Def Leppard - Nottingham Review

Sheffield's Def Leppard are one of the country's biggest 1980s musical exports. It is estimated that the band have sold over 100 million albums worldwide since forming in 1977, with success particularly coming in the mid-1980s with 1983's Pyromania and 1987's Hysteria - their third and fourth albums respectively. Last year was the thirtieth anniversary of Hysteria, one the decades biggest-selling albums, so unsurprisingly the band wanted to celebrate this milestone. Why the band decided to wait a year to celebrate this feat is anyone's guess, but earlier this year the band announced a European tour, that included a good amount of UK arena dates, which would include Hysteria being played in full each night and complimented by a selection of other choice cuts. Def Leppard UK tours are not the most common of occurrences, so getting tickets for each one is always a no-brainer. With the band's last two UK treks being part of co-headline tours, with Mötley Crüe and Whitesnake respectively, seeing the band take to arenas on their own again was an exciting prospect. The band have always been popular here, but they seem to be raising back up to some of their old lofty heights. Admittedly the fact that Hysteria was due to be played in full was probably a big draw for a lot of people, and with a heavy-hitting support act in the form of American power pop legends Cheap Trick rounding out the bill it was clear that these tickets were going to be hot. I opted for the Nottingham show at the Motorpoint Arena, which is a venue I have been to many times over the years and even saw Def Leppard at previously back in 2011. I always enjoy an excuse to return to Nottingham so I certainly did not need much persuading to do so. It was also great to see that the tickets were relatively cheap when compared to most other arena shows. Tickets are getting pricier and pricier with each passing year, so it is great to see Def Leppard keeping them as affordable as possible. This is probably another reason why the band managed have managed to pull off a successful UK arena tour on their own, and the thousands who parted with their cash all over the country for tickets are sure to have felt like that they have got their money's worth!

By the time Cheap Trick hit the stage at around 7:40pm, the arena was almost full so the American rockers had a large crowd to play with. The band have never been as popular over here as they have in their native America, where they are genuine living legends, they have always been a known name here and there were clearly more than a few fans in attendance. Most of the songs played came from their 1970s catalogue, with their perennial set-opener Hello There getting the party started before ELO Kiddies from their first album whipped up a storm. Songwriter Rick Nielsen (guitar/vocals) did most of the between-song talking, but it was frontman Robin Zander who stole the show for me. His voice has a lot more grit now, which gives the band's a heavier edge than previously which brings their sound bang up to date. The sultry Big Eyes sounded as fresh as it did in the 1970s however, the big power ballad The Flame - which saw Zander armed with an acoustic guitar - took the crowd right back to the 1980s when songs like this filled radio waves all over the world. The last three 'true' songs of the set were the highlights of their part of the night however, as three bona fide classics were played for the appreciative crowd. Even the most casual rock fan probably knows I Want You to Want Me and Surrender, and the synth-heavy Dream Police was 1980s hard rock before the 1980s had even started! I Want You to Want Me saw Zander conducting a bit of a sing-a-long with the crowd, but it was Surrender that really got everyone moving and included lots of soloing and general antics from the zany Nielsen. Goodnight Now brought the set to a premature close, and I am sure there were many others in attendance who wished that the band could have played a couple more! The setlist was:

Hello There
ELO Kiddies
Big Eyes
California Man [The Move cover]
If You Want My Love
The Flame
I Want You to Want Me
Dream Police
Surrender
Goodnight Now

Def Leppard had a bit of a tough act to follow, but when the band hit the stage at 9pm on the dot (there was even a countdown timer ensuring that this would happen) and the curtain rose to reveal Phil Collen (guitar/vocals) playing the intro riff to Women, the anthemic opener to Hysteria. What followed was just over an hour of 1980s hard rock goodness, played by one of the bands who helped make that sound a reality. What was instantly clear was just how important Hysteria was to the 1980s rock scene. Side one of the LP was basically just packed full of hit singles, so the first six songs of the set flew by with hit after hit being churned out by frontman Joe Elliott and co. The glam stomp of Rocket was good fun, but it was the chart-destroying Animal and the soulful power ballad Love Bites that really stood out early on. Def Leppard songs always sound somewhat rawer live without the walls of backing vocals, but the five men on stage really helped to bring the songs to life. The guitar tones throughout were spot on, and although Elliott's high notes are a little weak these days he still possesses a great voice. Unsurprisingly it was Pour Some Sugar on Me that received one of the biggest cheers of the night, but the highlight for me of side one was Armageddon It which has a really infectious chorus and a mean guitar solo from Vivian Campbell (guitar/vocals) - the only member of the band's current line-up to not play on Hysteria.

A short tribute to the late Steve Clark followed, before Rick Savage (bass guitar/vocals) launched into the pounding bassline of Gods of War - one of my favourite songs on the album. I had seen the band play the song back in 2011, but it has become a real favourite since. It was also the first song that received a somewhat-muted reception. Even an album like Hysteria can have 'deep cuts', and the non-singles were clearly greeted less-fondly than the chart-toppers. It was many of the so-called deep cuts that really stood out for me however, with Gods of War and the AC/DC-esque Don't Shoot Shotgun really impressing. The latter is a real throwback to the band's early days, with a raw Collen riff driving everything and a gang-vocal chorus that got even some of the fair weather fans involved. The soaring Hysteria title track really got everyone back on board however. It is another favourite of mine so singing along to the chorus was a real joy. Videos of the band from throughout their career were played on the big screens during the song, and it was nice to these shots from vault. The sleazy Excitable and the slower-paced Love and Affection brought the main portion of the show to a close, and brought one of the 1980s' best albums to a close. Of course there was to be more, and a five-song encore followed which included more well-known songs. As it was Collen's birthday he got to choose what to start with, and he chose Let It Go, a golden oldie, before one of the band's power ballads from the mid-1990s When Love & Hate Collide saw phones and lighters alike waved in the air. Three more bona fide classics brought the evening to a close, with Let's Get Rocked prompting a huge crowd sing-a-long, Rock of Ages allowing drummer Rick Allen a minute in a spotlight, and the evergreen Photograph adding a final touch of class at the end. The cheer as the band took their bows was huge, and it was clear that headlining arenas on their own terms is where Def Leppard are going to stay! The setlist was:

Women
Rocket
Animal
Love Bites
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Armageddon It
Gods of War
Don't Shoot Shotgun
Run Riot
Hysteria
Excitable
Love and Affection
-
Let It Go
When Love & Hate Collide
Let's Get Rocked
Rock of Ages
Photograph

When I come to decide my Gigs of the Year in January, I am certain that this show will be up there! This was my third time seeing Def Leppard, and it was easily the best of the bunch. It would have been nice if a newer song had been included in the encore to showcase where the band are currently, but with a setlist as strong as the one above it is hard to argue with their choices. It was a real treat to hear one of the 1980s' most influential albums played in full, and the large crowd in Nottingham clearly agreed with me!