home > lep history >

def leppard / 3 Continents In One Day World Record

on this day - 23rd October 1995

On this day in Def Leppard history set a World Record by playing three concerts on three different continents in one day.
Playing acoustic shows in Morocco, England and Canada to promote their 'Vault Greatest Hits 1980-1995' album.

Def Leppard 1995.

"Would I do it all again next week? No f**kin' way."


Def Leppard 1995.


This section looks at the 3 Continents In One Day world record attempt in October 1995 when the band played three shows in three different countries in a single day.


"It will probably sound like a big empty cave."

Def Leppard played three concerts on three continents on one day on 23rd October 1995 to promote their new Greatest Hits album.

This was done to help publicise the 'Vault Greatest Hits 1980-1995' album and to set a new world record.

The three countries chosen - Morocco, England and Canada also happened to be on three different continents. Europe, Africa and North America. The name given to the event was - 3 Continents In One Day and written on various press releases and backstage passes as "Vaulting The World" or "3 Continents In A Day."

The 6,000 mile trip started in Morocco (which is on UK time-GMT) with the band having flown from London's Gatwick airport. They then flew back to London (2 hours 45mins each way) to play show two and finally flew on to Vancouver to end the trip - a nine and a half hour flight.

With the last show in Vancouver taking place at 10:45pm local time they actually played the shows in 30 hours. 10:45pm in Vancouver being 6:45am in London, England. Due to the time zone changes the record was allowed to stand as it was still the 23rd October in Vancouver.

Also on board the plane with the band were a group of journalists from around the world and fans who had all won competition prizes. Many TV stations including MTV covered the event. A 30 minute special was broadcast on Norwegian TV.

The day after the band completed this mammoth journey they took a 22 hour flight to Singapore to continue their two month Vault acoustic promo tour.

The UK release of the 'Slang' single in April 1996 included the only official release from the band tied to this event. CD2 was packaged in a purple card sleeve and titled the "Limited Edition 3 Continents On One Day Souvenir Pack". It included four postcards with memorabilia pictured from that day and live photos plus a message from Joe.

As Joe explains below in his tour diary, there were a few mishaps along the way! Including lost instruments and his own health issues.

Read the story of the day below with quotes from the band on that day and afterwards. Plus some photos/screenshots from various sources - mostly UK rock magazines.


Def Leppard 1995.


Def Leppard 23rd October 1995 - Photos

3 Continents In One Day - Record Attempt

In order to set a new world record the band had to play three shows of at least one hour in length and have a minimum of 200 fans in attendance.

Show Number 1 - Hercules Cave (Grottes d'Hercules), Tangier, Morocco

The show was due to start at 12am local time but due to power issues it started 30 minutes late. This prompted Joe to tell the crowd - "Sorry about the delay folks. Apparently somebody forgot to put a shilling in the meter.". It took place in - an old cave located on the coast with a stunning view of the ocean. A popular tourist destination. Joe wore a Fez during the performance."

Def Leppard 1995.

Whilst in Tangier the band attended a banquet that featured lots of local themed festivities. Phil rode a camel and got lifted up by a 'strongman' who walked along broken glass - whilst also holding up a roadie under his other arm.

World record Facts - Kerrang! 1995

The band aimed to get into the record books by playing three gigs in one day on three continents. The first was in Morocco, the second in London and the third in Vancouver, Canada.

Their set-list for the shows included the following songs, 'Armageddon It', 'Two Steps Behind', 'From The Inside', 'Ziggy Stardust', 'All I Want Is Everything', 'Animal', 'You Can't Always Get What You Want', 'Little Wing', 'Where Does Love Go When it Dies', 'Pour Some Sugar On Me', 'Hysteria' and 'Get It On'.

Leppard's record bid is currently being processed by the Guinness Book Of Records.


Def Leppard 1995.



Def Leppard 1995. Def Leppard 1995

Show Number 2 - The Bottom Line club, London, England

The second show (which was free to fans who turned up on the day) took place in a small club located next to the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. This show was due to start at 11:45am UK time...Morocco and the UK are in the same time zone - GMT. At this show the band began to vary their setlist slightly. Singer Stevie Vann got up on stage with the band to sing her vocal parts on When Love & Hate Collide. She had originally done this for the 1990 demo of the song and those parts were kept for the new 1995 studio recording. The venue later became an Australian themed bar called The Walkabout.

Show Number 3 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Canada

A third show took place at around 10:45-50pm in a small Vancouver club with around 900 radio station contest winners attending. The band later noted that they were a very loud and enthusiastic crowd with some even moshing during PSSOM. The band played two new songs - 'All I Want Is Everything' and 'Where Does Love Go When It Dies' as a preview of the upcoming 'Slang' album which had been announced for March 1996 at this time.




Joe Elliott - 1995 Interview Quote

"It was the band's idea to do something weird and wacky. We haven't actually had the chance to nail this persons head to a coffee table yet who actually came up with this 3 gigs in one day lark you know. But I mean it is a challenge and we do like a bit of a challenge."

Rick Savage - 1995 Interview Quote

"We're actually, we're looking forward to it. It's a challenge and nobody's ever done this before so somebody's gotta do it for the first time. Why not it be us. We always like breaking barriers and if the Guinness Book Of Records are on hand. If it puts us in there that's alright with us."

