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Ultimate Classic Rock

35 Years Ago: Def Leppard’s Hysteria Tour Hits the United States

Def Leppard 's tour cycle to promote their fourth album, Hysteria , started on Aug. 27, 1987, in Dublin. But an argument could be made that the Hysteria tour did not begin until Oct. 1, when the group unveiled its " In the Round" stage at the Civic Center in Glens Falls, N.Y.

The setup – actually more of a rectangle than a circular stage like Yes used from 1978-80 – was the brainchild of Def Leppard's manager Peter Mensch, who had seen Frank Sinatra do a 360-degree show. The appeal was two-fold: not a bad seat, or at least fewer, in the house; and the ability to sell more tickets than in a normal configuration with the stage on one end of the arena.

And not necessarily in that order. "It's a totally different way to play the show," singer  Joe Elliott told this writer a few weeks into the tour. "It's like you have four front rows to play to. You have people all around you, screaming from every direction. It's pretty wild. ... I think it's great for the band and for the fans."

The setup "made for a spectacular show once we got the feel for it – and it totally affected how we were as performers," guitarist Phil Collen added in his 2015 memoir Adrenalized: Life, Def Leppard and Beyond . "Everyone does it nowadays, but back then it was a novel thing."

The stage was designed by Def Leppard lighting director Phay MacMahon, incorporating a massive rig above the stage that included lasers, a rotating and rising drum riser for Rick Allen and a network of ramps and slopes for Elliot, Collen, guitarist Steve Clark and bassist Rick Savage to navigate. The Hysteria album art was painted on the floor of the stage, while the band emerged at the start of the show from behind a four-sided curtain, also featuring the album art, which disappeared cyclone-like as they kicked into "Stagefright."

Watch Def Leppard Perform 'Stagefright'

"It truly was state-of-the-art," MacMahon said in Collen's book. "It also had a very uncluttered look and feel to it, because all of the guitar techs worked underneath the stage, and all of the guitar amps were also located offstage." The lighting rig, according to MacMahon, "featured many movable parts and lasers that had never been used for concerts before."

The group came to Glens Falls for eight days of rehearsals, following 17 shows at smaller venues in the U.K. and Ireland, and three European festival dates back in June before Hysteria 's release. But working into the new stage wasn't just press-and-play: "It took a minute for us to get used to the set-up," Elliott acknowledged back in 1987. "We'd never done anything like that before. Not many rock bands had. So the first few shows we were trying to fill the stage too much. We were just exhausted. We're really learning how to pace ourselves and not feel like, 'I have to be over there. ... Wait, no, I have to be over there!'"

It was also the first chance for North American audiences to see the new model Allen in action after losing his left arm in a car crash on New Year's Eve 1984. He had taught himself to play on a hybrid drum kit that allowed him to trigger sounds via electronics that would have been created with his left arm with his left foot instead. The kit had wowed European audiences and his bandmates, and would be a focal point for the Hysteria shows in the U.S.

The center-arena staging created one major logistical problem: how to get the band to the stage. The solution was oversized laundry-style carts that Def Leppard's crew would use to move gear belonging to opening acts Tesla and Queensryche off stage. The band members would get into them backstage — Elliott and Clark in one, Collen and Savage in another — and be wheeled to the under-stage area past unsuspecting fans. Allen, who had to warm up before the show, would walk through the crowd in disguise, including a fake left arm holding a beer. In his memoir, Collen recalls that Robert Plant came to check out one of the Chicago concerts in 1988 and volunteered to wheel Collen and Savage's cart that night. "We played extra hard that night, knowing that Robert Plant was watching us," Collen wrote.

Watch Def Leppard Perform 'Pour Some Sugar on Me'

The under-stage area, meanwhile, became something of a bacchanal as the tour went on. Part of Def Leppard's schtick was a 20-minute section of "Rock of Ages" during which Allen would be playing while Elliott hyped the crowds through a call-and-response of the " What do you want? / I want rock 'n' roll " refrain. Collen, Clark and Savage would then retire to below deck, where a party was raging with women who were invited by crew members into the netherworld — if they were willing to disrobe.

"Under the stage, it would be like Sodom and Gomorrah," photographer Ross Halfin said in VH1's " Behind the Music " episode on Def Leppard. "There would be 60 naked girls, and I mean nothing on. They really were the party band. All the bands, Metallica , Motley Crue , think they're so tough. You couldn't touch Def Leppard for it. It's just the fact they hid it really, really well."

