via Atwood Magazine
“I would like to introduce you to someone who I have known this August coming for… too long,”
Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott laughed, looking over at bandmate and longtime friend Rick Savage from across the stage at Caesars Palace. “49 years, it will be. We formed this fucking thing in August 1977, me and him. Him being, on the bass guitar, mister Rick Savage.”
49 years ago, in congruence with that fateful meeting in Sheffield, rock was changed forever when founding members Elliott and Savage created Def Leppard. It started as a project in art class for the then-teenage Elliott: tasked with titling a fictitious band, he settled on the rowdy, somewhat nonsensical Deaf Leopard. In the five ensuing decades, the real band – made up of vocalist Elliott, bassist Savage, guitarists Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen, and drummer Rick Allen – rose to the summit of rock in all ways imaginable, but not without their fair share of heartaches in-between.
While the current lineup has been a steadfast brotherhood for decades, tragedy has always loomed over Def Leppard. Whether it be the 1984 car crash that cost Allen his left arm, or the unimaginable passing of guitarist Steve Clark in 1991, the band has endured – and more importantly, come out the other side stronger for – a series of events that could have torn any other recording group apart. But here they are, nearly 50 years into the ongoing creation of their legacy, optimistic and powerful as ever.
Most recently, the band kickstarted a monumental residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Spanning the month of February, the Las Vegas shows feature a brand new production including a fresh setlist, intricate stage design, and a return of fan-favorite tracks seldom explored in previous tours. From the venue to the onstage visuals to the detail poured into the band’s pop-up shop, it’s a truly one-of-a-kind show experience tailored for longtime and new fans alike.