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Post by andylgr on May 23, 2023 7:14:00 GMT -8
I've seen multiple people tweet complaining there was no encore last night. Seriously? They got the encore songs. The band just didn't leave the stage between PSSOM and ROA. Not going to lie, I was very disappointed that they didn’t throw in one more song, they had the time, it’s their hometown, it’s being filmed. I’ve come to realise over the years that in the main they don’t add much special stuff to Sheffield shows, but for some reason I expected it this time around. Oh well at least I can be happy with what they added to the Friday show instead.
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Post by CindyJ on May 23, 2023 7:28:16 GMT -8
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Post by quarky on May 23, 2023 8:08:00 GMT -8
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Post by CindyJ on May 23, 2023 8:28:25 GMT -8
Not going to lie, I was very disappointed that they didn’t throw in one more song, they had the time, it’s their hometown, it’s being filmed. I’ve come to realise over the years that in the main they don’t add much special stuff to Sheffield shows, but for some reason I expected it this time around. Oh well at least I can be happy with what they added to the Friday show instead. I agree with you on this, Andy -- disappointing that there wasn't something extra, especially since they had the time. Don't think that's what the tweets I'm seeing are getting at, though. Seems to just be people who don't get that the band didn't leave the stage in order to not waste any of their allotted time while standing backstage for two or three minutes and that they wouldn't have played anything different or additional if they had left the stage and returned.
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Post by CindyJ on May 23, 2023 8:38:33 GMT -8
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Post by andylgr on May 23, 2023 8:42:54 GMT -8
No problem, I’m sure some better ones will come along but I thought I’d get them up as quick as I could. Thanks to CindyJ for uploading all the pics and updates during the show. Not going to lie, I was very disappointed that they didn’t throw in one more song, they had the time, it’s their hometown, it’s being filmed. I’ve come to realise over the years that in the main they don’t add much special stuff to Sheffield shows, but for some reason I expected it this time around. Oh well at least I can be happy with what they added to the Friday show instead. I agree with you on this, Andy -- disappointing that there wasn't something extra, especially since they had the time. Don't think that's what the tweets I'm seeing are getting at, though. Seems to just be people who don't get that the band didn't leave the stage in order to not waste any of their allotted time while standing backstage for two or three minutes and that they wouldn't have played anything different or additional if they had left the stage and returned. I know, I was just piggy backing off your post that they could have added something extra to the encores.
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Post by jasonninelives on May 23, 2023 10:06:00 GMT -8
Leppard was fantastic last night great crowd just wish they had played Wasted. I spent far to much on merch love the poster roll on Wembley!
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Post by CindyJ on May 23, 2023 10:31:51 GMT -8
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Post by CindyJ on May 23, 2023 11:27:06 GMT -8
Def Leppard Bramall Lane: Sheffield homecoming gig 46 years after band formed 'reyt good' - reviewIt was the hometown show that so many Def Leppard fans - more than 32,000 to be precise - had been waiting for and by ‘eck it was worth it.By Chris Hallam The iconic rockers lifted the curtain to thunderous applause with an injection of energy and passion as Take What You Want set the tone for what was to be 90 minutes of pulsating hits and rock anthems from their extensively epic catalogue of music. Hard driving guitars and frenetic drumming from the maestro Rick Allen as Joe Elliot implored the baying crowd to Take What You Want…and what you need. First off, it must be noted how good Joe sounds with each sung exaltation reverberating around his beloved Bramall Lane. Decked out in a Union Jack blazer and top hat, Joe looks every inch the legendary rock band front man, visibly proud at being back in Sheffield and a quintessential British gent all in one…who just so happens to be more than capable of belting out a stellar note or multiple throughout the evening. It was a celebratory homecoming that embraced multiple generations of their fans. Over the course of the opening five or six songs, Joe takes a moment to introduce each member of the band, from Phil Collen to Vivian Campbell and Rick Savage, followed by their own - rather fitting - solo spotlight moment, every moment punctuated by roars of approval from the all in attendance. A gyrating woman just over my shoulder moved and swayed in unison, if one single person could encapsulate the collective mood this lady is