The Return of Def Leppard

Well, we did it!

My wife and I finally went to a concert together. I know. Not exactly a monumental accomplishment, right? But it just seemed a bit weird that, with all of the stuff we’ve done together in our four years of marriage (plus our nine months of dating), we’ve never done the concert thing.

We’ve hit a few states, traipsed through a couple of countries, been to the circus, done the four major sports (Celtics Basketball, Red Sox Baseball, Bruins Hockey and Patriots Football) seen David Copperfield, taken in some wrestling (Raw & Smackdown), been to a pay-per-view (Backlash in Worcester) and even sat in the front row for WrestleMania XIX in Seattle.

Going to a concert was the one thing I had yet to do with her... at least that was the case until August 11, 2007. I scored a pair of concert tickets as a gift for our four year wedding anniversary, but I wasn’t about to blow money on just any concert. It had to be a concert that I had a reasonably good feeling I’d love and that she’d also enjoy, so I went with one of my favorite bands of all time:

Having been to two of their concerts in the past, I knew that Def Leppard delivered a kick-ass live show, so I figured it was a safe bet. Sure, they might be a group of five dudes pushin’ 50, but they can still rock the house. Once in a while, my nephew would give me sh*t about being a Def Leppard fan, but I didn't mind. He has his own tastes in music and, frankly, I think he was a bit quick to dismiss them as just another glam rock band. In a world where most rock bands will lose you in guitar distortion, Def Leppard always had a crisp and clear sound. To the naysayers, I say mock all you want, but it might surprise you to know that Def Leppard is one of only six rock bands with two original albums selling over ten million copies each in the United States. Here are the other five:

• Eagles
• Van Halen
• Pink Floyd
• The Beatles
• Led Zeppelin

Okay, back on-topic.

Knowing that this was my wife’s first American concert, I paid close attention to her reactions and I was happy to see that she was really enjoying herself. Foreigner and Styx opened for Def Leppard at the Tweeter Center (Mansfield, MA) and maybe it’s just me, but even at the height of their popularity, I could never have imagined saying, “Hey, I’m gonna go to the Foreigner concert!”

Yet, I’ll give both bands credit. Neither of them sucked like I inherently imagined they would.

It was one of those situations where they’d belt out a song and I’d be like, “Oh yeah. I know that one! Hmm, Foreigner sings that one? Who knew?” When Foreigner played hits like, “Hot Blooded,” “Juke Box Hero” and “Feels Like the First Time,” I was like, “Wow, and here I thought they’d only play, “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and be gone.”

Foreigner went first so presumably, Styx was the bigger name of the two openers, right? Yet, I recognized far fewer of their songs (...though my wife seemed to actually prefer Styx). What can I say? I was never a huge Styx fan. Apparently, Styx will be touring with Def Leppard for the entire tour, but Foreigner will only appear at some of their shows.

As for me, well, beyond “Come Sail Away,” I was pretty much lost… and kinda anxious for Styx to leave the stage. What was funny was that, aside from the ENORMOUS “Styx” banner in front of our eyes, my wife thought they were the main band of the evening. She really liked their songs and was impressed with the way they dressed. I responded by saying, “I can’t speak for what they’re gonna wear, but just wait until Def Leppard comes out. Then, you’ll really see a show!”

Sure enough, they saved all of the cool and brightly lit screens for Def Leppard’s performance; screens that had remained hidden and unused for Foreigner and Styx. Def Leppard opened with “Rocket” and the huge screens behind them played out an elaborately animated video of a rocket racing by images of the band, sexy women, their album covers, etc. It's hard to describe, but in a way, the huge screens actually seemed to give new life to these tried and true classics. For the first time, I actually understood the appeal of music videos. They just seemed to make the songs more explosive. It's the only way I can think to describe it.

At the risk of sounding cliché, you just hadda be there.

My wife was pleasantly surprised to discover just how many of their songs she actually knew. Plus, she had an opportunity to swoon a bit when Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell took their shirts off (…it’s such a staple in their act that I barely noticed it until she pointed it out to me). I’ll give them credit. For a couple of virtual fifty year olds, they’re still in phenomenal shape.

Joe Elliott (the lead singer) has almost always looked like unadulterated, broken ass, but he’s still fairly slim in his own right. Can’t say the same for his face, but if you’re a true Def Leppard fan, you only care if they can still play… and without a doubt, they can.

Rick Savage (bass) is slim as well, but that’s the only thing he’s got going for him at this point. In the glam rock eighties, he fit in well and was the object of lust for many a female fan. Now, he looks like an cracked-out old woman with big bug eyes. It kinda creeped me out, but here again, he can still play, so who cares, right?

You really couldn't see Rick Allen (drums) and, like I said, Vivian and Phil (lead guitars) still looked good for their age. I was bummed out about one thing, though. In the past, you couldn’t bring cameras to these shows, so for fear that I’d have mine confiscated, I left it at home. Turns out, however, that plenty of people brought digital cameras and nobody gave a rat’s ass, so I have no pictures to share, outside of the one I pulled off the web that gives you an idea as to what the stage looked like.

I’ll keep this camera-less experience in mind for the next time they’re in town (...assuming they come back). Until then, Def Leppard can rejoice in the knowledge that they gained a brand-new fan on August 11, 2007… and she’s more than up for another concert if they do come back.