All of that was what lay ahead on that first night in Glens Falls. Hysteria endured sluggish performance out of the box so the concert was not sold out, like many of their first-leg shows. Some 5,786 fans turned up in the 7,500-capacity arena. The group nevertheless powered through 15 songs, including five from Hysteria and seven from its predecessor, 1983's multi-platinum Pyromania  — but nothing from the group's 1980 debut, On Through the Night . The ratios would, of course, change as " Pour Some Sugar on Me " rocket-fueled Hysteria 's performance and made Def Leppard shows a hot ticket during 1988 in Europe and North America.

The entire tour played more than 100 dates in North America alone, and the production was preserved on the home video Live: In the Round, In Your Face , filmed at a pair of February 1988 shows in Denver, released in March of 1989 and again in 2001 on DVD. The Hysteria tour wrapped up on Oct. 27, 1988, at the Tacoma Dome in Washington state. That would also be Clark's final performance with the band; the guitarist died  on Jan. 3, 1991, at the age of 30, while on a leave of absence from the band to deal with alcoholism. The cause of death was ruled respiratory failure caused by a mix of alcohol and prescription drugs.

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Hysteria World Tour

  • Hysteria World Tour Tour by Def Leppard Hysteria Tour Poster Associated album " Hysteria " Start date 24 June 1987 End date 27 October 1988 No. of shows 236 Def Leppard concert chronology Pyromania World Tour (1983–1984)

The Hysteria World Tour was a concert tour by English hard rock band Def Leppard for their fourth album Hysteria . This was the first tour with drummer Rick Allen since his car accident on 31 December 1984 when he lost his left arm. Allen returned to the band for recording sessions and the tour using a custom designed electronic drum set. It was also the last tour to feature guitarist Steve Clark before his death on 8 January 1991 from alcoholism and a combination of prescription drugs and painkillers. Prior to the start of the European leg in March 1988, the band rented the Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg, Sweden for a week of full production rehearsals.

Many of the dates on the tour were performed "in the round," with the stage and light-rigging set up in the middle of arenas, giving the audience a 360-degree view of the band's performance. [1]

Opening Acts

  • McAuley Schenker Group
  • Queensryche

First Typical Setlist

(Taken from the Boise, Idaho BSU Pavilion show on 4 December 1987)

  • "Stagefright"
  • "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)"
  • "Another Hit and Run"
  • "Billy's Got a Gun"
  • " Too Late for Love "
  • " Hysteria "
  • "Gods of War"
  • "Die Hard The Hunter"
  • " Bringin' On The Heartbreak "
  • " Foolin' "
  • " Armageddon It "
  • " Pour Some Sugar on Me "
  • " Let It Go "
  • " Rock of Ages "
  • "Don't Shoot Shotgun"
  • " Love Bites "
  • " Photograph "

Second Typical Setlist

(Taken from the Denver, Colorado McNichols Sports Arena show on 13 February 1988)

  • "Tear It Down"
  • " Travelin' Band " (originally performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival )

Third Typical Setlist

(Taken from the Nagoya, Japan Century Hall show on 24 May 1988)

Fourth Typical Setlist

(Taken from the Casper, Wyoming Casper Events Center show on 4 July 1988)

Fifth Typical Setlist

(Taken from the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds show on 10 August 1988)

Sixth Typical Setlist

(Taken from the Jackson, Mississippi Mississippi Coliseum show on 7 September 1988)

Seventh Typical Setlist

(Taken from the Atlanta, Georgia the Omni show on 7 October 1988)

Touring Personnel

  • Joe Elliott – Lead Vocals, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards
  • Phil Collen – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Backing Vocals
  • Steve Clark – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Backing Vocals
  • Rick Savage – Bass, Keyboards, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitars, Backing Vocals
  • Rick Allen – Drums, Backing Vocals
  • Michael Moorhead – Laser Special Effects Programmer/Operator

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  • ↑ http://concertstagedesign.blogspot.com/2011/01/def-leppard-1987-1988-hysteria-in-round.html
  • tour history
  • discography
  • lep history
  • about / contact

35 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD HYSTERIA Tour 1988 In Nashville, TN (Concert Review 2)

Def Leppard played a Hysteria tour show in Nashville/Antioch, TN on 5th August 1988 and an archive concert review is available to read.

