I actually cannot put into words how incredible it was to watch my favourite band, live for the first time, but ill try for the sake of a review anyway. It was incredible; simple, special and very memorable.
80’s Glam Rock was a massive influence in my musical journey, even though I was born in 1989 and I missed that era entirely. Thankfully, my brother kept the era alive for me. Amongst many, Def Leppard was a constant sound on his record player, and later CD player, but it was Def Leppard I remember the most. It’s their history, their bond, and their overall presence in music that has been enough for me to put them on a pedestal.
With the new album out this year, I was concerned that we wouldn’t hear many old songs but, I was wrong. They did perform two tracks from their new self-titled album – Let’s Go was their opener for the show, and a little later we heard Dangerous – and mind you, they are the most exciting and 80’s sounding songs on the album. They blended very well with all the classics.
And we were absolutely bombarded with classics. Hysteria, Animal, Rocket, Armageddon It, Love Bites, you name it; it was all sweet, sweet music to my ears. But the crowd, though singing along quite noticeably, remained seated. Lead singer, Joe Elliott noticed this and started to poke fun, saying ‘we’ll work on ya.’
Joe going solo centre stage, was one of my two highlights of this amazing night. With only the microphone on the stand and an acoustic guitar, he teased us with the intro of Behind Blue Eyes by Limp Bizkit. He carried on the joke about everybody remaining seated, by saying ‘okay well, for the next 4 minutes you can stay in your seats because the next one is a little slow’. He asked the crowd ‘who wants to be in Def Leppard?’ With a roar he said ‘okay, for the next 4 minutes you’re all in the band.’ With a laugh from the crowd, he slowed it down with the Lepps classic ballad, Two Steps Behind and the crowd was all in. Slowly but, surely people started getting their bums off seats. The harmony in the room was chilling and beautiful.
Later, and my second highlight of the show was when Joe left the boys for their own jam session. The genius of these musicians was just a stunning scene to watch. It was an honour to witness these talented men demonstrate their skills and techniques on their instruments, as they killed a rendition of Switch 625. It was exciting. It was exhilarating. It was Rock ‘n’ Roll damn it! It was especially a big deal for me to finally witness Rick Allen on the drums. His story has always been an inspiration for me – being a drummer, who looses his arm, then the determination to learn how to play with just the one arm, and his band never turning their back on him – the man is a hero to all drummers, if not musicians out there.
Overall, the most significant thing I witnessed at this concert was the love; the love they have for their fans, and the love they have for each other. They’re united, they’re best friends, and it was easy to see that they have each others backs, especially how they rally around Rick with pride. It sends shivers of humble emotions through me to see it before my eyes. They said during the show that they don’t want to be a nostalgia band. They want the reassurance that they can come out to the other side of the world, and play new songs as well as giving their devoted fans the pleasure of hearing classics. You can tell, with just those few words, their fans constant support is very important to them.
Moreover, this is how good Def Leppard is. Pour Some Sugar On Me would have been the most obvious end to the show. But it wasn’t. There were still hits to play. Though shouting ‘goodnight’ at the end of Sugar, they returned and smashed out not one, but two of their most well-known tunes – Rock of Ages and Photograph. What legends.
All the videos I have recorded of the show are not steady. I forgot I was recording that often, that my footage will give you motion sickness. That’s how much I was just embracing it and getting lost in the music, even though I wanted to create concrete memories. Regardless, this performance is fixed in my memory.
It was a simple looking show. There wasn’t fancy costume changes, no pyrotechnics and no elaborate stage production. There was a big screen in the background, sometimes sharing photos down memory lane of the lads, but that’s it. It was just the band; Joe with his UK flag scarf tied around his mic stand, Savage in his white T and glove on the bass, Phil topless, oiled up and looking amazing for his age, Vivian in tight black jeans and a black T smiling away, and last but not least, Rick on a platform all for him and his drums with his Union Jack patch on his left shoulder and his headphones on.
I cannot express any further what this all meant to me. I am so happy to have witnessed this show. They promise to be back, and I will never miss a show again.
Def Leppard Live at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne deserves more than just 5 out of 5.
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I’m so glad your concert exceeded your expectations Georgia. There is nothing better than finally seeing a band you have loved since childhood and they are better than you could have possibly imagined.