Def Leppard Will Pour Some Sugar on Winnipeg
Concert at MTS Centre in August 2005
—Def Leppard is set to play the MTS Centre in Winnipeg along with The Tea Party on August 19, 2005 at 7:30 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 3, 2005 and the show can be expected to sell out as quickly as did the recent Green Day concert.Def Leppard was formed in Sheffield, England, in 1977 by original members Joe Elliot (lead vocals), Rick Savage (bassist) and Pete Willis (guitarist). They were quickly joined by Rick Allen (drummer) and Steve Clark (guitarist).
The band was originally called Deaf Leopard, but was renamed Def Leppard in much the same style as Led Zeppelin. The band was signed to Mercury Records in the US and to Phonogram in the UK in 1979, and released their first single, Wasted, the same year.
In 1980, they released their debut album, On through the Night, produced by Tom Allom, which included the hit, Hello America. Then, in 1981, they released the album High 'N' Dry, which was their first album produced by Robert John &"Mutt" Lange. The video for the single Bringin' on the Heartbreak was one of the first real "metal" videos played on MTV, according to the website, www.answers.com.
On July 11, 1982, guitarist Pete Willis was replaced by Phil Collen due to Willis' excessive drinking habits. This change occurred during the production of the album, Pyromania, which included such hits as Photograph, Foolin' and Rock of Ages and sold over six million copies.
On December 31, 1984, the band's success seemed fleeting, as Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car accident. However, due to his determination to remain a part of Def Leppard, Allen began devising ways to play the drums with his feet and some electronic assistance.
In 1987, the band released the album Hysteria, which included the still popular hit, Pour Some Sugar on Me. According to www.answers.com, "much of [Def Leppard's] success in the 1980s is credited to their producer, Robert John 'Mutt' Lange, who was considered by the band to be its sixth member."
After Hysteria, there was a delay in the release of Def Leppard's next album, Adrenalize, due to the death of guitarist Steve Clark, whose death was caused by a drug and alcohol overdose in 1991.
When Adrenalize was released in 1992, it entered the US charts at number one, though it only included the work of the four remaining members of the band (Elliot, Collen, Savage and Allen). Also in 1992, guitarist Vivian Campbell, formerly of bands such as Whitesnake and Trinity, joined the band to re-complete the quintet.
1993 saw the album, Retroactive, released followed by Vault, Def Leppard's first greatest hits album. The band released successive albums Euphoria (1999), X (2002), The Best of Def Leppard (2004) and Rock of Ages—the Definitive Collection (2005).
2005 marks the beginning of a new tour for Def Leppard, which includes concerts in venues across Canada, including Winnipeg's MTS Centre.
For more information about the band, log onto the band's official website, www.defleppard.com. For more information about tour dates and tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.ca or call your local TicketMaster outlet.