Def Leppard & Styx
Zoo Amphitheater
Oklahoma City, OK
09/05/07
by Jeb Wright
Def Leppard and Styx descended upon Oklahoma City on a
beautiful summer night under the stars at the Zoo Amphitheater on September 5th,
2007. It was a perfect night for a concert and the sold out crowd was ready to
rock till they dropped. Styx was first up and took the stage and cranked
out "Blue Collar Man." The band features one original member (James Young) and
one long term member (Tommy Shaw) yet they do a great job of performing the
songs made famous by the band.
Keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan is by far the most
entertaining member of the group. Between playing keyboards behind his back,
running around taking Polaroid pictures of the band and crowd and various
spinning, leaping and posing, Gowan also sings his ass off. While originally
just a hired gun, Gowan has taken over the show and is the focal point for most
songs.
Shaw is like a happy little chipmunk as he bounds around
the stage. His energy is magnetic and he brings the crowd along for the ride.
Vocally, he sounds wonderful and he is a solid guitar player who has actually
dramatically improved over the years. Shaw's partner in crime, James "JY"
Young, roams the stage like the Godfather of Styx. He prances around taking
long strides, whipping out classic solos and even taking lead vocals on the
classic "Miss America." Not to be left out, Todd Sucherman on drums and Ricky
Phillips on bass create a solid rhythm section. Highlights of the evening
included "Come Sail Away," "Grand Illusion," "Too Much Time On My Hands" and
"Renegade." The set, while strong, was only an hour long.
While everyone enjoyed Styx, the thousands in attendance
were there to see Def Leppard. The stage was ablaze with a multi-million dollar
light show and a huge video screen. Anchored on each end were guitarists Viv
Campbell and Phil Collen. High above on a drum riser sat Rick Allen while bass
player Rick Savage wandered the stage with his Union Jack bass. Vocalist Joe
Elliott acted as emcee for the evening.
Def Lep played, hard loud and long. The set list featured
hits from Hysteria and Pyromania as well as a few fan favorites
from the early days. Three songs were featured from the platinum selling
High 'N' Dry. "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" began with Collen, Campbell and
Elliott on acoustic guitars on a walkway in front of the crowd. With everyone
singing along, the two guitarists left Elliott and snuck back and plugged in
their electrics and blasted out the end of the tune and the instrumental "Switch
625." "Another Hit & Run" and "Mirror Mirror" were the other songs played from
HND. "Two Steps Behind" was also performed acoustically with a huge sing
along by the crowd. Bare breasts became a common site as the evening went on.
Lep performed "Photograph," "Too Late for Love" and "Foolin'"
from Pyromania and
six songs from Hysteria.
"Rocket," "Animal," "Love Bites," "Armageddon It" and the title track took the
crowd to the edge of ecstasy. The David Essex pop standard "Rock On" from Lep's
new CD Yeah! was a
highlight of the concert. Elliott delivered big vocally while Collen and
Campbell played the songs classic keyboard riff on electric guitar. The songs
dynamics went well in conjunction with the animated light show. Def Lep went
for the jugular by cranking out "Pour Some Sugar On Me" as the final song of the
main show and "Rock of Ages" as the encore.
Singer Joe Elliott looked more alive on stage than I have
seen him in years. He was energetic and very into the music. Collen and
Campbell are a force to be reckoned with as they bring a ton of energy to the
event. Collen has a unique style that gives the band their signature sound. He
can rip the frets when he wants to but he also plays in a quirky, punchy,
stop-n-go style that features ear bending screeches and squalls. Combined that
with his expert use of muted arpeggios for color and flavor and you have one
hell of performance. On the opposite side of the stage, Viv Campbell is no
slouch. The ex-DIO guitarist can flat slam out speedy, melodic solos at a
whim. In fact, Campbell and Collen appeal to both the rockers and the love
stricken females in the crowd.
The band came forward at the end of "Rock of Ages" and
took a bow as Elliott exclaimed, "We will see you next time -- and there WILL be
a next time. We will be back next year with a new album!" The crowd cheered in
appreciation and anticipation as the talented musicians left the stage . In the
end, Def Leppard proved that the 80's are still alive and thriving. Unlike many
of their drugged out and washed up contemporaries, Leppard looks good, sounds
good and puts on a professional show. If the band can harness their live energy
and expertise in the studio then we may be in for something big from these boys
in 2008.
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