the embodiment of that, fist pumping the air in time with the relentless percussive efforts of Rick Allen. Rick's introduction and the up-close camera shots bring some of the biggest, if not the biggest roars of the evening, as the politely yet always effusively baying crowd marvel at his percussive brilliance. Delivering a performance as though he was a man possessed, riding his very own freight train of rock slap bang into the city centre thudding, smashing and with the dexterity of some percussive embodiment of Ganesh (purely in the quadri-limbed sense, of course), Rick is seemingly effortlessly capable of doing more with one arm than many could only dream of doing with several. It’s pretty mint to be fair and phenomenal to see in action. What followed was a 90-minute celebration of hits from older albums like Hysteria and Euphoria, all the way through to their most recent release Diamond Star Halos — that’s if we’re not including the also ‘must listen’ Drastic Symphonies recorded alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a treat in its own right. Against a dazzling backdrop of rollercoasters, video montages and billowing smoke, both in their intense presence and that which emanated from pockets across the stage, Joe strutted his stuff, delivering a vocal performance that did not waver at any point throughout. Sure they’ve been around for a while now, 46 years and counting, but never at one point do they seem like an ageing band, one in it just for the money, nor one incapable of producing such celebratory rancour and delight across a broad range of age groups. A gift in itsel that results in a remarkable coming together of multiple generations because ultimately that’s what rock is all about, right? Throughout the show floodlights beam the red and white colours of their hometown club Sheffield United, lighting up every corner of the football ground, punctuated more by wide reaching and multi-directional lasers as Joe implores the joyous amalgamation to pour some sugar on them — but also taking a moment between songs to pay homage to their fans young and old, their city and most ardent followers alike. It’s rock at its most fervent and nonetheless so incredibly moreish at the same time. The vocals peak as we reach 10:15pm, borderline curfew, an almost show closing rock anthem sound just as good as on their records, arguably better because it’s being heard live and direct right here in Sheffield. Just a stone's throw from where the band were formed. It’s pretty sweet or “reyt good” as we’d say here. Just ask most of the city’s residents who were also treated to this mother of all homecomings with the booming sound system sending every chord and syllable to the many terraced doorsteps and semis across the city's undulating landscape. Whether seated and waving their phone flashlights or amidst the plumes of vape cloud in the standing area, or on their backstep with a brew in hand, it seemed as though everyone knew the words to pretty much everything, as indicated by the hoarse voices post show as revellers made their way home. Smiles adorning their faces. It’s been a long time coming but Def Leppard brought the curtain down with style, humour, humility and graciousness as they belted out Rock of Ages and Photograph. All in all it was a visually stunning performance that had 30-odd-thousand fans gripped in the palm of the hands of this iconic collective. Quite a fitting close to the proceedings for the beloved Sheffield band and memories to cherish for so many. As homecoming shows go this could - and should - go down as arguably the best yet, setting the tone for what devoted fans of the band can come to expect as the band make their way around the UK and the rest of the world. Source
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Post by quarky on May 23, 2023 11:57:24 GMT -8
Leppard was fantastic last night great crowd just wish they had played Wasted. I spent far to much on merch love the poster roll on Wembley! Completely forgot about the poster! Picked up the sweatshirt and The World Tour shirt, and then grabbed one of those Def Leppard and Motley Crue shirts outside the stadium on on the way out..
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Post by cmerritt on May 24, 2023 4:16:42 GMT -8
I didn't really notice a 'lack of encore' to be honest, once i hear Sugar, Rock of ages and Photograph i'm of the frame of mind it's all over, i just presumed they got on with it because of the local noise curfew.
What i will say is that i was absolutely delighted to hear 'Promises' live, it's the first time i've seen them play this track live since June 2006 in London on the YEAH! tour.
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Post by CindyJ on May 24, 2023 12:31:42 GMT -8
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Post by CindyJ on May 25, 2023 5:55:27 GMT -8
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Post by CindyJ on May 25, 2023 5:55:42 GMT -8
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Post by andylgr on May 25, 2023 12:01:40 GMT -8
It’s a promo piece for the Wembley show but it’s got Sheffield footage and fan interviews on it.
