PHIL COLLEN Says 2023 MEXICO CITY Show One Of DEF LEPPARD's Best Ever

Monday, 27th February 2023

Def Leppard 2022

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen was recently interviewed and talked about The World Tour 2023 show in Mexico City.

The World Tour 2023 started in Mexico City on 18th February 2023.

Phil was interviewed by Conciertos Perú to promote The World Tour 2023 show in Lima, Peru which takes place on 28th February.

Phil talked about the Mexico shows, Latin America/South American tour, recording Diamond Star Halos, touring, Motley Crue and playing in Peru for the first time.

Watch the full 13 minute interview below.

Mexico City Show

Phil says he thinks the show was in the Top five ever played by the band.

Lima, Peru Show

Phil looked forward to the band's first ever visit to Peru which takes place tomorrow.

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).

Def Leppard 2022.

Phil Collen/Conciertos Perú - February 2023 Interview Quotes - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

How was the beginning of the Latin Americn tour?

Phil Collen - "Amazing. You know I think the Mexico City one was one of our top five concerts of all time. Yeah I think the energy, And I think there's a lot of reasons why."

Phil Collen - "I think, and this is me personally, I don't know whether everyone in the band agrees, but I think the best show we've ever done was in Los Angeles about six months ago."

Phil Collen - "We've never been this good you know. We're better singers. The playing's good. We keep working on the setlist, changing little things. But just the other night it was like - it blew us all away."

Phil Collen - "And last night was fantastic as well. We played Monterrey. That's where I am right now. So it's just wonderful. Great way to start and the audiences are amazing and we love it."

The term 'Arena Rock'/ Part of your identity?

Phil Collen - "I think it is. I know it was named years ago, but it kinda does describe especially rock bands. bands with a big production. Witha rock band it's slightly different. Si I think that's what that means and a stadium is evn more. So it depends on where you're at but we still put that same show on. And it's just a big show. it's just another way of saying giant rock show."

Thinking about crowds when writing songs like Fire It Up?

Phil Collen - "You'd like to think that that it would work in that thing. So kind of yeah. I mean it's really hard to to write a song like that without it sounding cheesy. And you know and without it sounding contrived."

"But I think with that one especially in Kick they they really they naturally felt that way. And they they felt like they deserved to be played on a big stage, big rock show. So for sure absolutely and you never know when you start writing it whether it's gonna have that ingredient but yeah it sure did all."

How is Diamond Star Halos different from previous albums?

Phil Collen - "It is. I think yeah again we went in we wasn't going to record an album. We were supposed to go and record like two songs. And then the pandemic hit and all the flights got cancelled so we went home and me and Joe uh we started sending ideas together for fun."

Phil Collen - "It was like well I've got this idea not for an album or anything. And we kept doing this with like five songs and we're l ike this sounds like a new album. But the style was different."

Phil Collen - "I think we um with this album we kind of celebrated the time period when we got introduced to music you know."

Phil Collen - "It was like the David Bowie T-Rex not the Hoople Queen. It was all of that stuff when we were like 14 and stuff like that."

Phil Collen - "So without knowing it that the album it it turned into something like representing that kind of era. The really important part of your life where you become drawn into music. And again, like I said, it wasn't done on purpose, but that's that's kind of how it turned out."

Phil Collen - "And that's why we called it Diamond Star Halos because it was a line out of a T-Rex song."

Trends noticed during 4 decades in music/Recording On A Laptop

Phil Collen - "I mean I like going into studios, but it was so much better doing it on my laptop. I I've done all my guitars and all my vocals on my Macs. And it saves so much energy and time."

Phil Collen - "I mean like I said I like going in a studio it's kind of cool. But it really takes a lot of time, and I think if you're a songwriter and you're recording. You know what you want."

Phil Collen - "It's so much easier with the technology you know. We started off making vinyl records and it was cassette then CDs, and downloads and then streaming. And them you have to move with it."

Phil Collen - "And I think you have to, you know, appreciate everything that comes. No, yeah I'd love to do some of that stuff."

Phil Collen - "But having said that like last night, you know, my Guitar Rig on stage. It's computer software and it sounds amazing. It never sounded that good before and the speakers, the technology. the monitors, your In-Ear monitors."

Phil Collen - "So I think as long as you move along with it. And make it your friend, I think that's the thing."

