Syracuse, NY, USA - Media Reviews

Def Leppard leads hectic, headbanging hair metal reunion at JMA Dome, but Motley Crue steals the show by syracuse.com

Headliners Def Leppard kicked off at 9:15 p.m. with a set featuring echoing vocals, pinch harmonics galore, and truly thunderous drums. The English rockers didn’t hit the stage with the same in-your-face energy as Mötley Crüe, and chose to start with “Take What You Want” and “Let’s Get Rocked,” which nonetheless showcased shimmering lights and glimmer guitar riffs. Joe Elliot’s vocals were strong, but suffered from a bit too much echo effect, resulting in muddied sound for the first three songs. Lead guitarist Phil Collen, however, had the perfect amount of echo, delivering the sharpest guitar performance of the night, which is saying something given the talent of the opening acts.

The mix was far better when the band played “Foolin’,” and the audience responded with tremendous energy that carried through the set, even as the band played unfamiliar songs from their new record – the most memorable being “This Guitar.” About an hour in, Def Leppard launched into the hits that people came to hear, such as “Rocket.” After a fun instrumental that included a crazy guitar solo and a short but rollicking, one-armed solo from drummer Rick Allen, the band rocked the house “Hysteria,” “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” and “Rock Of Ages,” all complemented by mesmerizing laser light shows.

The whole crowd sang along as Def Leppard finished their set with a perfect performance of “Photograph,” and gave deafening cheers as Joe Elliot promised, “Until next time – and there will be a next time!”

In this hard rock shootout, Mötley Crüe may have edged out their co-performers for the most razor-sharp set of the night, but Alice Cooper and Def Leppard put on sets that contributed to a rock show for the ages.

By Syracuse 2023 - (Link includes 47 photos).

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