[ Def Leppard UK - Sparkle Lounge | London England 2008 ]
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[SETLIST]
[PA] - For Those About To Rock, [PA] - Short 2007 Intro, [01] - Let It Go, [02] - Action, [03] - Bad Actress, [04] - Armageddon It, [05] - Rocket, [06] - Nine Lives, [07] - Hallucinate, [08] - Animal, [09] - Photograph, [10] - Pour Some Sugar On Me, [11] - Let's Get Rocked, [Encore 1] [12] - C'mon C'mon, [13] - Rock Of Ages, [Encore 2] [14] - Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes), [15] - Wasted. ------------------------------- [DLUK Pic Galleries] - One | Two [Fan Pic Galleries] - One Two Three [Show Recording] - Islington 2008 1CD [Media Center] - Media/Fan Pics/1 Vid [Last Played City] - 18th Jun 2006 [Venue Pic Link] - View [Capacity] - 800. [Show News] - One | Two [Tour Map] - View Def Leppard Fan Videos - NEW View Show Footage - NEW 
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Show 15 - TUE 6th May 2008: Carling Academy Islington, London, ENGLAND. 
[Main Gallery] - 7 Pics © Darren Gibson/Def Leppard UK 2008. [Show Notes] - A small intimate show to launch the new album. Exclusive to the June/July UK ticket holders (VIP's). Also attended by press people (riff raff). Three songs making their 'full concert' and UK debuts: Bad Actress, Hallucinate and C'mon C'mon (June single release in the UK confirmed by Joe). The bands fourth London show this decade and second time playing 'Wasted' after BriXton 2003. The first playing of 'Mirror, Mirror' in the UK since 1983. And if you look closely at the setlist - no ballads played! Footage was filmed outside the venue and of fans going inside. The whole gig was filmed using a main camera set up at the back of the venue and a left-side crane camera plus a few people with hand-helds at side stage (DVD please!). Thanks to Dave/Damian for their reviews/pics (video links)/Dave/Andy/Stephen and Phil - pics/reviews. Buy Def Leppard's new album+single Songs From The Sparkle Lounge / C'mon C'mon Buy Man Raze's new album Surreal |
Def Leppard UK Review - [ Add Yours ]
Def Leppard - Into The Sparkle Lounge ::
Yes we have a new studio album (ninth if you can count!) and it was released on Monday.
I had the pleasure of witnessing a rather fantastic Leppard gig last night in London town. For the fourth time this decade (/century/millenium). It's starting to become a bit of a habit for them - fifth show to follow in June with the 'Snake. And a nice day for a gig - 70 degree weather and unbroken sunshine. Only one stop on the Underground!. And then you arrive in Islington, try to find the venue, where the f*** is it!... I blame the venue website which neglects to mention it's tucked away inside a shopping centre. Thankfully a small Welshman was seen walking around near the upstairs entrance - you might remember him, he had a Top 10 hit in Greece with a song called "Release Me", great singer. Thanks Malvin! No, he wasn't aware of this but seeing him confirmed we were indeed in the right place. OK - Let's rock!
Quick trip to Starbucks (closed-no Phil spotting) / sandwhich bar (mmm...) and then 1 hour of queuing...and trying not to look like you know you are being filmed. Incidentally by three young blonde ladies - surely this should be the other way around?, while dancing to PSSOM (especially the tall one...)...they also filmed us walking into the...
Yes the Sparkle Lounge or sparkly corridors done up with red sparkly carpet and walls lined with various Sparkle Lounge album art posters. Looked great!. Once at the entrance to the main (microscopic) hall we were greeted by the band themselves! - actually five (almost) life-size cardboard stand-ups of the band. Plus more picture frame album art posters. Some of which seem to be rejected album covers (see pic galleries). And then you enter the hall and realise it's...no bigger than a small bar. Actually two bars on either side and a small stage. Lots of disco balls hung from the ceiling and many sparkly lights lighting up the black walls. The coolest touch was the back of the stage draped in the red curtains to match the cover art. I'm sure they meant to get the thrust walkway in but honestly...it would have been sticking out the back wall by about 5 feet. Floor size downstairs was not much bigger than The Spitz. As in you could Spit from the stage to the back wall and vice versa. Much like Tutu's at London's King's College which Alanis played in Nov 2005. Incidentally she has a new single out soon called 'Underneath' and a new album 'Flavors Of Entanglement' out on June 2nd. A London show on June 16th!. And...she's also (you may have heard about this...) on the bill before Lep in Denmark and playing the day before them at Masstival in Turkey.
(Obligatory Alanis mention in Lep review over) It definitely looks like the show was filmed in full by two main cameras, one at the back on a fixed platform. Another on the left side of the venue on a fast-moving crane arm. And at least two of three hand held ones, side-stage and in amongst the crowd. Thankfully there were some very good looking people in the crowd (not just the camera girls!). And all the common scum/riff raff/scalliwags...were kept upstairs. I believe they were referred to as VIPs but you know them better as journalists - (tee hee hee). Judging by some of the other fan pics a professional camera guy was also filming in front of Joe.
Thankfully we only had to wait 2 hours for the band, not like those Man Raze gits who kept us waiting much longer for a 45-min gig!. A good small place with many fellow Leppard fans enjoying the atmosphere and the PA music until showtime. Helped by my sister buying me drinks (can't be bad!) and meeting up with other fans (including fellow webmaster/'audience recording' guru Andy of lepsgetrocked fame). The time passed by quite quickly and after watching Dave Wolf, Sav's tech (forget his name...) and Rocko Reedy? milling about doing what roadies do (all cothed and firework-free thankfully!). It was soon time for the mighty Leppard.
'For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)' - AC/DC on the PA. Now turned up to earsplitting volume (not a complaint!) and when that ended a brief version of the 2007 video intro played (sound only). And the band filed onstage to a rapturous reception from the UK faithful. 'Rocket' then right? Nope. 'Let It Go'.
A great rocking way to start a small club show like this one. Into rock mode from the first opening chords by the 25 year old/50 year old home town London geezer (More bling than snoop dogg). It sounded mighty fine to me. New songs are all well and good but when you don't get to see them (that) often... the old classics sound fresh.
Watching the performance from Jimmy Kimmel last week really put me in the mood to hear classic Leppard again - LIVE. And this was Live In Your Face, not in the round, but in London Town - Loud and Proud!.
Straight into the second song 'Action'. Unplayed here since October 2003. Same as 'Let It Go' - fresh sounding and very rocking. Rick pounding out the beat which pounded through the venue. Joe's vocals all sounded good although the music was so loud his voice was a bit lost at times. Not being a trainspotter type I wasn't going to stand there trying to listen to any signs of Joe's (apparent) sudden inability to sing! What a load of shite! He has been nursing his voice lately but he looked like he was singing just as well as ever and going for every note. Not bad for a guy who's almost 50. If you want vocal perfection listen to the records.
After living with the album for a week or so I was starting to get more into it before the show. One of the ones I initially didn't think was that good was - the next song. The first new one and technically it's live concert debut - live debut in the UK at least, 'Bad Actress'. Verdict? excellent. Fast, rocking and loud. Much better live than on record, a lot more energy. The lyrics might be MLLAM-ish but it works well live. A nice shouty chorus shouted back to the band - by us!. The highlight has to be the trading of solos between Vivian and Phil at the end. Great to see and hear. Not quite up there with 'Die Hard The Hunter' but still class.
Darren Gibson © Def Leppard UK 2008 - bored?...there's more: Page Two