Calgary, AB - Media Reviews
Def Leppard & Styx at the Saddledome By Nick Lewis
Considering it's their best-selling album, one that sold 22 million copies and spawned seven hit singles, it was little wonder that Def Leppard's set at the Saddledome Sunday night consisted primarily of material from 1987's Hysteria.
In fact, they played seven selections off that album - almost half their set - kicking things off with three choice cuts from it, Rocket, Animal and Excitable. They balanced this out with older, rockier material from 1981's High 'n' Dry and 1983's Pyromania, and played nothing off newer albums Adrenalize, Slang, Euphoria, and X, and just one off their cover album, Yeah!
What this basically means is though the English band has been together for 30 years, we only heard 10 years worth of their material, the last two decades seeming like they never happened. While you'd be mad if Aerosmith did that, with Def Leppard it's probably for the best.
Though they're working on a new album with favourite producer Mutt Lange (High 'n' Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria), Def Leppard is, for now, a nostalgia act. And based on Sunday night's show, not a very good one.
A boomer-heavy crowd of 11,000 took in the set and watched a hoarse Joe Elliott struggle with his voice through most of it - a shame considering how many people wanted this to be good. And even though the material was great, the execution was poor, making for a disappointing way to remember it. I mean, I'm not a proponent of lip-syncing, but here's one instance where it would have helped. In addition, there were mixing problems most of the night, which didn't help versions of Foolin', Mirror Mirror, Love Bites, Two Steps Behind, Armaggedon It and Pour Some Sugar On Me.
Opening for the Brit rockers was another nostalgia act, Chicago prog-rockers Styx. Lawrence Gowan spun, twirled and postured on stage with '80s moves as they opened with Blue Collar Man, before moving on to Grand Illusion and Too Much Time On My Hands. Come Sail Away and Renegade sounded best (if you have to rank them), but they didn't play Lady or Mr. Roboto, the song that accounts for half the Japanese words you know.
In other venues, Foreigner was the third act on the bill, but not Calgary. It's almost a shame - on a night that ran through a lot of retro rock radio highlights, I almost missed hearing I Want To Know What Love Is. Almost.
By Calgary Herald 2007.
Eighties enough at 'Dome By Theresa Tayler
How exactly am I supposed to write a concert review about a band that experienced the height of their success when I was five-years-old?
And is that guy behind the drum kit seriously hitting the skins with one arm?
I come from a generation that considers Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder to be the epitome of all that is rock 'n' roll - so last night at the 'Dome I was having a hard time shedding my grunge fatigues and embracing the metallic sounds of the legendary Def Leppard and opening act, Styx.
By song three, I was beginning to become suspicious this might be what is commonly referred to as "crotch rock." And, loving every minute of it!
Pour Some Sugar On Me indeed Def Leppard.
Styx opened the evening, with new addition to the band Lawrence Gowan on keyboards, a member of the group since 1999. The tightly trousered rockers had the crowd of appreciative fans in near frantic hysterics as they broke into classic hits such as Come Sail Away and Miss America. These old guys sure know how to make some noise --noise that harkens back to a time before music descriptions such as emo, grunge and orchestral pop came along to ruin rock 'n' roll fun. Before attending the nearly sold-out show I consulted with Google, Wikipedia and both band's official websites in the attempt to figure out exactly what Def Leppard and Styx were all about.
Wikipedia describes them as glam metal, a description I am having a hard time coming to terms with.
I think glam metal is in reference to the fact these middle-aged men have mastered the art of simultaneously playing guitars and keyboards at ear-piercing tones while flipping their perfectly feathered locks of long hair around and sporting spandex pants. Some fans even dressed up in costume as "bangers," wearing heavy-metal-style hair wigs and tapered jeans with high tops.
This was the cheesiest concert I've been to since Josh Groban - but unlike Groban, these guys know how to rock.
When Def Leppard hit the stage, the crowd rose to their feet and erupted into a scream.
You've won me over, you crazy '80s rockers - with your long hair, crotch hugging jeans, and guitar shredding tunes, who could ask for anything more?
I can hardly wait for Van Halen in December.
By Calgary Sun 2007.
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