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Post by switchedandscarred on May 26, 2023 23:53:59 GMT -8
It certainly was a great show, having seen Lep many times over the years, I had some observations...
The band were as good as I've ever seen them, Joe's vocals were notably spot on, he's recovered from that frozen vocal chord trouble he had a while back, so that was good to hear.
Bramhall Lane isn't the best for a live show like this. The wind was blowing the sound around a bit and it did echo around the place, it was almost too small a venue really for them. We were near the front of the stage on Phil's side and the sound was pretty brutal, especially for motley cruel. That was the heaviest sound on the low end I've ever heard. Leppard was a lot better but still not as good as usual for them.
As I suspected after watching other recorded footage later, Leppard's usual great sound and mix was as good as usual if you were down the middle or near the desk, it just wasn't as good where we were standing. The moral of the story there is that getting right up the front is great for getting photos and seeing the guys up close, but you're compromising your audio experience a bit.
All in all though, a great show, and even though I'm from London, it was quite nice just listening to Sheffield locals at the show and around the hotel, talking about the band and stories from when they still lived there etc.
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Post by andylgr on May 27, 2023 0:47:31 GMT -8
It certainly was a great show, having seen Lep many times over the years, I had some observations... The band were as good as I've ever seen them, Joe's vocals were notably spot on, he's recovered from that frozen vocal chord trouble he had a while back, so that was good to hear. Bramhall Lane isn't the best for a live show like this. The wind was blowing the sound around a bit and it did echo around the place, it was almost too small a venue really for them. We were near the front of the stage on Phil's side and the sound was pretty brutal, especially for motley cruel. That was the heaviest sound on the low end I've ever heard. Leppard was a lot better but still not as good as usual for them. As I suspected after watching other recorded footage later, Leppard's usual great sound and mix was as good as usual if you were down the middle or near the desk, it just wasn't as good where we were standing. The moral of the story there is that getting right up the front is great for getting photos and seeing the guys up close, but you're compromising your audio experience a bit. All in all though, a great show, and even though I'm from London, it was quite nice just listening to Sheffield locals at the show and around the hotel, talking about the band and stories from when they still lived there etc. The Leps sound was good for me and I was in the seats, Phils side almost level with the end of the thrust. In my experience, in arenas or stadiums, I have never heard any band sounding as good from the front row as they do from a bit further back. Not sure why that is.
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Post by Praet on May 27, 2023 1:47:06 GMT -8
It certainly was a great show, having seen Lep many times over the years, I had some observations... The band were as good as I've ever seen them, Joe's vocals were notably spot on, he's recovered from that frozen vocal chord trouble he had a while back, so that was good to hear. Bramhall Lane isn't the best for a live show like this. The wind was blowing the sound around a bit and it did echo around the place, it was almost too small a venue really for them. We were near the front of the stage on Phil's side and the sound was pretty brutal, especially for motley cruel. That was the heaviest sound on the low end I've ever heard. Leppard was a lot better but still not as good as usual for them. As I suspected after watching other recorded footage later, Leppard's usual great sound and mix was as good as usual if you were down the middle or near the desk, it just wasn't as good where we were standing. The moral of the story there is that getting right up the front is great for getting photos and seeing the guys up close, but you're compromising your audio experience a bit. All in all though, a great show, and even though I'm from London, it was quite nice just listening to Sheffield locals at the show and around the hotel, talking about the band and stories from when they still lived there etc. The Leps sound was good for me and I was in the seats, Phils side almost level with the end of the thrust. In my experience, in arenas or stadiums, I have never heard any band sounding as good from the front row as they do from a bit further back. Not sure why that is. We were a bit unlucky with our seats at Monchengladbach. We had seats on the top row. Begind us were advertising boards. They flapped when rick hit a specific drum. Teribble sound. Because we were on the top row we could walk/stand behind the row. So we walked a bit to the right. There it sounded much better. We had a fantastic time though.
