in June. This past June we opened. Last In Line opened the Main Stage and Def Leppard closed it that night. And in between I took a nap. Yeah so this will be interesting to do. it's actually, this Sacramento show on November 2nd. I can't remember the name of the amphitheatre off hand but there's three bands on the bill. Obviously Def Leppard are headlining the show. Last In Line are opening the show and Don Felder. Strange bill but there you go."

"So that will be fun and then after that we've got another four shows on the East Coast with Last In Line and then a couple of weeks later we go to Europe and we've got a couple of week run over there in the UK and Mainland Europe."

"So it's been busy enough. As you said I do try and fit in as many shows. Literally, especially this last year o two when I'm not working with Def Leppard I'm working with Last In Line and vice versa. So it's been very very busy for me but I'm happy to do it. I really enjoy my work with both bands. And in the case of Last In Line I mean you really do need to go out and do the shows. You can't just do what we're doing now on the road or make a video and out a record out. You really have to manifest things. And go out and play live and that's what it's all about and it's a lot of fun to do you know."

"And it keeps me sharp. I mean I really think I'm playing the best I've ever played in my entire career as a result of this you know and enjoying my work with both Def Leppard and Last In Line. And I think that;s true of the other guys in Leppard too. With Phil and with Joe they go off and do things with Down 'n' Outz and Delta Deep and they come back and we all come back to Def Leppard a little bit more fresh. You know a little bit more sharp."

Last In Line Third Album

"We've actually started writing again fr the next Last In Line record which we'll probably start recording in January. And you know when I was actually in Vegas in August and September with Def Leppard for the residency. We had four days of writing with Last In Line in between Leppard shows/ So, you know, it was good to take advantage of that time and the new record I would say is probably 80 percent written already. And it sounds great. I mean it's just a progression from the second album and you know very ambitious, very musical. We're really kind of stretching our muscles on it. So I'm excited. I love what I do. I'm a lucky guy."

Live Concerts/Cell Phones At Shows

"My peev about it is I wish people would just put their frigging cell phones down and just enjoy the experience. You know they're experiencing it less because of that but it's something very special and it's very very magical. And no matter how tricky technology gets it'll never replicate that. You know real music needs to be live. It's the greatest environment to experience it."

His Current Health

"Well it's actually my back is the issue at the moment. I did spinal surgery last Wednesday. So I'm sitting here with an ice pack and a back brace on. So I'm a little concerned about that. You know it's gonna be difficult for me to do these next couple of weeks worth of shows. I'm gonna be moving very slowly but I know that I can get on stage and play guitar and I can sing. So that's all I need to do. It'll be the travel in between that's gonna be extremely uncomfortable."

"But as far as the cancer, you know, I do these infusions. I go back to the City Of Hope (hospital) tomorrow and get another infusion and that'll keep me right for another three to four weeks. And, you know, it's just maintenance. So it'll all good as far as I'm concerned."

Will it ever go into remission?

"Right now it's just holding you know. And it has been for four years. So I'm very fortunate that, you know, I caught my cancer early enough to where this is OK to keep it in this holding pattern. So until something else comes along. The technology is moving at a furious pace. And there's so many new cancer treatments and alternative treatments coming to light year after year. The treatment that I'm on in fact I was part of a clinical trial that's relatively new you know. So I'm very fortunate that I caught it early and I happen to be a candidate for this particular treatment. And it's a good place holder. So it doesn't really have any impact on my life. You know other than scheduling and a little bit tired a few days around it. Around the infusions."

"But like I say right now it's kind of slid to second place on the complaints list you know because of the back surgery. That's my more pressing concern. It's always something isn't it?."


Buy 'Last In Line II' Online


Buy Online

  • Vinyl Collection: Volume Two - Amazon (£177.27)
  • CD Collection: Volume Two - Amazon (£66.02)

Buy 'The Story So Far...The Best Of Def Leppard' Online

  • Amazon - (1CD Regular Edition - 17 Tracks)
  • Amazon - (2CD Deluxe Edition - 35 Tracks)
  • Amazon - (2LP Vinyl Edition)
  • Amazon - (MP3 Regular Edition - 17 Tracks)
  • Amazon - (MP3 Deluxe Edition - 35 Tracks)

Related News - DEF LEPPARD Rehearse DIE HARD THE HUNTER/To Film 2nd Vegas Residency

Related News - PHIL COLLEN Says DEF LEPPARD Have Busy 2020 World Tour/Album Plans

Related News - DEF LEPPARD Rehearsing WE BELONG For Las Vegas Residency

Related News - DEF LEPPARD Rehearse BILLY'S GOT A GUN And Other Rarities For VEGAS Residency

Related News - PHIL COLLEN Hints At Future DEF LEPPARD Stadium Tour

Related News - VIVIAN CAMPBELL Says DEF LEPPARD Rehearsing Rare Songs For VEGAS Residency


share this story:





get def leppard news

Stay in touch with the latest updates.


explore def leppard tour history
All News
Tour News
Album News
All Tours