Winnipeg, MB - Media Review Quotes

By Alan Small

The sound technician must have cranked up the vocals after the first couple of songs, which were drowned out by all the drums. That helped give singer Joe Elliott a fighting chance to be heard above the usual metal concert din, and it made 1983's Foolin', the fourth song of the set, stand out.

The blond-haired Elliott looked like one of his fans, wearing a jean jacket as he took the stage. Halfway through though he switched to a white leather jacket and picked up an acoustic guitar for a singalong with the crowd called Two Steps Behind. The band may have rocked and partied hard for over three decades, but Elliott reached high notes in songs like Bringin' on the Heartbreak, with ease. That clear singing helped make Def Leppard a success on the charts while other metal bands of the '80s, and continues to separate it from the rest of the power-pop pack on today's concert circuit.

Photograph, another hit from Pyromania, was part of the encore along with another anthem, Rock of Ages. As for a photograph of the concert, you better be satisfied with the blurry, underexposed shots taken with fans' smartphones. Def Leppard allowed no photographers or video personnel from the media to take pictures of the performance.

By Winnipeg Free Press 2015.

Read the full review at - winnipegfreepress.com

By Darryl Sterdan

And if you’re gonna talk survivors, well, you can’t forget about drummer Rick Allen, who lost his left arm after a New Year’s Eve car crash in 1984. Two decades later, you wouldn’t know the difference. Seated behind his custom electronic kit at the top of a five-step riser, he does more with one arm (and two feet) than most drummers do with a full set of limbs. Also to his credit, he also drives the beat hard and fast, keeping both the band’s momentum and energy level high.

Finally, bassist Rick Allen may have the easy job, but he still held up his end of the show, roaming the stage with his Union Jack axe and propping his foot on the monitor like a rock star is supposed to. Naturally, the crowd was on their side from the opening notes, with the folks on the floor instantly on their feet and singing along.

When you’ve got all that going for you, you don’t need to blow a lot of time and money on production. Def Lep had just enough going on to keep things interesting without going overboard. Mostly they let the arena-sized light and video show do the heavy lifting. The giant screen behind them displayed war footage during Paper Sun, doomsday-countdown graphics for Armageddon It and other appropriate fare. The screens beside the stage gave folks in the nosebleeds some closeups of the action. Instead of a backline of amps, they had more video screens onstage displaying pictures of amps, which was clever. Beyond that, however, they didn’t bother with a lot of gewgaws and doodads and effects. Nobody flew. Nothing blew up.

By Winnipeg Sun 2015.

Read the full review at - winnipegsun.com

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