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Post by andylgr on May 27, 2023 2:09:58 GMT -8
The Leps sound was good for me and I was in the seats, Phils side almost level with the end of the thrust. In my experience, in arenas or stadiums, I have never heard any band sounding as good from the front row as they do from a bit further back. Not sure why that is. We were a bit unlucky with our seats at Monchengladbach. We had seats on the top row. Begind us were advertising boards. They flapped when rick hit a specific drum. Teribble sound. Because we were on the top row we could walk/stand behind the row. So we walked a bit to the right. There it sounded much better. We had a fantastic time though. And of any venue, stadiums give the worst sound. It’s just not the same as being in an enclosed building.
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Post by pooley on May 27, 2023 6:24:00 GMT -8
Sounds like we were in an almost identical spot and I'd agree 100% with all of this. It certainly was a great show, having seen Lep many times over the years, I had some observations... The band were as good as I've ever seen them, Joe's vocals were notably spot on, he's recovered from that frozen vocal chord trouble he had a while back, so that was good to hear. Bramhall Lane isn't the best for a live show like this. The wind was blowing the sound around a bit and it did echo around the place, it was almost too small a venue really for them. We were near the front of the stage on Phil's side and the sound was pretty brutal, especially for motley cruel. That was the heaviest sound on the low end I've ever heard. Leppard was a lot better but still not as good as usual for them. As I suspected after watching other recorded footage later, Leppard's usual great sound and mix was as good as usual if you were down the middle or near the desk, it just wasn't as good where we were standing. The moral of the story there is that getting right up the front is great for getting photos and seeing the guys up close, but you're compromising your audio experience a bit. All in all though, a great show, and even though I'm from London, it was quite nice just listening to Sheffield locals at the show and around the hotel, talking about the band and stories from when they still lived there etc.
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Post by Shawn on May 27, 2023 9:47:21 GMT -8
It certainly was a great show, having seen Lep many times over the years, I had some observations... The band were as good as I've ever seen them, Joe's vocals were notably spot on, he's recovered from that frozen vocal chord trouble he had a while back, so that was good to hear. Bramhall Lane isn't the best for a live show like this. The wind was blowing the sound around a bit and it did echo around the place, it was almost too small a venue really for them. We were near the front of the stage on Phil's side and the sound was pretty brutal, especially for motley cruel. That was the heaviest sound on the low end I've ever heard. Leppard was a lot better but still not as good as usual for them. As I suspected after watching other recorded footage later, Leppard's usual great sound and mix was as good as usual if you were down the middle or near the desk, it just wasn't as good where we were standing. The moral of the story there is that getting right up the front is great for getting photos and seeing the guys up close, but you're compromising your audio experience a bit. All in all though, a great show, and even though I'm from London, it was quite nice just listening to Sheffield locals at the show and around the hotel, talking about the band and stories from when they still lived there etc. The Leps sound was good for me and I was in the seats, Phils side almost level with the end of the thrust. In my experience, in arenas or stadiums, I have never heard any band sounding as good from the front row as they do from a bit further back. Not sure why that is. The difference is the front few rows are getting the sound from the ground P.A. and some from on the stage. The flown P.A. hits a number of seats back and the rest of the venue..
