Def Leppard UK.

[ X UK/Irish Tour 2003 Page 6 ]

THUR Feb 20th 2003: Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield, ENGLAND.


[2 Pics Popi + Denise/Michelle with band (Gallery).]

Fan Review :: by Jonathon Dinnes

After months of waiting for the band to roll into the UK, I finally arrived at the venue on a chilly Thursday afternoon. I'd always wanted to see the band in Sheffield, so this was the first of many dreams come true to hit me in the following 8 days. There was a big event atmosphere around the place in the build up to the gig and there were alot of fans waiting from as early as 2pm.
When the doors finally opened I ran(!) to claim my spot at the front, by this time the adrenalin had truly started flowing. It was a long wait till the band came on, but The Darkness kept me entertained and amused. When the lights went down and the strobes came up the crowd became extremely vocal, and I looked back to see an enourmous, near capacity audience. The band then hit the stage and hit us hard with an amazing opening 4 songs. The energy level onstage was much higher than on recent gigs and the sound was excellent, although a little quieter than I expected. This was all forgotten as I watched and shouted through a truly amazing set. The new songs were well placed, particularly 'You're So Beautiful', which is alot rockier live. 'Now' also had an amazing feel about it, definately the standout new song.

Other favourites were 'Slang', which I couldnt believe they played, and the awesome extended version of 'Rocket', in which Vivian totally stole the show I might add. As the gig swept on, the crowd and band gathered momentum, and the show got better as it went along. When 'Promises' arrived, the crowd went ballistic, and stayed at that level till the show closed, with the 'Hysteria section' of the set delighting the crowd. 'Rock of Ages', as always was incredible.
The band seemed to be enjoying the show too and everyone went home very happy after a great gig. It was good to see all the posing for photos, and also nice to see Frank Noon taking the pix! This time the boys seem to have perfected the show, the lights, the setlist - everything. There was a noticable improvement from the last time I saw them in 1999 (Glasgow), where the band seemed to be going through the motions. My only quibble was that I expected the home atmosphere to be slightly more energetic. However it was still a great atmosphere, and a great gig to see, let's hope its not too long till the next.

Media Story :: by The Sheffield Star

Thrilled Mark jams all the way from San Jose ::

LET's get rocked: This American Def Leppard fan paid thousands of pounds to cross an ocean and jam with his rock heroes. Mark Zack bid in an online auction to play with the Sheffield band during their rehearsal for last night's hometown show. The rock fan from San Jose paid a mammoth £5,000 to make his dream come true.

Media Story :: by Graham Walker

Popi makes a 6,700 mile round trip to see her heroes play Arena ::

Def Leppard fan Popi Cassevetis (in Pic 1 above) rocked her idols when she told them of her 6,700-mile round trip just to see their Sheffield concert.
She couldn't get a ticket for their sold out upcoming shows in her native New York.
So the lifelong fan booked two days off work, jumped on a plane and jetted across the Atlantic to catch the city's rock legends in their own back yard. Her Sheffield cousin, Cathy Kallis, got her a ticket for the band's historical homecoming concert at the Hallam FM Arena.
Popi, aged 40, will complete her own incredible journey on Sunday with a flight from Manchester to Newark, so she can be back at her customer care job first thing Monday. It has cost her $460 but she revealed how she has spent thousands of dollars travelling all over the USA to see Def Leppard.
She even flew to Sheffield last year to track down the band's old haunts. But she had never met them - not until The Star found out and fixed up a meeting with her heroes last night.
Popi chatted, posed for photos and got signings from band members Rick Allen, Rick Savage and Phil Collen.
She said: "This has been unbelievable".
"I was so excited and in such a state I couldn't even remember their names.
"I know some people will think I'm crazy. The women at passport control certainly did." Sheffield relative Cathy, of Bradway, said: "Popi's such a huge fan and it was great to get her a ticket.
"But all her dreams came true when she got to meet the band - thanks to The Star."
Star competition winner Denise Godfrey, 30, and step-daughter Michelle, 16, of Sharrad Road, Sheffield, also got to meet and greet Def Leppard backstage.
Graham Walker © Sheffield Star 2003.