Phil Collen - "I think if you if you dig your heels in and go I don't want to be part of this then then you're doing yourself a disservice."

Phil Collen - "And you're not going to move on so you have to accept everything and and kind of make it your own as well."

Connections between Def Leppard and Motley Crue?

Phil Collen - "We've known the guys since 1983. I mean three yeah and you know over the years what we've hung out. I remember me and I was talking this morning, me and Steve Clark we were staying at Tommy Lee's house this was in the 80s you know. And it's like, so we have a we have a history."

Phil Collen - "Obviously two very big rock bands that done a very different approach you know. Both MTV era, just different things."

Phil Collen - "So it's just so lovely to to on tour with with friends like this and and making two two different sides of rock."

Phil Collen - "We actually done this coin toss the other day. And it's kind of, you know, it's a real thing on one side it said Def Leppard and the other side it said Motley Crue. And we was gonna find out who gets the best place on the plane."

Phil Collen - "Def Leppard or Motley Crue decided to do both, but it's kind of a bit symbolic you know. You have two different faces of rock. And it works really great together."

Phil Collen - "And the fact that we all get on. We're actually getting on our first plane trip today. We're going on, you know, the big Def Leppard Motley Crue airplane."

Phil Collen - "So that's going to be hilarious and fun. And we love everyone there. So it's like a giant family, so it's really fun."

Having many days between shows in Latin America

Phil Collen - "I don't think it was done internally, but it's so we sing. We do a lot of singing. This is so great for our voices having that time off to recover."

Phil Collen - "You've done every day we wouldn't be able to do this you know. It just your voice the next day."

Phil Collen - "But they're doing this is amazing and you know. Depends on who you ask. I love going out and. you know. being a tourist. And one of the things when we was going to go to Peru."

Phil Collen - "And this didn't happen obviously because of a lot of different reasons. I've always wanted to go to Machu Picchu."

Phil Collen - Obviously and I was like can I can I fit it in. Can we get a plane and get maybe get a helicopter or something and get there. But we didn't have that enough time."

Phil Collen - "So I'm gonna have to come and do that another time, but yeah like it's gonna be a first time in Peru. So it's it's really exciting yeah."

The setlist when playing in a country for the first time/Miss You In A Heartbeat

Phil Collen - "You kind of do it's for most part if there's something that's very specific in one country or something. Then you change something around, but we're still trying to perfect the show."

Phil Collen - "So we we've changed it a bit since it was, since the American tour. And I think it's better. I think this is the best set we've done."

Phil Collen - "So we really want to kind of share that with everyone so they they kind of get the same thing."

Phil Collen - "Obviously if there's, and this has happened before, we had a song in Canada there was a massive hit like number two in the singles charts and in the Philippines, but nowhere else in the world."

Phil Collen - "So we've done a version of that you know because we had to we had no idea it was such a big hit."

Is there a common thing you notice in cities around the world?

Phil Collen - "Yeah there's there's a thing and it's it's joy and you see it on people's face that."

Phil Collen - "I mean last night you know I could see joy and that's that's the one word that keeps coming back."

Phil Collen - "People are so happy and just kind of, and I think that the songs the nature of the songs that they're kind of, they just make you feel good."

Phil Collen - "And that's the one thing that we see everywhere. It's like a universal. You see people really happy especially when we do it well you know."

Phil Collen - "It for most part we are for like 85, 90 percent of the time it's more or less there. And sometimes it's 100, sometimes it's 85, you know, but it absolutely Joy would be the word that springs to mind yeah."

Influence of different cultures around the world

Phil Collen - "Absolutely and and more personally because everyone's very different individuals you know. You get, like I said, I'm the I'm a tourist. I go to, I love getting local culture wherever."

Phil Collen - "It could even be in a Omaha, Nebraska in America, I'll go out and I'll go out in the morning. I'll find a coffee shop or whatever and if there's you know museums and stuff like that."

Phil Collen - "I personally do that and it makes such a difference. It's the best learning experience you could ever have. And the different cultures. it just makes, it's a joy for me."

Phil Collen - "But you know it's like it changes you. It kind of teaches you and and we're always learning."

Phil Collen - "So I I love that fact. That's one of my favorite parts of the whole process to be quite honest yeah."

Playing in Peru for the first time

Phil Collen - "We've been, it's a long time coming, we can't wait, Obviously it's like well finally so."