Pour Some Sugar On Me 1988. Def Leppard 1995

1995 Interview Quotes

On Playing In A Cave

Joe - "Yeah we are."

Sav - "We've played some strange gigs in our career. We've never played in a cave before. It will probably sound like a big empty cave."

Joe - "Yeah toilets, lots of toilets but never a cave. Yeah I just hope that there's no bats in out that come flying out when we hit the first chord. Never been to Morocco before. This is a first for I think everybody in the band."

Vivian Campbell/Rick Allen - 1995 Interview Quote

Vivian - "No I'm not nervous. I'm feeling hungry and a little tired but I'm sure we can sort that out. Are you nervous?."

Rick - "Not really. It's not like a sort of a full electric show so it's meant to be a little more relaxed. And, you know, every man for himself."

Brian Johnson's A Life On The Road 2017 - Joe Elliott Interview Quotes

3 Continents In One Day World Record

Brian - "Joe of all the things you've done with Def Leppard there's one thing I've always wanted to ask you. There was a time when you did three gigs on three continents in one day. What the f**k was that about?. You know, are you nuts?."

Joe - "Right well let's explain it. We had a Greatest Hits album coming out. So what can we do that's completely bonkers that the press will go Oh I've gotta see this. Why don't you play three gigs in three continents in one day. I was like how's that even possible?. They said well technically it's not but with time zones it is. I can't remember where the first gig was. This is how mad it was. It was in a cave in Turkey or something I don't know. At midnight and then you fly to London. You play London at noon. And then play North America..."

Brian - "At 7 in the evening."

Joe - "Yeah. So we ended up playing this cave and then we came and we did the Shepherd's Bush Empire. That's the one gig I don't remember doing. I saw the reviews where it said Joe Elliott sat on a stool completely talking bollocks. I mean it was nuts but all the journos were on the plane with us. So you know the ones that had stamina came all the way to Vancouver. And the ones that didn't got off in London. But it was bonkers. But it's what we did to promote a Greatest Hits record."

Brian - "Geez...boy you guys."

Joe - "Again it was one of those never again moments!."


Def Leppard 1995.



Def Leppard 1995. 23rd October 1995

Joe Elliott's 3 Continents In One Day - Road Report

Def Leppard performed three gigs in three continents in just one day last week. And here's the full story of how it went, courtesy of our on-the-spot roving reporter...Leppard singer Joe Elliott.

"Arrive at Gatwick a bit late and dash to the Sports shop to get a bag for all my stuff. I've got all my overnight gear in a plastic laundry bag, and it doesn't look very cool. So I get a £10 hold-all, and stuff my gear in. Right, we should be in Morocco in two hours and 35 minutes."

"I'm now at the hotel. in Morocco. It's nearly five o'clock, and we've done loads of press on the flight on the way. Sav's bass hasn't turned up, so his guitar roadie's scouring Morocco trying to find one!."

"We found Sav an electric bass - couldn't find an acoustic one - and everything's okay. It's five minutes to the gig. More soon!."

"Well, I'm hoarse as hell. We played a little set, and it was a good laugh. We went on half an hour late because of a power failure. There were hundreds of people in this little room with just four candles for light! We encored with (T. Rex's) 'Get It On', which we'd never played before. I screwed up 'When Love & Hate Collide' and a bit of 'Hysteria', because of my voice. I've had a bit of a cough for a few days, so it's an uphill struggle from here..."

"Back at Gatwick for 7am. The worst part of the trip so far has been the drive in the bus back to the hotel, which took two hours in the rush hour traffic. Had a quick sleep when we got to the hotel - that was a big mistake."


Def Leppard 1995.


"The London gig was great - apart from Sav's acoustic bass not working!. It was nice to see a few more fans - a good five or six hundred people. There was some good banter between us. Now we have to pack for a nine-and-a-half-hour flight to Vancouver."

"I missed the films on the plane, but I don't give a shit cos I managed to sleep for six hours. Quick soundcheck and a few interviews and then we did the set in a different order. The audience was stunning. It was like Beatle-mania, with people moshing - moshing! - during our acoustic set. It's great to be back in America knowing that we can still be as valid as ever in '95."

"By the time we'd finished the set I was so buzzing I wasn't tired any more. Me and my girlfriend stayed up all night and had some drinks, and we're straight off to Singapore on a 22-hour flight tomorrow. Somehow I'll lose a Wednesday because of it all. I want my Wednesday back! There's a good headline for you!."

"Would we do it all again? Yes. Would I do it all again next week? No f**kin' way. It's been a great way to launch the 'Vault' album, and if we get into the record books then great, so be it, if not, then we're definitely the first band ever to have done what we've just done, and it feels great. Yeah! We did it!."

Guinness Book Of Records - Quote

"Def Leppard played concerts in three continents on 23 October 1995 to become the first band to achieve this feat. Signed by Peter Mathews and Norris McWhirter."

Rick Savage May 1996 Interview Quotes

"Well strangely to really top it off we had to fly the following morning from Vancouver to Singapore on a 22 hour plane flight. It's madness. You wouldn't want to do it every week, but we have fond memories of it. It was a good idea to finish in Canada, because the Canadians have been very very supportive and the audience is possibly one of the best."


Watch a playlist of videos from this day including MTV News Reports, interviews with band and performance footage.

Def Leppard 1995 Fan Videos.


related pages/releases


Back

share this page:





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