The Tennessean reviewed the show which took place at Starwood Amphitheatre.

The first visit to this city since January 1988 on the indoor leg of the tour.

The Tennessean - Online Review Quotes

"Lead guitarist Steve Clark was a rock maniac, with a frenzied approach that sent notes spluttering into the crowds with what seemed to be barely-controlled intensity."

"Bassist Rick Savage broke female hearts with every twitch of his tight jeans and flash of his torso from his open jacket."

This and other archive concert reviews can be found on the show pages in the Tour History.

Fan photos and reviews from any past tour can be submitted - Here

  • Read the full review - Nashville 1988 Show Page
  • Def Leppard - Hysteria Tour 1987/1988
  • Related News - 4th August 2023

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when was the def leppard hysteria tour

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when was the def leppard hysteria tour

Def Leppard – ‘Hysteria U.S. Tour 1988’ – Tour Book

It has been awhile since we’ve gone through a Tour Book and this time around, we have a three set series on Def Leppard Tour Books. Only 3 because that is all I have at this time. And we are kicking it off with the band’s biggest tour, Hysteria. The Tour ran from 1987-1988 and I saw it 3 times. Yep, three times. Twice in Atlanta, one of which I won on a Radio call-in show, and once in Chattanooga, TN because we had to see them again.

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

Looking back, what was great about these shows is that I got to see Steve Clark play as he passed a few years later. The band was Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Rick Savage, Steve Clark and Phil Collen and the album Hysteria was their biggest selling album of all time going Diamond with well over 12 million copies. It spawned an impressive 7 singles and they were the biggest band in the world at that time. They are still one of my favorite bands of all time and why I didn’t buy a tour book back then is beyond me…probably because I was a broke high school student…we will go with that. So, here is the book in all its glory…

The cover is above as the header and if you notice the triangle cut out. When you open it, you get to see the same concert shot wrapped by the Hysteria album cover.

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

Unlike a lot of Tour books, we don’t get an individual band member page talking about each member. Basically every page has all the members as it is a band…

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

This next page give us a little history on the band from the release of the ‘Hysteria’ album up to the 1988 leg of the tour. It is a nice long essay that is a must read.

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

More and more band shots…

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

This next one has a little flap on the right side…

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

And when folded out, changes the picture to this…

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

Now we are to the page where the band thanks the road crew. This time they take it a step further and give you pictures of the road crew which I think is an awesome touch!!

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

And lastly is the Merch page and one last band photo…

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

Oh yeah, can’t forge the back cover…

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

And that is everything. I hope you enjoyed the walk through the book and we have two more Tour Books to go through over the next couple weeks. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Thanks for hanging around.

Here is a list of all the Tour Books we have reviewed over the years. Links are provided so you can go see some history.

Alice Cooper:

  • Welcome To My Nightmare Tour (1975)
  • Guilty Tour (1977)

Kiss Tour Book Series:

  • Animalize Tour (1984)
  • Asylum Tour (1985)
  • Alive / Worldwide Tour (1996-1997)
  • Alive / Worldwide Tour Special Edition (1997)
  • World Domination Tour (2003-2004
  • 40th Anniversary Tour – Decades of Decibels (2014)
  • End of the Road Tour (2019) – Coming Soon
  • Bon Jovi – New Jersey Tour / Brotherhood Tour (1988)
  • Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi Tour (2011)
  • Rush – Power Windows Tour (1985)
  • Rush – Roll The Bones Tour (1991)
  • Rush – Counterparts Tour (1994)
  • Rush – Test For Echos Tour (1996)

Def Leppard:

  • Def Leppard – Hysteria U.S. Tour (1988)

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when was the def leppard hysteria tour

80 thoughts on “ Def Leppard – ‘Hysteria U.S. Tour 1988’ – Tour Book ”

Nice trip down memory lane. Not the sort of albums I listen to frequently but enjoy your take.

