Def Leppard @ Copenhell 2023
"A wild ride over stony ground"
In talking to a guy later on the festival, he quotes his own remark to a buddy during the Def Leppard show in which he compares the Lep to their embarrassingly inferior support act, Mötley Crüe:
"See, this is the difference between a band that's lived off of coke and pussy, and a band that's actually practicing their instruments".
And a spot-on comparison it is. Because back in '87 when tonight's headliner suddenly became the world's biggest band for a couple of weeks, it wasn't because of any scandals or outrageous acts of hedonism. On the contrary, it was because of their invaluable skill at actually writing good songs. In fact, those songs were so good that they went on to join the annals of rock history virtually overnight.
And it's no coincidence that the most over-represented album on tonight's setlist – Hell, probably any Leppard setlist – is that '87 masterpiece "Hysteria". Sure, we have to stand through some unnecessary moments from last year's largely unimportant "Diamond Star Halos" album. But after opener "Take What You Want" (one of said unnecessary moments), the classic "Let's Get Rocked" is a warm, welcome reminder of what we're here for and what this band once did so well: They wrote and arranged hard rock music in a way that was, at the same time, irresistibly catchy and memorable.
And as it segues into "Animal" – the most beautiful, colorful, magical fucking hard rock tune ever written – my entire festival experience peaks. The sound tonight is near perfect, fitting Leppard's grandiose expression and production. This simply sounds like it's written and produced for crowds of no fewer than 30.000 people – which probably isn't far from the truth. Shit, even the lyrics are superior to those from 9 out of 10 other bands here:
A wild ride
Over stony ground
Such a lust for life
The circus comes to town
We are the hungry ones
On a lightning raid
Just like a river runs
Like a fire needs flame
I burn for you
Fucking beautiful.
The band themselves are playing with a professionalism that can't be faked – like a lot of contemporary music producers seem to strive for. I'd heard some sinister things about Joe Elliot's vocals after the Bon Jovi tour in 2019; tonight, I'm not hearing one single misstep from him. Hell, even charmingly smiling and famously one-armed drummer Rick Allen plays a wicked solo during the surprising inclusion of 42-year-old instrumental "Switch 625".
Speaking of surprising inclusions, the loveably juicy pop rock gem "Promises" from 1999's "Euphoria" album is another such. In fact, apart from aforementioned new unnecessary songs, the horribly sentimental "This Guitar" being the show's major blemish, the Lep aren't doing anything wrong tonight.
In spite of what certain snobby hipsters (who may or may not be music journalists) will have you believe, Def Leppard, while not still as good as their best albums, still retain any and all relevancy. Not in spite of '80s hard rock being dated, but because a good song never dies if it's good enough.
Sure, I could have done without "When Love and Hate Collide". And it feels like a miss-out that they're not playing "Women" instead of, say, "Armageddon It" or "Hysteria". But on the other hand (insert Rick Allen joke here), the former, arguably the album's deep cut, is another wonderful surprise, its super-effective chorus bitchslapping every other 99% of songwriters ever. And the latter, topping off a long wave of nostalgic yearning for those magic days when music sounded like pure adventure, gets me so nostalgic that my ocular region starts excreting saline water.
That's right: I love music more than you do. And it would take downright musical ignorance to dismiss anything about Def Leppard. I don't care that they're not a metal band; music is more than only metal, ya ignorant cunt.
In fact, you might think you don't like Def Leppard, but really, you do. You like them, not only because they play stadium-sized hard rock, which appeals directly to any decent person's reproductive organs, but because they're objectively talented musicians and songwriters. Who write and play actual, memorable songs – not just stylistic exercises in whichever genre you happen to prefer.
Sure, the crowd tonight does take more kindly to mandatory crowd-banger "Pour Some Sugar on Me" than to most other songs. And there's also a reason that Leppard end things with "Photograph". It's because those songs are simply so irresistible in all their enticing structure and unshakeable hooks that hit status was inevitable.
But even though some songs are bigger than others, this really is a hit parade more than anything else, multi-million-selling singles "Rocket" and "Love Bites" flanking classics like "Rock of Ages" and "Foolin'". And they all sound just as fresh and relevant today as they ever were.
Yes, in spite of what certain snobby hipsters (who may or may not be music journalists) will have you believe, Def Leppard, while not still as good as their best albums, still retain any and all relevancy. Not in spite of '80s hard rock being dated, but because a good song never dies if it's good enough.
And most of these are more than simply good songs. They're amazing songs.
Rating: 5 out of 6
Genre: Hard rock
Venue: Copenhell, Helvíti Stage
Date: Wed., 14/6/2023
Setlist:
- Take What You Want
- Let's Get Rocked
- Animal
- Foolin'
- Armageddon It
- Kick
- Love Bites
- Promises
- This Guitar
- When Love and Hate Collide
- Rocket
- Bringin' On the Heartbreak
- Switch 625
- Hysteria
- Pour Some Sugar on Me
- Rock of Ages
- Photograph