Phil Collen - "And. like I said. you know we're kind of the top of our game. So you're going to get a really great representation of what we're all about."

Phil Collen - "And even with a set list it's kind of it spans everything it's new stuff it's old stuff it's exciting stuff we've it's a show."

Phil Collen - "And I think I can't wait to share that with our friends especially as they haven't seen this before."

Phil Collen - "So it's going to be just wonderful."

Lima, Peru Show

Phil Collen - "Perfect can't wait it's really really great and we'll get a little bit of time there as well. So hopefully we can again you know get some of the culture. And kind of soak up some of the culture and just see what's going on. So really looking forward to that."

Def Leppard 2023.

Def Leppard - The World Tour 2023 Dates

February

Friday, February 10, 2023 Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena - (MC Closing)
Saturday, February 11, 2023 Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena - (DL Closing)

February

Sat Feb 18, 2023 Mexico City, Mexico @ Foro Sol
Tue Feb 21, 2023 Monterrey, Mexico @ Borrego Sports Center
Sat Feb 25, 2023 Bogota, Colombia @ Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar
~~Tue Feb 28, 2023 Lima, Peru @ Estadio Nacional - (First Show In Peru)~~ - VENUE CHANGED
Tue Feb 28, 2023 Lima, Peru @ Estadio San Marcos - (First Show In Peru)

March

Fri Mar 03, 2023 Santiago, Chile @ Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida
Tue Mar 07, 2023 Sao Paulo, Brazil @ Allianz Parque
Thu Mar 09, 2023 Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Parque Sarmiento
~~Thu Mar 09, 2023 Curitiba, Brazil @ Couto Pereira Stadium~~ - CANCELLED
~~Sat Mar 11, 2023 Porto Alegre, Brazil @ Arena do Grêmio~~ - CANCELLED
Sun Mar 12, 2023 Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live

May

Mon May 22, 2023 Sheffield, England @ Bramall Lane
Thu May 25, 2023 Mönchengladbach, Germany @ SparkassenPark Mönchengladbach
Sat May 27, 2023 Munich, Germany @ Koenigsplatz (King's Square)
Mon May 29, 2023 Budapest, Hungary @ MVM Dome (Budapesti Multifunkcionális Sportcsarnok)
Wed May 31, 2023 Krakow, Poland @ Tauron Arena Krakow

June

Fri Jun 2, 2023 Prague, Czech Republic @ Prague Rocks *
Sat Jun 3, 2023 Hannover, Germany @ Expo Plaza
Wed Jun 7, 2023 Solvesborg, Sweden @ Sweden Rock Festival *
Fri Jun 9, 2023 Hyvinkää, Finland @ RockFest *
Sun Jun 11, 2023 Trondheim, Norway @ Trondheim Rocks (Bryggeribyen EC Dahls Arena) *
Wed Jun 14, 2023 Copenhagen, Denmark @ COPENHELL *
Fri Jun 16, 2023 Clisson/Val de Moine, France @ HELLFEST (Main Stage 1) *
Sun Jun 18, 2023 Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop Metal Meeting *
Tue Jun 20, 2023 Milan, Italy @ Ippodromo del Galoppo di San Siro
Fri Jun 23, 2023 Lisbon, Portugal @ Passeio Marítimo de Algés
Sat Jun 24, 2023 Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain @ Auditorio Miguel Ríos
Tue Jun 27, 2023 Thun, Switzerland @ Stockhorn Arena

July

Sat Jul 1, 2023 London, England @ Wembley Stadium
Sun Jul 2, 2023 Lytham/Lytham St. Annes, England @ Lytham Festival (Lytham Green) *
Tue Jul 4, 2023 Dublin/Rathfarnham, Ireland @ Marlay Park
~~Thu Jul 6, 2023 Glasgow, Scotland @ Hampden Park~~ - VENUE CHANGED
Thu Jul 6, 2023 Glasgow, Scotland @ Glasgow Green

August

Saturday, August 5th, 2023 Syracuse, NY @ JMA Wireless Dome
Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 Columbus, OH @ Ohio Stadium
Friday, August 11th, 2023 Fargo, ND @ Fargodome
Sunday, August 13th, 2023 Omaha, NE Charles Schwab Field Omaha
Wednesday, August 16th, 2023 Tulsa, OK @ Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium
Friday, August 18th, 2023 El Paso, TX @ Sun Bowl Stadium

* = Festival.

Def Leppard World Tour 2023