I am sure you have all felt the familiar feeling of déjà vu at some point in your life. You know…somewhere I’ve experienced it before, somewhere I’ve seen it before, somewhere I’ve heard it before. That’s how I felt reading David Church’s wonderful book. You see the starting point and the cause of the journey were common or parallel if you prefer, except that we lived thousands of miles apart. But our shared love of Def Leppard and a passion for collecting every item bearing the Sheffield boys’ logo united, in a way, Wales and Greece. We digress though and this review is all about the journey of one of the greatest collectors out there into the world of Def Leppard. It all started – as it did for most people out there – with “Hysteria” and continues seamlessly to this day. “That’s all well and good, but why should I buy the book?”, one might ask. Let’s see why…
First of all, this is a massive book with many, many pages, full of rare photos that capture some of Def Leppard’s more intimate moments, if you will. And when we say “intimate” we mean photos of David Church with Def Leppard members over the years. You see, David has had the privilege, good fortune (and boundless energy) of meeting Def Leppard many times, chatting with them, contributing to the publication of their amazing recent biography (“Definitely”)…hell, even standing next to an urinal stand with Vivian Campbell! And this book may be exclusively about Def Leppard, but trust me, anyone who is passionate about a band will find plenty of common ground. Plus, it’s written in an excellent and eloquent way that makes it practically impossible to stop reading…trust me, I read it in just over a day! Another key element is that this journey that started as a lonely expedition of a romantic kid has grown into one of the most beautiful experiences as it has united dozens of Def Leppard fans and collectors around the world who are helping each other in one of the healthiest communities out there. And it’s all thanks to David.
Oh yeah…did I mention that none other than Joe Elliott has penned a foreword for the book? Beyond coolness, if you ask me!
But the most important reason for buying this book is that all proceeds go to charity, specifically Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital. Check it out on the internet and you will see that these people are doing an excellent job. Don’t forget, after all, that it is 1000 times better to give than to receive…and that is what David Church generously does not only with this book but also in his daily life. David Church has built his own church of Def Leppard and I personally feel proud to call him my friend. What’s our next journey, Churchy?
PS: The impetus for writing “Church of Def Leppard” was the fantastic book by another mutual friend, David Allen, who shared his love of Def Leppard with all of us in “A Lucky Leppard Fan”. I highly recommend it. You can find it on Amazon.
Sakis Nikas