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Post by switchedandscarred on May 28, 2023 0:44:54 GMT -8
We were a bit unlucky with our seats at Monchengladbach. We had seats on the top row. Begind us were advertising boards. They flapped when rick hit a specific drum. Teribble sound. Because we were on the top row we could walk/stand behind the row. So we walked a bit to the right. There it sounded much better. We had a fantastic time though. And of any venue, stadiums give the worst sound. It’s just not the same as being in an enclosed building. I'm also not keen on stadiums for that reason, it depends where you are though. Don Valley was spectacular sound but it was a really open venue and a very still day so no wind to blow the sound around. The smaller venues like Bramhall Lane have seem to bounce the sound around with a lot of echo, almost as if it's too small for their sound. Optimal position is always centre around where the mixing desk is, I've seen footage from Bramhall Lane in that spot and the sound is good, so I expect the dvd sound from the sound board to be good from this show. They must cut out the terrible out of tune singing from the audience through lol
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Post by andylgr on May 28, 2023 2:10:07 GMT -8
I've left it nearly a week to let me digest this show. It clearly was a huge event, a special occasion in their history, something that at first I wanted to equate to Don Valley 30 years ago, but I can't equate the 2, this was something totally different and at 2 different points in their career, the only similarity is that they are hometown stadium shows. Don Valley felt like an achievement to break stadiums in the UK, this felt like a culmination of all their hard work over the years and also their recent resurgence in popularity. Sheffield was full of rock fans, pubs playing rock music, people everywhere in Leppard shirts, the local paper carrying the band on the front cover, the sun was blazing down and the whole thing felt special. The only downside for me was that it didn't carry the feel of a miniature festival because of the line up, at least that's what the US stadium tour had going for it. We got in there halfway through Vivas, who I didn't really like and it actually amazed me that a bigger band wasn't on the bill, someone of the size of The Darkness to get people in the ground earlier. We had good seats, Phils side of the stage roughly level with the thrust. But even being that close doesn't prepare you for the scale of the show. The set up is huge, the stage is so high and cavernous and even then the bands still seemed small. Such a contrast to The Leadmill show 3 days earlier. I noticed a camera on a boom and a guy on a moving camera in front of the sound board, so I suspected it was being filmed by Leps because these cameras never moved during the Vivas or Crue set. I was really looking forward to Motley Crue, here as a bona fide co-headliner and able to put on a big show for the UK again. Man they were fkn terrible. So bad I nearly walked out. In fact I should have walked out and people did walk out, I could see them. The sound was horrific, the bass and bottom end of the drums just overpowered everything. You could hardly hear the snare or vocals and the guitar was just about cutting through it, but it was painful on the ears, seriously. I have never witnessed an act with such bad sound in my life. Which is a shame because they should have been better, we should have got better as fans paying so much money. I hear that the sound was better on the floor further back, conincidentally closer to the soundboard, but why weren't they analysing the sound all over the ground to make it better for everyone? What a let down. As a band its clear that Johnny 5 is up for it, he made a lot of effort to engage the crowd and I liked him as a player and performer, Vince looks in better shape, Nikki Sixx is still a cool rock star and Tommy is still an idiot. But as a band they just aren't cohesive and I can't even make a judgement on how they really sounded because the distortion was so bad. It actually made me worry that the Leps would have bad sound, stadiums aren't the best place to control sound are they. But to be fair I thought that Ronan nailed it again, the difference between them and Crue was night and day. The sound was a lot clearer, we had a few bass rumbles early doors but it was soon sorted. Granted its not as good as seeing them in arenas sound wise, but it was still clear and there was no distortion where I was sat. I also worried that as I knew what they'd play that I'd be bored, but in the moment I really enjoyed it, they were so good and the set runs like clockwork. Take What you Want I love as an opener, the crowd went mad when they came on and you could see it wasn't that familiar to everyone, but once they hit LGR and Animal the place went wild. You can see why LGR has come in to the set place of Let it Go. Foolin and Armageddon It went down well as expected, but TBH I think the crowd weren't as engaged as they were for LGR / Animal and for some of the tracks later in the set. I actually thought they may swap Foolin for TLFL given it's been included on Drastic Symphonies. Kick was a real highlight of the set for me and sounded fantastic, as did Promises. I'd echo comments from pooley that Promises probably got the best reaction I've seen in the UK and arguably is the best version I've