 Media Credit: Courtresy of DefLeppard.com |
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| Columbus is Def Leppard's eighth stop on their nationwide summer tour . |
For 30 years, Def Leppard has rocked venues around the world. Germain Amphitheater looks to be no different as it hosts the legendary band Sunday night.
Alongside REO Speedwagon and Styx, Def Leppard hopes to pack in fans both old and new.
"The crowds get bigger (each year)," said guitarist Phil Collen. It's been getting better I think."
The tour kicked off June 27 in Cincinnati and looks to be in full swing as it arrives in Ohio's capital this weekend.
A year has passed since Def Leppard's last Columbus show but fans afraid of seeing the same performance need not worry.
Collen said the group dramatically changed the look of the show. They have a high-definition version of last year's screen and new lights. The group also changed the set around and added some acoustic songs.
Although the look and feel of the show might change each year, the parade of songs includes several sure-to-hear hits.
Songs such as "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Photograph," "Rocket" and "Rock of Ages" have been staples so far on this year's tour.
"Luckily, we have a million songs to choose from," Collen said. "A lot of people are gonna say this is refreshing, but you have to play your 'Photograph's and 'Pour Some Sugar's and stuff. Play different versions of them. We play a little medley. We really like the set so far."
Formed in 1977, Def Leppard is one of few bands to stand the test of time. The group's last album "Yeah!" was released in 2006 to rave reviews, featuring covers of songs that helped mold the band's sound.
"We didn't realize how special a lot of those bands were to us until we recorded that record," Collen said.
Def Leppard is one of only five bands to have two original albums, "Hysteria" and
"Pyromania," sell more than 10 million copies each.
With company like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen and Pink Floyd, it would be understandable for any group to call it a career, but Collen anticipates more new music from the band in years to come.
"Putting new records out (helps) you stay visible," Collen said. "If you stopped completely, your growth would stop as a band."
Joining the group in Columbus are REO Speedwagon and Styx, both rock royalty in their own right.
REO Speedwagon has been making music for almost 40 years and looks to bring their mastery of the power ballad to Germain Amphitheater.
Styx is in their fourth decade of entertaining the fans with their unique brand of rock. The group is one of a handful to make a home on the Billboard singles chart in three different decades.
The U.S. leg of Def Leppard's tour continues through the summer, ending Sept. 26 in Auburn, Wash.
"I think that we have all these songs that have been hits and kind of stick in peoples heads," Collen said. "We're lucky (for that) and the fact that we're still into what we do. We're a really great live band. We don't use backing tapes. People really like that."
Tickets for Sunday's show are still available and range from $25 to $75. Music starts at 7 p.m.
Zack Timmons is the new media editor of The Lantern. He can be reached at timmons.60@osu.edu.
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