#Def leppard tour movie
#Def leppard tour plus

A handful of new tunes - the singalong “Kick,” bleacher-stomping “Fire It Up,” glam-fueled “Take What You Want” - fared better and fit with the group’s glossy pop-rock mold. Gathered nearer to the crowd at center stage for a semi-unplugged mini-set anchored by the sappy “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad,” the band stunted its momentum and gave people excuses to run to restrooms. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Īlbeit minor, Def Leppard’s sole misstep owed to mid-concert pacing.

Lead singer Joe Elliott of Def Leppard performs during the Stadium Tour at Wrigley Field. Rather than go through the motions, singer Joe Elliott and company addressed the songs like anthems deserve to be treated - with chords that rang out for miles, rousing lead vocals, driving harmonies, tight rhythms and clean, vibrant sonics. Not surprisingly, the group leaned heavily on material from its blockbuster “Hysteria” LP, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. What it lacked in showiness and toughness it made up for with balance, control, sharpness and fun. Though aware its largest successes belong to the past, it sounded and acted like a band that still enjoys playing together. Save for a backdrop wall of tall screens, extended drum-riser platform and fancy lighting, Def Leppard skipped the frills and focused on music.

#Def leppard tour plus

Afforded a huge stage, the quintet - whose ranks count three original members plus two guitarists, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, who have been in the band for decades - kept it simple. Kim / Chicago Tribune)ĭef Leppard opted for a different strategy.

#Def leppard tour movie

1981)” that ultimately stood as a crass advertisement for the band’s Netflix movie - aimed to distract.ĭef Leppard performs during the Stadium Tour at Wrigley Field Friday in Chicago. Their presence further underscored how other glitzy trappings - hydraulic towers, pyrotechnics, lasers, fog and an ill-advised rendition of “The Dirt (Est. As they slithered around in revealing outfits and struck provocative poses, they provided an enormous boost to the band. Dubbed “The Nasty Habits,” the trio - like most of Mötley Crüe’s hedonistic fare - defied any notions of the #MeToo era. Indeed, the few bursts of energy came not from Neil or the now-tame Sixx but three female backing vocalists/dancers that did the heavy lifting on many choruses. His out-of-tune vocals on favorites such as “Home Sweet Home” and tendency to duck backstage for breaks couldn’t help but raise questions. For Neil, the 80-minute set amounted to a chore, a task to get through rather than a chance to entertain. Unable or unwilling to break from a tedious walking gait, he lacked enthusiasm in the same ways Mötley Crüe hurt for chemistry. Or he simply gave up, choosing to hold the microphone stand away from his mouth and toward the audience. During verses, he often failed to project over the din of his mates. Watching Neil trudge around was almost as uncomfortable as listening to him try to sing. DeVille performs with Poison during the Stadium Tour at Wrigley Field, a tour that also includes Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Mötley Crüe’s bash-and-crash approach also functioned as a camouflage for Vince Neil’s screeching vocals, which have seen much better days.

They slowed down several well-known songs, including a deflated “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)” and dulled “Looks That Kill.” And they suffocated the sass, sleaze and sway out of music that once threatened to give bystanders a transmissible disease if they got too close. The duo repeatedly generated a muddy, bass-dominant rumble that devoured the contours of songs and saturated the mix with an indistinct sameness. If anything, his instrumentalist cohorts, drummer Tommy Lee and bassist Nikki Sixx, overplayed. Primarily sticking to the shadows, Mars executed his parts with a competency that frequently served as the glue that held tunes together. Thin, pale, and quiet, he still resembles a vampire that just awoke in a coffin. Ironically, the oldest member, guitarist Mick Mars, seems to have changed the least. But time has also taken a harsh toll on the band’s abilities. Understandably, the four original members who took the stage in the wake of an exaggerated intro punctuated by throat-choking clouds of sulfurous smoke no longer resemble their youthful bad-boy selves. In retrospect, perhaps Mötley Crüe should have reconsidered.