Def Leppard
Nov. 5th, 1987 07:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevins_concertsPhil was a big Def Leppard fan. I wasn't really into that sort of band, but I kinda rode along with Phil's enthusiasm. I always hated hair metal, but Def Leppard was only on the fringe of that movement. They were poppier than the average hair band, and their songs were relatively melodic, which was my main problem with the hair bands. Phil was also a fan of Tesla, who was opening this show. Tesla was less poppy than Def Leppard, but also less glam. A little more regular rock than most. So it ended up being a good show.
Two or three of the local radio stations were having a banner contest. Bill suggested that we all make a banner. We all being he, me, Phil, Aaron and Becky. I put a design together. I had Aaron come over and help paint, one night. And then finished it myself, since I didn't really know what anyone else could do. Seems like I was up late with it the night before the show, trying to finish it, and hoping the paint would dry in time. I thought it looked pretty good, though not quite good enough to win. Maybe right up there. But then after the show, or maybe during, I realized that I hadn't followed directions. I put the station's call letters on it, but I didn't put the key phrase that everyone was supposed to use. Something like "Def Leppard and Lazer 103 rock Milwaukee". Oh well.My Our banner was still pretty cool... because I didn't mess it up with that stupid phrase.
The stage was in the middle of the arena. That was pretty wild. It meant they could sell more tickets (I'm pretty sure the show was sold out), but more importantly, it meant that everyone was closer to the stage. We were in the middle of one side, almost directly in line with the stage, high enough to have a good view of the stage.
The stage had the drum riser in the middle, and a couple of raised platforms going out to the edges of the stage, separating it into north and south. The floor was painted with the lines from the cover of Hysteria. The drum kit spun. During Tesla's set, it turned and faced a different direction every song. During Def Leppard's set, it spun during the songs. It would turn 'round, or go back and forth.
Rick Allen had lost an arm in a car crash three years earlier. We had a good view of him playing his electronic kit. Unsurprisingly, he had a lot of pedals. The other musicians were singer Joe Elliott, guitarists Phil Collen and Steve Clark (three years before his alcohol-related death) and bassist Rick Savage.
Setlist from a show two weeks later (from www.setlist.fm)
1. Dirty Harry Intro
2. Stagefright
3. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
4. Women
5. Another Hit and Run
6. Too Late for Love
7. Hysteria
8. Steve Clark Guitar Solo
9. Gods Of War
10. Die Hard The Hunter
11. Bringin' on the Heartbreak
12. Foolin'
13. Animal
14. Pour Some Sugar on Me
15. Phil Collen Guitar Solo
16. Let It Go
17. Rock of Ages
Encore:
18. Photograph
Encore 2:
19. Good Golly Miss Molly or Travelin' Band
Two or three of the local radio stations were having a banner contest. Bill suggested that we all make a banner. We all being he, me, Phil, Aaron and Becky. I put a design together. I had Aaron come over and help paint, one night. And then finished it myself, since I didn't really know what anyone else could do. Seems like I was up late with it the night before the show, trying to finish it, and hoping the paint would dry in time. I thought it looked pretty good, though not quite good enough to win. Maybe right up there. But then after the show, or maybe during, I realized that I hadn't followed directions. I put the station's call letters on it, but I didn't put the key phrase that everyone was supposed to use. Something like "Def Leppard and Lazer 103 rock Milwaukee". Oh well.
The stage was in the middle of the arena. That was pretty wild. It meant they could sell more tickets (I'm pretty sure the show was sold out), but more importantly, it meant that everyone was closer to the stage. We were in the middle of one side, almost directly in line with the stage, high enough to have a good view of the stage.
The stage had the drum riser in the middle, and a couple of raised platforms going out to the edges of the stage, separating it into north and south. The floor was painted with the lines from the cover of Hysteria. The drum kit spun. During Tesla's set, it turned and faced a different direction every song. During Def Leppard's set, it spun during the songs. It would turn 'round, or go back and forth.
Rick Allen had lost an arm in a car crash three years earlier. We had a good view of him playing his electronic kit. Unsurprisingly, he had a lot of pedals. The other musicians were singer Joe Elliott, guitarists Phil Collen and Steve Clark (three years before his alcohol-related death) and bassist Rick Savage.
Setlist from a show two weeks later (from www.setlist.fm)
1. Dirty Harry Intro
2. Stagefright
3. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
4. Women
5. Another Hit and Run
6. Too Late for Love
7. Hysteria
8. Steve Clark Guitar Solo
9. Gods Of War
10. Die Hard The Hunter
11. Bringin' on the Heartbreak
12. Foolin'
13. Animal
14. Pour Some Sugar on Me
15. Phil Collen Guitar Solo
16. Let It Go
17. Rock of Ages
Encore:
18. Photograph
Encore 2:
19. Good Golly Miss Molly or Travelin' Band