Every time Def Leppard announces a European tour, we do everything in our power to attend at least one of their shows. The fact that they’d be bringing Extreme along this time made the whole package even more enticing. What immediately struck you at the BB Plus Live Arena was the incredible organization, the politeness, and the professionalism of the staff working to serve and accommodate the audience. We were lucky enough to be among the first hundred people to enter the venue, so we found ourselves in the second row, right in the center of the main stage.
At 7:30, Extreme kicked off their own show, and honestly, they proved to be the perfect warm-up act, as for the next 60 minutes they set the bar high right from the start. Boundless energy, unique showmanship, and a Nuno Bettencourt who was out of this world. Gary Cherone may have been excellent, but Nuno is in a league of his own! They played songs from almost all of their studio albums (but mainly from “Pornograffitti” and “Six”), as well as a fantastic medley-tribute to Ozzy that included “I Don’t Know”/” “Bark At The Moon”/“Crazy Train,” which really got the 15,000 fans going. Personally, I feel very lucky that I managed to see Extreme live, since their European tours are very rare.
Set List: Decadence Dance/Rebel/Rest in Peace/Play With Me/Hole Hearted/Midnight Express/More Than Words/Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee/Get The Funk Out/Rise/Ozzy Tribute
At exactly 9 o’clock, the lights go out and Def Leppard take the stage on the impressive, state-of-the-art set. Having seen the British band several times in the past, I can easily say that this is their most impressive and technologically advanced stage yet. They kick things off with their new song “Rejoice,” which immediately sets the mood with a literally flawless and crystal-clear sound, while the follow-up, “Animal,” reminds us all—not that we needed reminding, but still… — why Def Leppard remains one of the best live bands out there. Honestly, it’s very rare for a band with nearly 50 years of history to still be putting on such high-caliber concerts.
I can say clearly and with absolute certainty that, apart from their performance at the tiny Leadmill Club in Sheffield three years ago, this was the best Def Leppard concert I’ve ever seen in all these years. On the one hand, the set list they put together—including “White Lightning,” “Promises,” as well as “Slang”—where Nuno joined the band on stage playing guitar alongside Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell—and, on the other hand, the extraordinary performance of the entire band, especially Rick Savage and Joe Elliott, who were in high spirits, creating a true spectacle. It would be an oversight not to mention the amazing Birmingham crowd, who sang along to every song. It was definitely a night we’ll remember forever, and as Joe Elliott says: “Until Next Time…and there will be a next time!”
Set List: Rejoice/Animal/Let’s Get Rocked/Personal Jesus/Bringin’ On The Heartbreak/Switch 625/Just Like 73/Rocket/Rock On/White Lightning/Slang/Promises/Armageddon It/Love Bites/Rock of Ages/Photograph/When Love and Hate Collide/Hysteria/Pour Some Sugar On Me
Sakis Nikas
*Def Leppard Photos by Ryan Sebastian & Mark Cookson
*Extreme Photos from the official Facebook page
