Def Leppard comes to Edmonton in July
Here’s one classic heavy metal band that isn’t going to be staging a farewell tour any time soon – Def Leppard.
The great survivors from Sheffield are going on a Canadian tour again this summer, stopping in at Rogers Place on Monday, July 29. America’s roots-metal band Tesla (no relation to Elon Musk) will open the show. Tickets are $45 to $129.50 and go on sale Jan. 18. The pre-sale starts Jan. 11.
The Leps will be Rock and Roll Hall of Famers by the time they get here; the band will be inducted in March. This is no slight on two other classic metal bands coming to Edmonton this summer: Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, both have which been repeatedly snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Though they’re all the “100 Million Club” in terms of record sold, few bands branded metal have as many iconic hits as Def Leppard: From the definitive Pour Some Sugar on Me to the self-explaining Let’s Get Rocked, their catchy pop-metal music dominated the 1980s, and some of the ‘90s, and still enjoys radio airplay today.
They really are great survivors. Drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a car accident in 1984, and they kept going (he uses a special kit). Their guitarist Steve Clark died of an overdose in 1991, and they kept going. Vivian Campbell has been the replacement since 1992, to show the loyalty here. The 1990s and early 2000s were hard on many a classic rock band – and they kept going.
There was no mention of a new album in the tour announcement; their last release in 2015 is self-titled – and we all know that self-titlement in mid-career a sure sign the band is trying to reinvent itself. That’s how Def Leppard has survived, and thrived, all this time.