seen of it too, it was that good. My preconception before going to a show was that the middle section would be a massive lull, but it actually wasn't as bad as I feared. Love Bites goes down a storm no matter what show and its sounding better and better, throw in an extended end solo from Viv and we could possibly be rivalling the Don Valley 93 version. This Guitar is the lull for me, I'm not a fan of the song, but its a nice chance for each of the band to get the spotlight. The new version of WLAHC still sounds a bit disjointed to me, I'd actually prefer it if they played the whole song acoustic until the solo kicks in, (similar to the acoustic/electric version of BOTH), instead this cut down version feels like they haven't quite got it down to a tee themselves just yet. I think it was at this point that Joe said they were filming it, can't wait for that. We now get to the best part of the set, the final third. Rocket was unbelievably good and was the point at which we got much more crowd interaction than at any time in the show. Just like Don Valley in 93, it was played as the sun was setting and the light show comes in to its own. BOTH and Switch 625 were good as usual, I can;t ever see these being dropped now, they are getting much more crowd reaction than I ever remember. Then we got Hysteria, I have to say that I didn't think the new ending worked when I'd seen videos from last years tour, but actually being at a show and seeing it shows that it is really good and it worked so well going in to PSSOM, it got the crowd into a frenzy and when Sugar started the place erupted. It did at The Leadmill show too and I'd go so far as to say that at these 2 shows over that weekend in Sheffield got the best reactions to PSSOM that I think I've witnessed in a crowd at a show I've been to, it was that good. The standard encore of ROA and Photograph finished the show, its worth noting that these songs are probably the most trying on Joes voice in the current setlist and he coped really well with them, he sounded good to my ears. The only disappointment is that they didn't add one more song, they had time to, but didn't. Maybe its a good thing that I left wanting more. As a performance it was easily one of the best shows I've witnessed from them, there is no doubt they are at the top of their game right now. Could the setlist be better? Of course it could, but its hard to deny how well its paced. Did I enjoy it though? Hell yes.
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Post by CindyJ on May 28, 2023 6:30:23 GMT -8
"Recording" the Bramall Lane show.
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Post by CindyJ on May 28, 2023 8:36:34 GMT -8
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Post by quarky on May 28, 2023 12:30:20 GMT -8
My preconception before going to a show was that the middle section would be a massive lull, but it actually wasn't as bad as I feared. In the past, it worried me too. I think Def Leppard are just better electric when playing live, in almost every case. Playing an acoustic section just gives people a good reason to grab a drink. I am just not sure it appeals to enough people (just IMO). I like This Guitar though, and it flew by for me, probably the excitement of being there. In fact it was so fast, I wasn't sure they even played the entire song. I thought WL&HC was fantastic though. Again, maybe like This Guitar, just caught in the moment, but loved it. Guess I am a sucker for a transition from acoustic to electric! In terms of the encore, I wanted one too (although I remember wondering what on Earth they could have played to do it justice). I am glad in a way that they didn't do Wasted again though. I have seen it before, and it was nice that it was just a Leadmill thing (even though I wasn't there!).
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Post by switchedandscarred on May 29, 2023 1:46:32 GMT -8
I've left it nearly a week to let me digest this show. It clearly was a huge event, a special occasion in their history, something that at first I wanted to equate to Don Valley 30 years ago, but I can't equate the 2, this was something totally different and at 2 different points in their career, the only similarity is that they are hometown stadium shows. Don Valley felt like an achievement to break stadiums in the UK, this felt like a culmination of all their hard work over the years and also their recent resurgence in popularity. Sheffield was full of rock fans, pubs playing rock music, people everywhere in Leppard shirts, the local paper carrying the band on the front cover, the sun was blazing down and the whole thing felt special. The only downside for me was that it didn't carry the feel of a miniature festival because of the line up, at least that's what the US stadium tour had going for it. We got in there halfway through Vivas, who I didn't really like and it actually amazed me that a bigger band wasn't on the bill, someone of the size of The Darkness to get people in the ground earlier. We had good seats, Phils side of the stage roughly level with the thrust. But even being that close doesn't prepare you for the scale of the show. The set up is huge, the stage is so high and cavernous and even then the bands still seemed small. Such a contrast to The Leadmill show 3 days earlier. I noticed a camera on a boom and a guy on a moving camera in front of the sound board, so I suspected it was being filmed by Leps because these