Def Leppard brings new tour to the Mohegan Sun Arena
As you hit a certain age, it’s best not to think too far ahead. The calendar passes with dizzying speed, to begin with, and in terms of considering a protracted, long-term obligation or project, well, it can all seem a bit much.
In that spirit, you’d suspect members of British stadium band Def Leppard probably try to avoid looking at October 10 on their calendar. After all, that’s the final date on their 2016 tour, one that kicked off two weeks ago and still has 50 (count ’em, 50!) shows to run — including tonight’s headlining date in the Mohegan Sun Arena.
On the other hand, though the Lepps — who broke through as post-glam teenagers way back in 1980 — now range in age from 52 to 58, you’d be hard pressed to detect any apprehension or weariness from lead guitarist Phil Collen.
In fact, during a recent phone conversation, Collen, who joined Leppard just in time for their groundbreaking third album, “Pyromania,” sounds positively jubilant when he considered his band’s legacy, their thoroughly strong and competitive new album, and the prospect of roaring across the country playing rock show well into the autumn.
“Frankly, doing this stuff keeps me young,” Collen says. “We don’t think of ourselves as a band relying on the past. We’re very much a work in progress. I look back when we released ‘Pyromania,’ and it’s fun to remember how naïve you can be when you’re young. You don’t really think much about longevity or the future. But the reality of all it all — if you’re lucky enough to still be doing it all these years later — is that today’s experiences are just part of the whole arsenal.”
Much of the aggregate pride and wonder probably comes from the fact that DL has had such a consistent lineup. The group formed in 1977 with vocalist Joe Elliot, drummer Rick Allen, bassist Rick Savage and guitarists Pete Willis and Steve Clark. Collen replaced Willis in 1982 and, after Clark died in 1991, Vivian Campbell came onboard. The lineup’s been the same since — and their collective history is something Collen thinks about a lot.
For example, he laughs when he thinks about the differences in priorities from the early days until now.
“Back then, we had, you know, a lot of fun. Rock star stuff,” he says. “Now, it never ceases to fascinate and amaze me what each day brings — particularly on tour. I might meet a political dissident in Moscow or a spiritual guy in India, and just to see and experience all these places and have intellectual conversations with the people you meet ... It’s just amazing.”
Read more at The Day.