Def Leppard: Oldies and Newbies

Def Leppard w/ Tesla and Styx
White River Amphitheatre, Auburn, WA
09.16.15

Can you name a Def Leppard song besides “Pour Some Sugar On Me?” Before seeing them live for the first time last week I certainly couldn’t. Admittedly I have blank space where song titles should live in my memory, and I could definitely recognize aurally more than just the one track, but Def Leppard was for me a name in lights. On the other hand, my cohort is what you might call a Def Leppardian, Leppardist, a major, scream-like-a-little-girl fan. So at the chance to cover their live tour, we jumped (one of us significantly higher than the other) right on it.

Slated to release their self-titled eleventh LP next month, DL didn’t give away any of the new material at this show. Instead we were treated to an extended string of hits spanning their extensive catalog, all with celebratory rock and roll classicism. Opening the show with Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) – from their 1983 album Pyromania – Joe Eliot buoyed the crowd with pleas of “Hold on tight, we’re gonna rock tonight,” and that’s exactly what we did. The band was in high spirits, especially with the announcement that guitarist Vivian Campbell was in good health after his ongoing battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma caused him to miss opening dates on this tour just a few months earlier. But he looked fantastic and played even better.

Speaking of looking good – how old is Phil Collen? With his wife’s name tattooed across his perfectly rippled abdomen and sporting heavy boots and a matte black guitar, Collen could give Magic Mike a run for some serious cash. As he paraded down the stage with Campbell during the instrumental badassery of “Switch 625” I watched my seatmate’s jaw drop and there were observations about whether he was oiled up or not. I’ve got my money on sweat, but I wouldn’t put it past a rock star to play to the masses. Clad in all black leather bassist Rick Savage certainly wasn’t losing any style points either.

Pulling on heartstrings DL then jumped into “Hysteria,” set against a massive video projection of old band footage including the late guitarist Steve Clark. Their production value for the show was on point, full-on video, amazing lighting, and yet it never felt like too much. The backdrop for “Rocket” actually made it look like a colossal wall of vintage TVs was set up across the stage, embellished with memories and album covers and the Union Jack. This was also pretty much the only way to see legendary one-armed drummer Rick Allen, as his smiling face flashed across the big screens.

The entire show was on point, with minimal banter, maximum rocking out. The all ages crowd – and there were definitely all ages there – sang right along for the entire set. And they closed the main show with the big one, giving a spectacular performance of “Pour Some Sugar On Me” to a full house of fans, some who were walking away with massive hauls of merch, others who finally learned that Def Leppard plays way more hits than you knew.

Adding to the exceptional night was Styx, who left everything on the stage. After all these years, this is a band that still has palpable chemistry, finessing their bombastic progressive pop rock with aplomb. They strutted down the stage, guitars wailing, while Lawrence Gowan swung around on his rotating keyboard, climbing atop it and belting like any of today’s arena-ready pop acts might. The video screens displayed a medley of their album covers, from Paradise Theatre to The Grand Illusion, while they a short set jam packed with touchstones.

From “Fooling Yourself” to the deep cut “Lady” from their 1977 sophomore release Styx II to the unescapable brilliance of “Come Sail Away,” Styx operate like a well-oiled machine. Have they had their challenges? Sure. But they still come together to put on an amazingly cohesive show and had the crowd wrestling over guitar picks thrown like confetti.

Openers for the night were California rockers Tesla. Though the crowd was still filling in, they gave an admirable performance with plenty of guitar solos and vocalist Jeff Keith strutting his gangly limbs all over the stage.

Catch some love and revel in some classics as Def Leppard continue their tour. Find your show here.

Def Leppard Set List
Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
Animal
Let It Go
Foolin’
Promises
Love Bites
Armageddon It
Rock On
Two Steps Behind
Rocket
Bringing’ on the Heartbreak
Switch 625
Hysteria
Let’s Get Rocked
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Encore
Rock of Ages
Photograph