cameras never moved during the Vivas or Crue set. I was really looking forward to Motley Crue, here as a bona fide co-headliner and able to put on a big show for the UK again. Man they were fkn terrible. So bad I nearly walked out. In fact I should have walked out and people did walk out, I could see them. The sound was horrific, the bass and bottom end of the drums just overpowered everything. You could hardly hear the snare or vocals and the guitar was just about cutting through it, but it was painful on the ears, seriously. I have never witnessed an act with such bad sound in my life. Which is a shame because they should have been better, we should have got better as fans paying so much money. I hear that the sound was better on the floor further back, conincidentally closer to the soundboard, but why weren't they analysing the sound all over the ground to make it better for everyone? What a let down. As a band its clear that Johnny 5 is up for it, he made a lot of effort to engage the crowd and I liked him as a player and performer, Vince looks in better shape, Nikki Sixx is still a cool rock star and Tommy is still an idiot. But as a band they just aren't cohesive and I can't even make a judgement on how they really sounded because the distortion was so bad. It actually made me worry that the Leps would have bad sound, stadiums aren't the best place to control sound are they. But to be fair I thought that Ronan nailed it again, the difference between them and Crue was night and day. The sound was a lot clearer, we had a few bass rumbles early doors but it was soon sorted. Granted its not as good as seeing them in arenas sound wise, but it was still clear and there was no distortion where I was sat. I also worried that as I knew what they'd play that I'd be bored, but in the moment I really enjoyed it, they were so good and the set runs like clockwork. Take What you Want I love as an opener, the crowd went mad when they came on and you could see it wasn't that familiar to everyone, but once they hit LGR and Animal the place went wild. You can see why LGR has come in to the set place of Let it Go. Foolin and Armageddon It went down well as expected, but TBH I think the crowd weren't as engaged as they were for LGR / Animal and for some of the tracks later in the set. I actually thought they may swap Foolin for TLFL given it's been included on Drastic Symphonies. Kick was a real highlight of the set for me and sounded fantastic, as did Promises. I'd echo comments from pooley that Promises probably got the best reaction I've seen in the UK and arguably is the best version I've seen of it too, it was that good. My preconception before going to a show was that the middle section would be a massive lull, but it actually wasn't as bad as I feared. Love Bites goes down a storm no matter what show and its sounding better and better, throw in an extended end solo from Viv and we could possibly be rivalling the Don Valley 93 version. This Guitar is the lull for me, I'm not a fan of the song, but its a nice chance for each of the band to get the spotlight. The new version of WLAHC still sounds a bit disjointed to me, I'd actually prefer it if they played the whole song acoustic until the solo kicks in, (similar to the acoustic/electric version of BOTH), instead this cut down version feels like they haven't quite got it down to a tee themselves just yet. I think it was at this point that Joe said they were filming it, can't wait for that. We now get to the best part of the set, the final third. Rocket was unbelievably good and was the point at which we got much more crowd interaction than at any time in the show. Just like Don Valley in 93, it was played as the sun was setting and the light show comes in to its own. BOTH and Switch 625 were good as usual, I can;t ever see these being dropped now, they are getting much more crowd reaction than I ever remember. Then we got Hysteria, I have to say that I didn't think the new ending worked when I'd seen videos from last years tour, but actually being at a show and seeing it shows that it is really good and it worked so well going in to PSSOM, it got the crowd into a frenzy and when Sugar started the place erupted. It did at The Leadmill show too and I'd go so far as to say that at these 2 shows over that weekend in Sheffield got the best reactions to PSSOM that I think I've witnessed in a crowd at a show I've been to, it was that good. The standard encore of ROA and Photograph finished the show, its worth noting that these songs are probably the most trying on Joes voice in the current setlist and he coped really well with them, he sounded good to my ears. The only disappointment is that they didn't add one more song, they had time to, but didn't. Maybe its a good thing that I left wanting more. As a performance it was easily one of the best shows I've witnessed from them, there is no doubt they are at the top of their game right now. Could the setlist be better? Of course it could, but its hard to deny how well its paced. Did I enjoy it though? Hell yes. Excellent post Andy, you and I are on the same page and I'm sure we could bore most people to death analysing this stuff, but it can't be helped can it when you've been a big fan all these years. As I write this, I'm currently doing one of my other favourite pastimes, tone matching their guitar sound over various era's on my guitar processor lol. So with Don Valley, it really was a legendary