Def Leppard a Whitesnake.
The Who's reproduced band provided the start of the concert. Right into the tones of the generational anthem (My Generation), written and performed by this important band of the sixties, Whitesnake enters with its hard rock representing the end of the last millennium. With the typical snake logo above the stage, permed heads, leather and chains at their waists, the six members of the iconic band, led by David Coverdale, churn out solid hard rock. A number of immortal hits, mostly released in the first half of the eighties, resound through the packed O2 arena. For example Slide It In, Is This Love, Shut Up and Kiss Me, but especially Give Me All Your Love Tonight and the extraordinary rock ballad Here I Go Again. The band's jacket-wearing frontman, wearing a jacket that reads Make Some Fucking Noise, does ask the audience to make noise, but he himself has trouble with intonation and audibly fails to hit the high notes. Some songs would be on the edge without the vocal assistance of bassist Michael Devine and keyboardist Michele Luppi. Unisona allow David to take a breather and handle the performance quite creditably. An eight-minute equilibristic display by guitarists Reba Beach and Joel Hoekstra is interspersed with a drum solo by Tommy Aldridge, who throws his drumsticks into the audience near the end of his show and continues to play with his bare hands. The whole performance has a swing and lives up to the expectations of those who have come to recall the atmosphere of the 1980s.
The next Brits in line are Def Leppard. The link between the two bands is guitarist Vivian Campbell, who was in Whitesnake in 1988 and currently forms a guitar duo with Phil Collen in Def Leppard. The first track, Rocket (1987's Hysteria), makes you forget there are fewer vocals in the final mix. Joe Elliot, a founding member (along with best friend, bassist Rick Savage) sings with ease, though even he skimps at times. Vocals are Def Leppard's forte and always have been. The show gets into full swing. The striking laser effects are a bit out there, but the trio of screens help orient the stage and offer interesting details. The bassist's distinctive outfit, Phil Collen's tattoos, the headphones with British flag decorations on the ears of one-armed drummer Rick Allen. During the embedded, lovely unplugged Two Steps Behind, Allen arrives on the forbina barefoot with a small tambourine, happily bantering with his bandmates. The legitimacy of the band's reputation for toughness is evident in the rendition of High'N'Dry from the 1981 album of the same name, and the edgy Let It Go is from the same album. The show is well paced and Joe Elliot, who sentimentally mentions the band's 42 years, praises Prague and is delighted with the audience, doesn't let up. Leather trousers, lightweight trainers, a T-shirt with a distinctive design, a blue jacket with zips and lining contrast with Phil Collen's sweaty bare body. Mobile phones light up to Bringin on the Heartbreak. Also like the top ten (Hysteria) from the successful Hysteria album (1987). Overall, very good instrumental performances, reminiscences of hard rock in a melodic package and plenty of decibels satisfied thousands of viewers. The pathos of the closing "Don't forget us and we do not forget you" comes out of Joe Elliot's mouth in a sincere and sympathetic way.
photo: Def Leppard