Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen says Abu Dhabi F1 is ‘another level to go’

In the saturated concert market, a given tour can be a huge success.

British band Def LeppardMotley Crue, along with rockers Motley Crue, conquered American stadiums over the summer, selling 1.3 million tickets and earning $173.5 million, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Not only is this the biggest tour for Def Leppard in their forty-year career, but it sets the stage for a series of stadium concerts in the UK and Ireland next summer.

This Abu Dhabi Grand Prix On Sunday, the band will experience a hype when they perform their famous race day concert.

In an exclusive interview with the whole countryGuitarist Phil Collen says the band will arrive in the UAE capital with a well-oiled machine.

As a boxing enthusiast, he used the former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson As an analogy to explain the durability of the band.

“He’s the most dangerous fighter in the world, and it’s only when he stops training and puts in the necessary training that he really loses,” Coren said.

“That’s how we’ve always approached it as a band and why we’re still here. You need to keep up with the work you’re doing, or it just slips away.”

Another reason Def Leppard’s stars still shine, says Collen, is that they’re part of a handful of groups that offer the kind of praise and guilt-free rock thrill that contemporary guitar bands are increasingly missing.

“It’s about celebrating. It means loud guitars, big lyrics and everyone singing along,” he said.

“We came from that era and it’s hard to find that era now because a lot of people don’t have that stamina.

“That’s the real trick: it’s about singing and playing better from the other side.”

“A cross between AC/DC and Queen”

Formed in Sheffield in 1977, Def Leppard established themselves as leaders of the movement known as the ‘New Wave of British Heavy Metal’ and found success with a series of well-received early albums, including 1981’s high ‘n’ drywhose order bring heartbreak Became one of the first rock videos to air on emerging music channel MTV.

Then with the release of the 1987 album hysteria, Def Leppard became a global star.

Their energetic blend of rock muscle and euphoric hooks yields six hits, including pour some sugar on me and animalthe album sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.

In addition to releasing the “Rock Edition” Michael Jackson1982’s best-selling albums horror film, collins says hysteria It’s the fulfillment of Def Leppard’s career mission.

“We wanted our music to be a cross between AC/DC and Queen,” he said.

“It’s about having a powerful voice and a beautiful melody.”

This approach didn’t initially sit well with the raspy sound of the British metal community.

“We realized early on that we didn’t have to worry about it, our goal was to create something we liked and hoped other people would like it too,” he said.

“Because we love these bands, we thought ‘wouldn’t it be nice to combine the two’.

“We want to make music that we personally can become fans of.”

That means overcoming challenges in and out of the studio.

recording of hysteria Difficulties, including a cost blowout, brought the album to a staggering $3.5 million, making it one of the most expensive rock albums of all time.

Even more impressive was the dynamic track drummer Rick Allen played after losing his left arm in a horrific car accident before the first recordings in 1984.

and then the song itself, e.g. love bites and Mars, All perfectly produced by the Svengali Mutt Lange Band, featuring complex three-part harmonies and interlocking guitar arpeggios.

“love bites It was essentially a studio song because it had all these fun vocals, and it went to No. 1 on the Billboard chart even before we played it live,” says Collen.

“So we had to go back into the studio and basically learn how to play it live in concert. It was really scary at first, but it worked out and now it’s a major part of the show.”

ready for the challenge

An interesting aspect of the Abu Dhabi concert will be the songs from the new album Diamond star halo.

The band’s first album in seven years, released in May, finds them channeling an intoxicating sound hysteria wide range of repertoire, humorous eras such as churning liquid dust and half joking U Rock Meter.

At just over an hour, it’s one of Def Leppard’s longest albums, born out of the monotony of Covid-19.

“We were really supposed to just do a four-song EP and go on tour, but as the tour kept getting delayed, we just had to keep writing,” he said.

“There’s a lot of inspiration. We’re all separate, we just keep sending each other parts of the song, and we figured out a way to create something good out of the whole Covid experience.”

With the album climbing into the top 10 of the US charts and new songs slipping easily into a tracklist full of hits, Collen is confident that Def Leppard’s Abu Dhabi gig will make audiences smile.

“We all feel good, sound great, and we’re going to go the extra mile. I know I’ll be kicking the bag in the gym the morning of the show,” Coren said.

“It’s the ambition that got us to where we are today and I think we still have that ambition. We’ve played in stadiums before but it’s not with that consistency and quality every night.

“For Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi, it’s just another level we’re going to go and we’re looking forward to it.”

Def Leppard performed on Sunday as part of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix. Only Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders will be able to attend the show.Tickets can be purchased online www.yasmarinacircuit.com and call 800 927 or +971 (0) 2 659 9800 through the Yas Marina Circuit Call Centre.

Updated: November 18, 2022, 6:02pm