“When you go, will you send back, a letter from America?” - The Proclaimers
My answer is yes! Plus some photographs! 😎
Wow!!! Now the happy tears have subsided and I have digested over 400 photographs and videos, I can now share a summary of the most magical five days in Boston, with fellow forum user, Judy Nunez. We certainly had a rock star weekend with the mighty Def Leppard! 🤘🤩😎
The holiday was the most magical of my life!! I flew solo from London and met up with my dear friend Judy Nunez from the New York City Area. We made some magic happen and some magic happened for us! We were truly blessed! 🙏🏻 Two whole days were full of goosebump moments! 😲
We were in Boston to see Def Leppard play two sold out concerts at Fenway Park on the 5th and 6th August! Our Friday night tickets were behind the ‘Red Sox’ baseball team dug out and for the Saturday night we were blessed to have front row VIP Meet and Greet tickets! 🙏🏻🤩
We didn’t need the Meet and Greet tickets to meet the band as we were insanely blessed to be staying in the same luxurious hotel as them! We had some brilliant personal time with Rick Allen, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell (and ‘Rock Star Stu’) for a chat, photographs and autographs! 😎 I had a few items of memorabilia that are very special to me signed.
We also met Rick Savage and Joe Elliott, though sadly there was no time for photographs, but there is always next time!
We had various further chats with the boys, whilst relaxing in the lobby and just as we all gathered to head to the stadium. 🤩
Judy and I left the hotel on both days, travelling in style to the stadium in an SUV limo. Unreal!!! 🙏🏻 It was a real rock star moment, jumping in one of these just before the band, as assembled fans outside the hotel waited to watch the band come out and hopefully get their memorabilia signed! 😲
The Friday concert was brilliant and I couldn’t believe that I was fulfilling a bucket list dream, watching a Def Leppard concert in a US Stadium! 🤩
Def Leppard were as impeccable as ever and I cried happy tears during my favourites ‘Armageddon it’ and ‘Photograph.’
We took a bike taxi by night back to the hotel which was great. As we went to the elevator, we had the pleasure of meeting world renowned rock photographer Ross Halfin! 😎 A good chat and a brilliant fun photo with the iconic legend himself! 🤩 Another surreal moment!
Friday was insane and so magical - goosebumps all day! Saturday was off the charts!!!!
Further chats with band members, having a laugh and joke with Phil. Wonderful moments for Judy getting her first ever individual photographs with Phil and Vivian - super magical and some happy tears!! ☺️🙏🏻
We had the most amazing conversation with fellow forum user, Ryan Sebastyan - Def Leppard’s photographer/videographer. Surreal as we discussed being ‘part of the concert that evening!’ 😲😲😲😲 He is the most down to earth, humble and wonderful chap! Also, a magical dream maker! 👌
After arriving in style again at the stadium and getting some very cool Def Leppard merchandise, we met Ryan for a photograph which would appear on the giant big screen during the last song of the set (‘Photograph’) straight after the first guitar solo. Surreal again! 🙏🏻
Before we knew it, it was time for our Meet and Greet with Def Leppard! With fellow fans, we were taken to a private room at the very top of Fenway Park. Amazing views of the crowd watching the band Poison as we did so! We first visited the ‘Stadium Tour’ exhibit. It was fantastic to see the band instruments, guitar plectrums and stage clothes. I rocked with Joe Elliott’s microphone stand (it had to be done, even though I am completely tone deaf 😂) and I was blessed to find Rick Savage’s hidden guitar plectrum! 😎🎸
Judy and I went in last to the meet and greet. I had great fun, bursting in with my Welsh flag and greeting the chaps with a few Welsh phrases! 🏴 I thanked the band for the privilege and honour of being showcased on the official leppardvault.com in February, spoke about the Friday concert, a personal gift that we had given to Rick Allen at the hotel and we discussed a mutual friend!! Utterly cool and bonkers at the same time! 🤩😎
I had an individual photo with the band (covid restrictions applied) and then Judy and I had a picture together with the band. 😎 We said farewell, wished them well and thanked Jess, the tour manager. Amazing!!!
We went back into the stadium tour exhibit and spent a moment with a couple who were crying many happy tears of just meeting Def Leppard for the first time, before Judy and I.
Then another magical and surreal thing happened! The door to the meet and greet room opened and a wonderful chap came running after me to introduce himself and ask about me. We greeted each other like long lost brothers ‘across the pond’ 🤩 Who was this chap? None other than the brilliant Richard Proctor, crew member, meet and greet leg 2 photographer and my fellow Welshman from just a twenty minute drive away!!! Bonkers!!! It turns out we have a mutual good pal! It was amazing to have a twenty minute private chat with him in the tour exhibit room and some brilliant pictures from Judy! 😎🏴
We ventured to the front row, on Phil’s side. I put my Welsh flag on the barrier and Judy put her Dominican flag next to mine. 🏴🇩🇴😎
We sung our lungs out and rocked all night, having brilliant interaction with Joe, Sav and Phil who saw our flags and came over to us. Judy has some amazing photographs and videos to send me! 😲🤩 During the song ‘Hysteria’, Ryan came in front of us and took some filming for his vlog!
Before you knew it, Def Leppard were closing with ‘Photograph’ and there was our picture on the stadium big screen!!! Cue more happy tears! Another dream came true! 🙏🏻
Judy blagged Sav's set list (Saturday) to wrap up the night in style! 😎🤩
I managed to get both of the Boston event posters for the Friday and Saturday.
Sunday and Monday were spent chilling, digesting it all and some lovely walks in the Boston public gardens and spending some time at the ‘Angel’ statue/fountain that Rick Allen has used in his artwork. We even found the ‘Cheers’ TV sitcom bar!
Before we knew it, Monday evening came and it was time to check out of the hotel and fly back to London and then travel back home to Wales. But the magic wasn’t over. There was one final thing to come!
Then on Friday 12th August the official Def Leppard ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour vlog by the multi talented Ryan Sebastyan was unveiled to the world. At around three minutes and twenty seconds there is the small clip of Judy and I rocking out to ‘Hysteria’ in the front row! Another dream come true for us both, all thanks to the awesome dude that is Ryan 👍👏 You can see Judy and I at around the 3 minute 20 second mark in the video link below (The Stadium Tour - Behind The Scenes - Episode #9)
So until Def Leppard bring the Stadium Tour to the UK in the summer of 2023, that’s my Def Leppard magical adventures done for now!
Well that is not exactly true! 😂 There are another two magical Def Leppard dreams that will be fulfilled soon 😲🤩😎 😂 All will be revealed in good time my friends! 😂🤩😎🏴
A magical 5* weekend with Def Leppard, experiencing a taster of the rock star life! Brilliant and bonkers!!
It truly was a once in a lifetime experience. So blessed, greatful and thankful to everyone involved in making the dream trip come true! 🙏🏻👍☺️
As another song states, it’s now a case of “Back to life, back to reality’ 😂😂
