Def Leppard – Woodlands Pavilion – Spring, TX May 31, 2003
Concert Reviews
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Written by Eddie Ferranti
May 31, 2003 at 08:00 PM
ImageEven though you never give up, if your prime came in a prior decade, the label of nostalgia act is hard to avoid. So many bands try to fight the label to no avail, so it seems odd that they keep fighting the battle, but Def Leppard is still up in arms.Joe Elliot made it clear that he and the rest of Def Leppard did not want to be called a nostalgia act at the beginning of their set, but 10,000-plus people came to hear tracks like Rock of Ages, Photograph, Pour Some Sugar on Me and others. Few were there for the buzz from Def Leppard’s new album, X.

Where Def Leppard has it right is in the fact that they are still making a go at music. Where most bands would be touring off their past catalogue and releasing greatest hits album, Elliot and company are still cranking out the originals with the same line-up that started it all. These guys are definitely rare.

Once again though, the feeling was there, as everyone sang themselves hoarse on songs like Love Bites, a killer rendition of Foolin’ and Rocket, which was cut with the Who’s My Generation. The band definitely made the show listener friendly.

The band also presented some of it’s newer material. Long, Long Way to Go was dedicated to the troops of both the US and UK. Even without the dedication, this song drew more energy from the audience who never once took a seat all night.

Sing alongs were the order of the night as Elliot never missed a chance to hold the microphone out to allow the audience’s voices to shine out. The energy and knowledge are something only a band that has been loved since youth can receive from their audience, so is it really so bad to be a nostalgia act?