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Def Leppard Rocks Jones Beach Theater By Nicholas Semelak

As more and more people poured into the venue, it became apparent that the majority in attendance came solely for Def Leppard. Lights began to turn on, flickering as the crowd roared in excitement. As the band opened up with “Rock Rock Till You Drop,” there wasn’t a single soul in sight sitting down.

“We traveled from Yonkers just to see Def Leppard,” said Christina Delaney, “It’s fantastic. Since 1985, we’ve been listening to them.”

The band continued with other huge hits like “Animal,” “Love Bites,” “Armageddon It” and “Rocket.” When their smash hit “Pour Some Sugar On Me” ended their set, people’s faces lit up with glee and excitement. Whether someone was buying a drink, talking, or waiting in line, they immediately stopped what they were doing and started singing along, providing a definitive highlight of the night. For their encore, the band performed “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph.”

On top of a stellar performance that sounded identical to the band’s studio recordings, the fans also made the night something special.

By Long Island Press 2015.

Read the full review at - longislandpress.com

By Cryptic Rock

Paying homage to one of the sounds that has clearly had a huge influence on them, Def Leppard segued into an astute cover of David Essex’ 1973 hit “Rock On.” Keeping it interesting, Collen put his own unique touch on the song as he played the guitar lead in even funkier fashion than the original. As fans whistled loudly, Elliott stood solo center stage with an acoustic guitar conversing with the crowd asking if they wanted to join the band before going into the heartwarming acoustic track “Two Steps Behind.” As the crowd joined in with the chorus, Elliott lead them through the track and reminded everyone of the beauty of the songs words. Picking it right back up with the entire band, “Rocket” pumped the beat again. While not a cover, is certainly a tribute song, and in grand fashion, the band paid tribute to those that came before who clearly had a deep impact on their style as Elliott sang, “Jack Flash, Rocket Man, Sergeant Pepper and the band, Ziggy, Benny and the Jets……….Jet Black, Johnny B, Jean Genie, Killer Queen, Dizzy Lizzy, Major Tom………..”, referencing the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Elton John, David Bowie, and Queen, among others.

Not slowing down, 1981 High N’ Dry tracks “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” and “Switch 625” were next, and received equal love from the audience. As many may remember, “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” was the band’s first popular song that embodied their signature sound with its mellow verses punctuated with a heavier, more Rock-oriented chorus, a splintering guitar solo, and completed with a radio-friendly hook. Just like on the record, the song flows right into the instrumental “Switch 625,” which is interesting cut from Def Leppard as the guitars, while predominantly oozing Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, flourishes of both Punk Rock and Surf music throughout, which gave it an unexpected complexity. Winding down the set with more hits like “Hysteria” and “Let’s Get Rocked” came before show closer “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” which is probably the band’s most well-known song. The song was played in a free-wheeling manner with every member of the band struggling to keep from smiling as the crowd drowned the band out on the chorus every time around. It was the song fans were waiting for all night, and as veteran showmen, Def Leppard knows how to keep the crowd rife with anticipation.

After a brief exit, the band came out for a two song encore with both songs coming from Pyromania, and first came “Rock of Ages.” A song about, well, Rock-n-Roll, it is dripping with rah-rah lyrics, outstanding background vocals, an appealing guitar lead, as well as a heavy solo, and an unshakeable chorus. It is Def Leppard personified. Having everyone screaming, another gigantic hit from Pyromania, “Photograph” closed the show with a pulsating riff started the song off before falling into a textbook melody capped off with various “Oh’s” synched perfectly with the music. A concise, deft solo was placed perfectly after two verses and choruses before the chorus was repeated several times, along with more dynamic background singing, before an extended instrumental finish.

By Cryptic Rock 2015.

Read the full review at - crypticrock.com

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