Monday, 31st August 2020
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33 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD's HYSTERIA Tour In SHEFFIELD (Photos/Review)

Def Leppard September 1987. Sheffield 1987

Def Leppard played a Hysteria world tour show in their home city of Sheffield, England on this day in 1987.

The show took place at Sheffield City Hall where they had headlined seven years previously in 1980.

The fourth show of the Hysteria world tour and the first English headline show since December 1983.

The previous English appearance being the Donington Park show on 16th August 1986.

Following on from Joe's back injury a few days before in Belfast. This show suffered from various electrical problems as described in Joe's onstage quotes.

The band were interviewed by local TV who included two minutes of live footage.

Live and studio photos have also been published in recent years by Gettyimages.


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).


Joe Elliott 31st August 1987 - Onstage Quotes

Before Bringin' On The Heartbreak

"We've got a few technical problems going off up here so we're gonna take five for a minute and do something nice and quiet. Try and get rid of the buzzes. This is, this is a rendition of one of our earlier songs done a brand new way. Hope you like it."

After Animal

"Thankyou very much, you did it, you bought it. Imagine that, Def Leppard in the Top Ten. Well we've had a lot of ups and downs, good evening how you doing, alright, what's your name?. This is Jamie. Jamie Lee, now all we need is Curtis Lee and we've got the boiler. Ah what a shame I failed the audition again. Tried to join the band last time."

"Right then. as I was saying you know, good evening, you've been quiet all night out there you lot. Can you make some noise out there or what? We just played two gigs in Belfast and they made a hell of a lot more noise than that. Them paddy's are loud you know. C'mon Sheffield!. C'MON SHEFFIELD!. Ricky Allen!." Rick then starts PSSOM after Joe's attempted speech.

Def Leppard September 1987. Sheffield 1987

Before Photograph

"You know electricity's a very funny thing, sometimes it works, sometimes it don't work. And in Sheffield tonight it don't work. So, we're gonna have a word with the management and see what we can do about it, maybe an extra gig sometime. We've done it before and we'll do it again. You see hometown gigs are always a little bit special really and you always want them to be a bit of a legend a little bit like Marilyn Monroe for instance.". In true Joe style he ends with "Don't forget us and we won't forget you alright?".

Def Leppard 1987.

Record Mirror - Concert Review Excerpt

Surely nothing else could go wrong, could it?. Surely nothing could deprive Def Leppard of their triumphant homecoming after years of tragedy and disaster. Surely nobody would have minded a degree of indulgence as they worked off the pent up frustration of the months gone by.

It went wrong, Joe Elliott, picking up a serious back injury in Ireland two days before, was still in hospital at midday on the day of the gig, and missed the soundcheck. And some malevolent spirit hid itself away in the sound system and spent the concert playing mischief with the sound.

Perhaps it was the ghost of John Bonham, determined to stop them in their aim of becoming as important as Led Zeppelin. After all, it would explain Rick Allen's arm accident, and why the sound mysteriously drowned out the Zeppelin section of 'Rock Of Ages'...

Despite it all, Leppard had the edge on the night, and when they appeared onstage a wave of emotion somewhere between disbelief and relief swept through the auditorium. Elliott, covering his injury admirably, picked up on it straight away, and set about the audience in blistering style, happy to extend the hand of friendship to the audience while reminding them that they owe Leppard.

Leppard dress down for the big occasion. Decked in jeans and T-shirts, they deliberately steered clear of the stripey trousers or glam image, concentrating their energy on a 100 minute set drawn mainly from the last three albums.

(Read the full review on the show page).


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