Interview :: 5th August 2005.
From greatest hits to new covers, Def Leppard is still roaring along ::
Although the Tribe is still in the hunt for the wild-card playoff spot, the Indians are not the true "Boys of Summer" this year.
That honor belongs to veteran rockers Def Leppard, who - along with Bryan Adams - are on a co-headlining tour of minor-league ballparks around the country.
Of course, because the quintet formed in Sheffield, England, the sport is not its first love - as vocalist Joe Elliott is quick to point out.
"I don't know anything about baseball," the affable 46-year-old says, calling from Peoria, Ill. "It's soccer for the English boys."
Still, Elliott observes that playing on the diamond - instead of in arenas or outdoor amphitheaters - is creating a unique concert experience.
"I'm surprised no one else has really done it," he says. "Last year, [actually, earlier this year] Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan did it together. We've been, like, the second crowd through doing a similar thing.
"The fact that nobody's really done [a tour like this] adds an extra dimension to the show. There's a bit of a curiosity factor [for the crowd], like, 'Wow, I've never been to one of these gigs.' "
Not everything will be unorthodox when the tour hits Classic Park in Eastlake tomorrow, though.
Elliott notes Def Leppard is "committed to a greatest-hits set" this summer, partly because of its recent two-CD hits collection, "Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection" - which equals plenty of Bic-flickin' fodder ("Love Bites") or devil horn-throwing headbangers ("Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Animal").
In fact, the biggest live addition has been a version of David Essex's 1970s hit "Rock On," which the band is including on an upcoming covers record.
The much-anticipated set, due out late this year or in early 2006, might surprise some people.
Featuring songs recorded before 1979 -- the year Def Leppard signed its first record contract -- the album includes a rendition of "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks, flamboyant glam numbers from T. Rex and Sweet, and even a stab at Blondie's new-wave thrash.
"Those songs that we've covered will show, at last, of where we actually came from musically," Elliott says. "[Some people] obviously think that we grew up on Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin and stuff.
"It's like, No, we like them, we respect them -- but they weren't our main reason for wanting to do this.' That's why Def Leppard doesn't sound like Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. We're a pop band, pop-rock band, whatever you want to put it."
Annie Zaleski © Plain Dealer 2005 :: (Link Expired).
