DEF LEPPARD LIVE REVIEW PERTH AUSTRALIA 2015

With The BABY ANIMALS and LIVE

Red Hill Auditorium, Perth November 21 2015

MUSIC REVIEW ARCHIVES

MUSIC REVIEWS 2015 
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Let's Go | Animal | Undefeated | Dangerous | Love Bites | Armageddon It | Rock On | Two Steps Behind | Rocket | When Love and Hate Collide | Switch 625 | Hysteria | Let’s Get Rocked | Pour Some Sugar on Me

Encore: Rock of Ages | Photograph

Def Leppard closed their Australian Tour in Perth in fine style at Red Hill Auditorium last night. Against the backdrop of the city on a hot and sticky night in Perth they promised to be back, and let’s be honest based on tonight’s performance let’s hope they are, and sooner than last time! On a bill that started before the sun went down with The Baby Animals in fine form it was a night that just got better and better with the crowd lively from the off and ecstatic by the close of the night.

If anyone was worried by the seemingly odd pairing of ‘Live’ a very 90’s band alongside the lively 80’s rock of The Baby Animals and the headliner, they needn’t have been, as even with new vocalist Chris Shinn on board they tore through the classics and got the crowd singing as the sun sank over the Perth Cityscape in the distance.

The main attraction of course was Def Leppard, who had already wowed audiences over East with their set of non-stop hits and was wrapping up its 2015 Australian Tour in the beautiful setting of the outdoor Red Hill Auditorium. Taking the stage in darkness to the strains of the opening track to their new album ‘Let’s Go’ there’s a burst of light and the band is immediately in full flight.

With a set essentially the same as their 2008 visit (except for the new songs and ‘Rock On’) and even more similar to their 2011 return (we even got ‘Rock On’ and ‘Undefeated’ in 2011) it may be a night of few surprises, but that of course is beside the point.

The crowd is here to rock to the classics like it’s the 80’s all over again. The most notable aspect of the set tonight is the almost complete lack of pre-Hysteria material until the encores - we miss out on classics like ‘Foolin’’ and ‘Bringin’ On the Heartbreak’ that have been aired Downunder before; and though Melbourne got a rendition of got ‘Rock Rock (Till You Drop)’ both Perth and Sydney missed out this time. It’s a minor niggle though as tonight the band is exceptionally slick, especially Phil Collen who looks like he has been bathing in oil, and gleams shirtless throughout the night.

It is great to see Vivian Campbell back too, and his constant smile despite his ongoing battle with cancer is an inspiration. And tonight under the heat of the Perth night the band is in fine fettle. Best of all though is Joe Elliott, who has rarely sounded better, and whilst his voice sounds a little tired during the between song banter, during the songs it seems to have a depth at the bottom end that we’ve rarely noticed before.

We’ll leave the highlights to those there on the night to take away and debate, but for us it’s those Pyromania numbers that close the set, though of course al the big ones from Hysteria take some beating, especially the singalong that comes with ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’.

A great night from a band that always knows how to deliver, and tonight in Perth no one went away disappointed, though on the way out it was apparent that the excitement had become too much for some… 

by Leslii Phillips Photos by The Buffman

more photos to come once official shots are approved

we'll switch 'em over from the crowd shot photos soon