show, and without bias, I will state that Leppard are the best live band I e ever seen in terms of sound quality and musicianship, and I've seen all the big rock bands. There are one or two who have done more exciting visual shows, but Leppard are the best on the aforementioned points. Honestly, I've never seen them do a bad show, their level is that high, and especially in recent years, I think they breeze through their live stuff like a machine, but nothing will ever beat Don Valley, it was just perfect, like you said, they made it a whole day festival really, and nothing they've done in Sheffield has come close since. I guess Bramall Lane was just another world tour show, no extras, nothing special. The special part was for the fans just seeing the band they love, still at the top after all these years. It really is something to behold. The guys seem to still have real enthusiasm for it too. Motley is different in that they're only doing this off the back of the Dirt, did you see them at Wembley when they supported Lep? They were better then but they are not and never have been, anywhere near Lep for quality live, or on record for that matter. I still don't like the arrangement of Co headline either, that for me diminishes Leppards superiority but that was part of the deal I suppose. I agree with your evaluation of each crue member too lol. As for the setlist, I too have seen the band so many times now, there's nothing new here to really excite me. If I'm really honest, I don't like the way they play a lot of the hysteria songs now, I think they've played this set for so long using these versions, that it's boring for me now. It's time they freshened up the song versions now, and for me, it would be a real thrill if they went back to doing versions more like the record, even using different guitar tones for each part of the set. For us long time fans, these things are all apparent, I wouldn't care if I never heard pssom ever again, or lgr or mllam etc, in favour of deeper cuts. I would love e gods of war to be in the set, let it go as well, one of their rockies tracks. Thats what we contend with as long time fans I suppose but we always get the argument that most of the crowd don't want the same thing. I'm not so sure the majority of the audience are just casual fans really but that's what we're always told. What you get in return though is a slick well oiled top quality live machine. I think my favourite live era of the band though is probably back in the Don Valley adrenaline tour era. Less rigid set list, a bit more room to be creative with those love Bites and rocket versions, those were spectacular to watch along with some of the older stuff. Now it seems there are so many songs you have to jam in, not enough time, and it's all a compromise. This band has far too many hits, and too many great album tracks to get a perfect set list in now. It seems the more success they have and the bigger the tours, the less I get what I want, yet I know I have to be at some of those UK shows each time they come around lol. The life of a hard core Leppard fan!
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Post by deaf_leopard on May 30, 2023 22:27:27 GMT -8
What a weekend! What a day! And wow!!! What a show! I`ve had a very weird year so far. Not to get to personal, but i had a very scary near death experience on a flight in the beginning of march that has created some difficulties afterwards. And 6days before the show i attended the funeral of one of my best friends. I was really considering not going to the show. I ended up going and went a couple of days earlier since i was unsure about how i would react to flying again. That part did NOT go well, but i survived and had time to rest a couple of days before the show. I am not very good at reaching out to other fans, but luckily there are those that are better than me at it. So, when fellow fan quarky responded to a post on the forum for tips for the gig i met up with him and he had reached out to some other fans that we also met. The day of the concert flew by so fast because i was enjoying myself so much. Meeting likeminded fans meant we could talk music and Def Leppard for hours. So, the day itself was very fun. The show? I`ve lost count of number of shows. I am somewhere around thirty shows now. And besides the Vegas residency and the return to Donnington show this must be the best one. Sound wise it was awful for large parts of the Motley Crue show. It got better at the end and with good sound they are not as bad as I’ve seen them before. Def Leppard cameo on with great sound and got an incredible reception. It might have been the beers talking, but the show was great from start to finish. No songs fell by the wayside as they can do. The band looked and sounded great. And i think the Sheffield guys in the band looked incredibly proud and happy. I feel incredibly lucky to have attended the show and be a fan of a band that manages to up their game well into their sixties. And there will be a next time…….
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Post by quarky on May 31, 2023 7:40:31 GMT -8
It was awesome to meet you deaf_leopard before the show! Good few pubs, good beer and company, and great concert. Hope your trip back was completely and utterly uneventful.
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Post by fna692002 on Mar 20, 2024 11:48:22 GMT -8
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