Boston/Mansfield, MA - Media Review Quotes
By Rory Flynn
Def Leppard, who played the role of headliner, opened their set by going straight to their one and only new song of the night, "Undefeated". Truth be told, the bonus track to the band's new live album Mirrorball is an infectious rocker that is structured in the same way as the rest of their hits. And for that, it was a seamless flow into fan favorites "Let's Get Rocked" and "Animal". The rest of the 90-minute set was a showcase of the British rocker's best material, mostly that of 1983's Pyromania and 1987's Hysteria. Despite the show's predictability, it was perfectly fine for the undersized but devoted following who barely filled the seats inside the shed.
Frontman Joe Elliot still works the stage well and his vocals held up equally as strong, though they were slightly strained by the end of the night. With a parade of hits from power ballad "Love Bites" to rocker "Hysteria", Elliot was aided by lively sing-alongs from the crowd. Guitarists Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen (shirtless, of course) were a duel threat, leading the charge throughout the show. While each enjoyed solos of their own, the two came together for a thrilling duel on "Rocket". Bassist Rick Savage, who truly still looks like an 80's rock star, delivered an extended solo before the band delivered a cover of David Essex's "Rock On". Drummer Rick Allen's moment to shine came during the instrumental "Switch 625". Using a multitude of foot pedals with ease, Allen still inspires fans over 25 years since the amputation of his left arm.
By Boston Music Spotlight 2011.
By Sarah Rodman
Powered by the still vital scream of Elliott and the twin guitar attack of Collen and Vivian Campbell, the British quintet - who rode a mighty wave in the 1980s by dressing up irresistible pop melodies in stacked harmonies, fist-pumping, just-hard-enough rock riffage, and a Union Jack - hit the stage with a mission to crank out the hits, have a good time, and help an eager crowd engage in 90 minutes of time travel.
The quintet sidestepped the usual restroom/concession stand exodus that greets new material by opening with a new tune, the rousing Burundi-beat based "Undefeated" - from its recent live album - whose montage of famous sports victors and tragedy survivors concluded with an homage to their own drummer Rick Allen, who has indeed triumphed over adversity.
By The Boston Globe 2011.
Read the full review at - bostonglobe.com
Def Leppard shows its 'Ages' By Jim Sullivan
Though they started with a new one, "Undefeated," it was all very '80s, with songs from "Pyromania" and "Hysteria" dominating. Def Leppard plays melodic, sugary hard rock with Simple Simon lyrics. The pop hooks, emphasized by frequent vocal harmonies, are easily digestible. The guitar licks are modestly aggressive, but never over-the-top.
There is, though, no nuance - and there are no surprises. Put it this way: Def Leppard will never take you to places you haven't seen or heard before. They really like songs with "rock" in it - "Let's Get Rocked," a heavy cover of David Essex's "Rock On," "Rocket," and, of course, "Rock of Ages." Their "wildness" is self-contained. There's a fair amount of Spinal Tap in Def Leppard, a band as resolutely middlebrow as they come.
By Boston Herald 2011.Read the full review at - bostonherald.com
By Melissa
Last night I attended the Heart and Def Leppard Mirrorball Tour Concert with my sister and my mother. Although the place was not filled, there was a big audience. It was my first time seeing both bands live and it was one of the best concerts I've been to! Both of these bands careers hit peaks in the '80s but still continue to record new material. With two amazing sets they proved that they still have just as much energy as they did then.
Heart first came to fame in the '70s, waned in popularity in the early ’80s but then made an even bigger comeback later in the decade. Heart's greatest hits include "Crazy On You", "Magic Man", "Barracuda", "What About Love?", and "Alone". All of these songs were played in addition to others including the single "WTF" from their latest album, Red Velvet Car. Their encore song was a cover of Led Zeppelin's "What Is And What Should Never Be". What amazed me the most about their performance was that the Wilson sisters' skills have not diminished in any way. Nancy can still play guitar better than most and Ann can still hit those amazing notes she is known for.
By Metalosophy 2011.
By TWRY Staff
Def Leppard is out in support of Mirrorball: Live and More and opened the set with “Undefeated” one of the three new tracks included on the new record. The song has grown on me since first hearing it and came off much better live (heavier with more gusto) than the studio version. Creating the set list for this band has to be tough nowadays with eleven studio records under their belts and one live/studio album. Will you hear anything from Slang, Euphoria, X, Yeah! or Songs from The Sparkle Lounge? Only “Rock On”, the David Essex cover (from the 2006 Yeah! cover album) was included in the set. The current set pulls mostly from their earlier pioneering releases Pyromania and Hysteria, and why not with total album sales well into the millions. I guess if I had a small criticism it would be to possibly throw in a song or two from past albums that fans may not expect or have heard in a few years. Drop “Love Bites”, “Rocket” “Armageddon It” and add ‘Billy’s Got A Gun”, “Ride Into The Sun” and “I Wanna Be Your Hero”..but that’s just me.
After watching the entire show from beginning to end the real glue that holds this band together (at least live on stage) is Phil Collen. I don’t think he gets enough credit just in terms of what he brings to the stage as far as his energy, his charisma and of course his monster guitar playing. I don’t want to state the obvious and proclaim that Vivian Campbell is a great guitar player, because he is, but he’s not needed in this band. As much as I like him and the many other projects he has played with over the years he brings very little to the table on stage with Def Leppard. I may get flack for writing this but whether it’s done with intent or not Campbell could be replaced and nobody would care or maybe even realize it.
Highlights in the set include “Animal”, “Foolin”, ‘Switch 625”, “Hysteria” and “Photograph” which I think gets the crowd moving more than any other song in the set. I may get additional flack for saying this as well but “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is tired and needs to be put to rest for a bit. I realize it’s a huge hit but its popular for all the wrong reasons. Mostly drunken female fans who only know 2 or 3 songs in the set and wouldn’t know “High N Dry” unless it was a new shot or mixed drink offered up at the bar. That’s what I like least about a Def Leppard concert. I don’t mean to be overly critical of the entire night because Joe Elliot was better vocally than I thought he’d be and was light years better than the last time I saw the band a few years ago touring with Journey. Savage and Allen still team up for a great rhythm section and Savage ads a lot to the harmonies as well. Def Leppard still gives 100% in terms of their stage show, lights and overall presentation. Larger than life..which is what arena rock is all about. If they could match that with a larger than life set list, maybe we’d have something here.
By TheyWillRockYou 2011.
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