Out on the road, supporting their latest release, YEAH! Def Leppard rolled into DTE Energy Music Theatre July 24th to a sold out crowd. Bringing 80’s rock legends Journey along for the ride, the anxious concert goers were given a night to remember.

Though a co-headlining tour, Journey played first to the 15000 strong fans. While Steve Perry hasn’t been with the band in years, and replacement singer, Steve Augeri out with a throat condition, Jeff Scott Soto was brought in for the honors. A dream come true for the singer who told the crowd that he was having the best summer of his life.

Journey put on a good performance, especially for me who was a bit hesitant about them. (Though a fan, I am a die hard Def Leppard fan who was anxious to see them again for the fourth time in less than a year.) Playing a lot of songs from their Escape era, the patrons were right there with Journey. Getting incredible response was Open Arms and Faithfully both sung by drummer, Dean Castronovo, sounding more like Steve Perry than Soto. The highlight of the show for most was Don’t Stop Believin’ as the crowd sang it for the band, including the ever famous line, Born and raised in South Detroit. Journey closed out the night with their encore of Separate Ways and Any Way You Want It.

Following the tour, I was more than shocked and pleasantly pleased that Def Leppard opened with Hellraiser from YEAH!. A song previously done by Sweet in the early 70’s, Def Leppard added their twist and made it a show piece. (Special vocals in spots by Vivian Campbell).

Playing favorites from the past 28 years, as well as few new (old) ones, Def Leppard had DTE moving and shaking. When the questioned was asked, “Do You Want to Get Rocked?” the crowd gave the response the band was looking for. Def Leppard even took it a little old school, playing Let It Go and Bringing On the Heartbreak from High ‘n’ Dry. Foolin’ and Hysteria were also well received by the fans along with their remake of Badfinger’s No Matter What.

Joe Elliott was in top form, getting the crowd into it and sounding better than I have heard him a while. Guitarist Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell (replaced original guitarist, the late great Steve Clark in 1992) work well with one another in their trading off of guitar solos and riffs. Bass player, Rick “Sav” Savage is an underrated musician who was able to shine with a bass solo before the band kicked in with their tribute to David Essex, on Rock On.

After an extended version of the hit Rocket off the ever popular Hysteria recording, showcasing solos by Collen and Campbell, the band moved into a collage of songs from Pyromania and Hysteria drawing the crowd into a frenzy. Photograph is a staple Def Leppard song, as is Armageddon It and Animal.

The amazing one-armed drummer, Rick Allen introduced the song Rock of Ages stating that gibberish beginning (and it is gibberish, it means nothing) “Gunter, Gleiben, Glouten, Globen”. Elliott sounded exceptional on this song as in the past, I have heard him struggle with it.

Saying their good nights to the crowd at that point, we all knew, they weren’t finished. How can you have a Def Leppard concert without a “signature” song? Coming out for their encore, they sashayed into their only #1 US Single, Love Bites, extending it with a solo by Campbell. Then came that song that rocked us all as it did back in 1987, Pour Some Sugar On Me, a catchy little ditty that skyrocketed the Hysteria sound to the top of the charts and made Def Leppard a household name.

With plans to record a new CD next year, it may be a couple of years until the ageless wonders are back here, but as Joe Elliott said as he bid us our adieu’s, “Don’t forget us, we won’t forget you!”