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[ X UK Tour 2003 - Cambridge ]
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TUE Oct 28th 2003: Corn Exchange, Cambridge, ENGLAND. 
[4 Pics by Soph (& if you look closely...) (Gallery).] [SETLISTS]
Disintegrate Intro, Encore:
[MusT] :: One Night Stand, As We Stand On You, Freechild, Karma Called It Fate, Underrated, Pleasure Crush, Inter-Revolution, Heartbreaker. External Links :: [ Venue Pic 1 2 ] :: [ 3 Show Pics ]
[Show Notes] :: Cap: 1800. Supported by MusT & Ricky Warwick. The first and only time they've played the Side One of 'High 'n' Dry' opening in the UK (good timing!).
Fan Review :: by Me East Anglian X-stasy :: Almost 8 months of the day since BriXton and I was seeing Def Leppard again - only this time at "home". It was pretty cool knowing this was gonna be a small venue (although it's close no one I've liked has played there so I've never been). I didn't realise how small it actually was! Literally from the back doors it takes less then a minute to reach the front barriers. Heard the soundcheck start before 6pm with the side wall shaking. The two tour buses were parked right in front of us next to a shopping centre car park. After meeting up wih a friend and leaving the front of the que for a nearby Pub (literally just across the road) we had a Beer or two then got back in the que (same spot thanks to a kind couple) and after freezing for 20 more mins we were inside. More beers consumed as Ricky played - but actually heard and saw him through the doors. I will be seated in London and will give Ricky's set a full review then. MusT: We got in and caught the last 3 songs. 'Heartbreaker' was the last and sounded quite cool.
Only no...isn't that Phil in the spotlight belting out a familiar riff? why yes and 'Let It Go' started up. Everyone, myself included went nuts and that didn't stop throughout the whole show. The crowd as a whole seemed so into it and very loud - but maybe it was just us at the front. Anyway the band looked to be in great shape and spirits from the start, looking down at us and grinning from ear to ear. We were that close you could see every detail of the guitars - so cool to be able to see the guys play this close up. You could even make eye contact with Rick who was grinning away again behind his kit and sporting a new dark red Raven Drum t-shirt. If only the record company were as good at advertising as he is:).
Let It Go ends and just when you thought "OK now it must be Action" they go right into a killer version of 'Another Hit and Run' and I'm already starting to lose my voice. You can only do so many "whooos"
and "yeahs" before that happens. I haven't been at a show where everyone around you was singing the words to every song so loudly since seeing Lep for the first time in 1992. Everyone seemed to know these songs as well as we did.
'Bringin' On The Heartbreak/Switch 625' swiftly followed and again got a great response. The cool thing was we were cheering all the way through Switch so it seemed as if they were still playing a song with lyrics judging by the response. Phil and Viv would grin as we cheered them - they kept coming up to front center during the song. With little time for us to reflect on what we just witnessed Joe doesn't say "OK that was side one of...and this is from 1993..." - the band instead go right into 'Action' which I must say works really well and kind of restarts the show. By now my hands are starting to ache (I have bruises on my left hand from clapping so hard) but who cares when your favourite band are playing right in front of you. Joe said "Good Evening Cambridge" and a little bit of banter ensued before 'Make Love Like a Man' came and sounded great. These songs don't seem as tired sounding after you heard the HND set. It was a great version and the cheering was again very loud. The band were all talking and laughing with each other and gave "us" applause after the songs!. I was already starting to think about getting an extra encore.... 'Hysteria' next after Sav's little bass intro followed by 'When Love & Hate Collide' and somehow songs that you feel have been overplayed sound so much better 6 feet back from the stage. It was nice to see the bands reaction because we were still cheering and singing along as if these songs were fast rockers. Vivian was clearly enjoying the reaction he got by climbing up on the monitors and hanging over the front row - I'm sure the fact that women went crazy for him had nothing to do with it. While we're on that subject. During the start of one song a line of women threw underwear at the band - it was hilarious and must have been a planned thing. Suddenly each of them had either knickers or Bras thrown to them and each caught them - not quite Tom Jones but impressive nonetheless... I seem to recall Sav having something else thrown at him and him carrying it to side stage. Probably for the techs to hang up in their collections (dirty gits...). Continued on page 2.
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Def Leppard: Well after MusT had finished we
made our way (very politely) to the front of the crowd and got to 2 rows behind the barrier - directly in front of Joe. It was very cool to be so close to the stage and see everything
in detail as the roadies finished the change over. I noticed Mr Fireworks (David Wolf) carrying some of Viv's guitars and Sav's tech fixing down his pedal rack. The atmosphere
was building up nicely as the ever present "Coma" ended and the 'Disintegrate' intro and strobes kicked in so you knew what was coming next..."Action" right?...