Wednesday
Oct152014
Def Leppard, Circa 1988
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at 12:01AM
Pro-shot footage from the Hysteria tour back in 1988. This was when it was all good, folks. Check out the Steve Clark guitar solo!
Reader Comments (12)
Pity, it was way effective.
This was the 4th tour I'd seen DL on, & like every other time, they never failed to entertain. They're still a great live act, to this day.
I know, I know, this borders on nonsense. Allen's drumming, Elliot's (at least of this time period) charm, and all the rest do a band make.
So I will make a school boy (or girl) observation: go back and watch all those videos from this era. Who is the least showy, but still the most captivating? Who seems inside himself even when he is playing to a packed crowd or to a sound stage?
I think that the artifice of DL--that perfectly constructed, poppy, and sing-along style--was SC's blessing and curse. It fell apart when he died, and it wasn't strong enough to wall up the problems that swelled up and consumed him.
DL were, let's be honest, a pop band (at this point at least) caught up in the NWOBHM flow. They are Bon Jovi with a bit more street cred. But SC gave them an edge--amidst the circus performer half coats, theaters in the round, and under the stage Bacchanalia--that they never got back.
In a nod to Gene: Let's Get Rocked? No, I will pass. I prefer to Let It Go (and do note those who wrote that song). And I have to ask: do you recall how Willis sounded, Gene? And Clark? And Rhoads? You can't throw out a nugget like that and not expect to provide details!
a few folks asked for some details on that Lep/Ozzy show way back when...for those interested..it was the summer of 81..August 14th to be exact..I was 16 at the time..so you can do the math..I'm friggin old.....I don't recall all the songs they played..but they included..High n Dry, Wasted, Rock Bridgade, Let it go....I seem to recall them playing "Hello America as well.Pete was playing an explorer..and I recall some grade trade off riffs between himself and Steve...I remember that they teased the crowd with "Wasted"..started the opening riff..and then stopped a few times until the crowd demanded it...it was a great show ..but I'm sure my age at the time was an influnce...I was just so excited to the band....you tend to remember only the good things..so I'm sure the band being so young themselves..Im sure they were not as tight at they have become...moving on to Ozzy....I do recall Randy being a great performer..I do recall him doing most of the solos from the record..with moderate improv....just happy to have gotten to see him live before his untimely death...very sad..well..wish I had more to add..but glad folks were interested..take care..
Amazing stories have been written about how he was always showin' up hours late to practice, all drunk, with the band nashing their teeth, mumbling about replacing him, only to witness him nonchalantly walk over to his amp, plug in his Explorer and say, "How 'bout this?" and improv a riff that would become the opener of "Photograph".