Veteran UK rockers Def Leppard are set to follow in the footsteps of some of the music industry’s biggest and best when they embark on a residency at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino this coming March and April.
Move over Frank, Dean, Celine, Elton, Mr Jones and numerous magicians this is the time for rock to invade the Vegas Strip.
The ‘Viva Hysteria’ show will feature a live performance of the bands hugely popular album ‘Hysteria’ (20 million plus sales to date). They will also be opening the show with a number of songs the band have not played live for a longtime.
In recent interviews Leppard frontman Joe Elliott stated that these shows will offer fans something different every night and that the opening half set list will comprise of songs that fans in this more intimate style venue will embrace.
His logic being that at large arena shows people come to hear the big hits and you can only risk inserting a few more obscure tracks. Whereas at smaller shows it is more a die-hard fanbase and one that will savour the inclusion of some long-forgotten early songs.
Formed in Sheffield Def Leppard were at the forefront of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Movement (the NWOBHM featured such acts as Iron Maiden, Saxon and Motorhead in its numbers) and went on to conquer the world with rock classics such as Pour Some Sugar On Me, Animal, Photograph, Love Bites, Let’s Get Rocked and countless others.
Even drummer Rick Allen losing an arm in a car crash could not halt their rise. Allen developed a way to use his feet to achieve everything his lost arm could do and returned to the band with a wonderfully emotional set at the infamous Monsters of Rock festival.
Since then Northern Irish guitarist Viv Campbell (someone your reviewer has shared a few pints with and met on many occasions, plus he a man who has played with Dio, Whitesnake and most recently the new Thin Lizzy line-up)joined the fold (replacing the late Steve Clark) and the band have went from strength to strength. 
Even a few blips album wise along the way cannot harm the influence and legacy Def Leppard have to offer fans old and new.
Recent years have seen the band tour with such iconic acts as Whitesnake, Posion, Lita Ford, Heart and Steel Panther.
Def Leppard have also seen their stock rise even higher as a number of their songs were used in the hit film Rock of Ages. The band even played live at the films premiere (which can be seen on the DVD release).
During this Las Vegas residency Elliott has stated that Def Leppard will be hard at work creating a follow up album to their most recent one ‘Mirrorball’. Whilst ‘Mirrorball’ only featured a few new tracks (alongside classic live ones). This release will be an original one and Leppard fans have been waiting a while now for such a release.
Def Leppard are at ‘The Joint’ @ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from March 23rd 2013.
defleppard.com
By Phil Allely
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