Like Liked by 1 person

Omg I love this so much! Also, I love this part: “Unlike a lot of Tour books, we don’t get an individual band member page talking about each member. Basically every page has all the members as it is a band…” Every page featuring all of the members as a band, I love that! Jon Bon Jovi should take notes. I also love that the book features pictures of the road crew; that’s a nice way for the band to show their appreciation for them! One last thing, I really dig when Rick Allen used to wear a black hat because I thought it gave him an edge (and he looked so adorable). Ok, I’m done!

Ha! Thanks for reading. This is why I love the Tour books…memories and great pictures. You will enjoy the next two tour books as well.

Oh yes, indeed! I totally see why people collect tour books now. Great picks and a journey to the past. Oh yes, absolutely! I am pumped for the ‘Adrenalize’ tour book next (or The 7 Day Weekend tour, I believe)!

They are fun…especially if you saw that tour.

Yeah, for me, tour books would just be fun to look at. For concert goers like you, you’d have a better connection with certain tour books that you saw the tour for.

You saw them three times in the tour ! That’s impressive !

And I discovered that there is a like button under every post.

Yes, there is a Like button.

I would’ve seen them more but that was all I could get to.

Good timing to post this! I wish I could find mine! I really hope I have it.

It is a good one to have. Now I want the 87 edition and the Japanese edition and even the Europe edition to see how different they might be.

Cool program and your right nice to see pics of the road crew in there as without them there is no show. Maiden did the same thing in the Piece of Mind tour book as they featured pics of their road crew. Good to be acknowledged!

I think this is the only one they do it on. The other two I think they list names. I prefer the photos!

That’s a nice collectible! I didn’t get to see Def Leppard until much later in their career. It’s fine with me, though it makes me jealous of those who caught those bands in their prime. I was 12 years old when Hysteria came out. I doubt I knew what live shows were about.

Hysteria was my introduction to the band. As I did with every band I liked back then, I bought the back catalogue.

Ha! Yeah, my first concert was around 15. My parents wouldn’t let me go earlier than that. I am happy I saw them in their prime and several times after that as well.

It is a good album to be introduced to the band. And that back catalog is worth having.

Nice little tour book you have there!

I like it. I keep collecting them so I must.

Nice One of my biggest regrets is not seeing Def Lep live.

You still can. They are still touring (well hopefully will be this Summer at least.

But in Australia they rarely come. They came a few years ago and I was out of the country when they did. Grrr.

That sounds like my luck. Yeah, Australia does get the bands as frequently. That does suck.

Very cool! Did you co-ordinate this one with Mike’s epic Hysteria post?

Nope. Luckily worked out that way.

A co-ordinated attack would have caused some hysteria…

OMG, the puns again. LOL

Extreme cases of hysteria can lead to pyromania. True story.

These are leaving me High & Dry.

With adrenaline, I can keep up the puns on through the night.

If I’d enough medication the euphoria I feel could keep my punning all day and night.

Eventually even that feels like armageddon(it) though.

But I’d enjoy being wasted.

No Foolin’!

No, No, No..I’m not.

I need a Photograph for proof.

“It Don’t Matter” so just “Let It Go”!!

But I’m so Excitable and then I Run Riot.

If you are too Excitable you might take a Rocket in to space on a Satellite!

Where I could meet the gods of war and we could armageddonit!

Man, your “blood runs cold” if you make us all “turn to dust”.

I guess, by then, it’d be too late for love, so you better rock! rock! (til you drop)! 😉

I don’t know, you left me with a big “Scar” after I’ve been “Torn to Shreds” from those “Gods of War” you sent after me.

Now now, don’t go getting stagefright on me, yer comin’ under fire! It’s time for action! Not words… lol

C’mon C’mon, enough already. It is like you are on Cruise Control with these word plays.

I can stop if you like, but it’d leave you high ‘n dry because it’s so much fun, I could do these on through the night!

If you keep it going I will get Wasted with Me And My Wine!!

The would be The The Walls Came Tumbling Down, surely.

They would just Disintegrate and we would be happy To Be Alive

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Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know

By Maura Johnston

Maura Johnston

DEF LEPPARD Promotional photo of UK rock group in June 1988

When Def Leppard ‘s Hysteria came out 30 years ago, it made itself known as a massive achievement, its wall-to-wall sonics and skyscraping harmonies sounding like a turbo-charged version of the metal-edged pop the band had laid down on their prior LP, 1983’s Pyromania . “Every track sparkles and burns,” Kurt Loder wrote in his Rolling Stone review of the album . But the journey the band took to Hysteria was long and at times calamitous, marked by producer conflicts, lengthy recording sessions, record-company debts and a near-fatal car accident suffered by drummer Rick Allen. In advance of a new deluxe Hysteria reissue , out Friday, here are 10 facts about the album’s genesis and its current place in music history. 

1. Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman was originally slated to produce the album. “When we first got together to follow up Pyromania – which was basically what it was; it wasn’t Hysteria at the time, it was just going to be the next album – we hadn’t a clue [as to] what we were doing,” lead singer Joe Elliott says in Step Inside: Hysteria at 30 , a documentary produced by the band in honor of the album’s 30th anniversary. Def Leppard initially wrote songs with producer-songwriter Mutt Lange, who’d worked with them since 1981’s High & Dry . His packed schedule, though, meant that he couldn’t produce the album. For that, the band initially chose Jim Steinman, whose recent credits included Bonnie Tyler’s hit-spawning Faster Than the Speed of Night , Air Supply’s smash “Making Love Out of Nothing At All” and, most famously, Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell .

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But the two parties clashed over the record’s direction – Steinman wanted the album to have a live-band feel, while Def Leppard was hoping to make an even more sonically extravagant album than Pyromania . “Jim just came from a completely different school of thought that was more vibe- and song-oriented, whereas we’ve always been more about the sound of the record,” bassist Rick “Sav” Savage says in Step Inside . “We go into great detail on every element that makes up the song.” The band bought him out in November 1984, before recording a single note, putting themselves in a hefty amount of debt. “He may be good for other acts, but he was hopeless for us,” Elliott told the Toronto Star in 1987. “We were a million miles apart in our ideas about sounds, style, timing. And he couldn’t adapt to the band. It was a mismatch from the start.”

The band turned to Nigel Green, who had engineered the Lange-produced Def Leppard records, but the sessions resulted in songs that hewed too close to Pyromania . Two weeks after Green and Def Leppard began recording together, Allen’s horrific 1984 car accident in rural England, which resulted in him losing his left arm, put the band on hiatus.

2. Rick Allen’s hospital bed helped him dream up his new custom drum kit. “There’s no way he’s gonna get fired,” Elliott recalled in the  Def Leppard episode of  Behind the Music . “I mean, he’s like a brother, he’s … he’s part of the family. It’s up to him to tell us that he can’t play.” Allen instead returned to the band six weeks after the accident and began designing his drum kit, which used electronics to allow him to play his left hand’s parts with his left foot – and which he had devised the initial plan for while still in the hospital. “The hospital staff put this big piece of foam rubber at the foot of the bed to stop me from sliding down,” he told Modern Drummer in 1988. “I could push myself against it to hold myself up, and as I sat there, I eventually started tapping away on it, thinking, ‘Yeah, that could come in handy. …’ I was working ideas out with my feet. I got my brother to bring down my stereo system, and I started playing all my favorite albums again, as I sort of tapped along to them. There were a few things that were a bit difficult because I had only played a single bass drum, so it took a lot of concentration to get my feet working right.”

Allen plugged away over the coming year and a half, relearning his drumming skills while also teaching himself how to do other things. “It was pretty amazing to watch that happen,” guitarist Phil Collen told Guitar World in 2012. “Especially considering all the other stuff Rick couldn’t do – he couldn’t tie his shoelaces, he couldn’t cut a loaf of bread, he couldn’t even stand up properly because all of a sudden he was now unbalanced. But he practiced and practiced and practiced, just trying to get the coordination going between the left leg and right hand. And it was remarkable.” In the summer of 1986, Def Leppard was invited to play a handful of gigs on the Monsters of Rock Tour with Ozzy Osbourne and Bon Jovi. As a warmup for the tour, they scheduled a few smaller gigs in Ireland that would double as the first tests for Allen and his kit; the band invited Jeff Rich, then the drummer for the British rock stalwarts Status Quo, to be Allen’s backup. Three dates into the tour, Rich showed up late, and Allen had to go it alone – and “After the gig Jeff came up to me,” Allen recalled in Behind the Music , “and he just said, ‘Well, it’s been nice knowing you. I think you can do this on your own.'”

Def Leppard's Joe Elliott Reflects on 'Hysteria': 'It Had to Be Sexy'

Rick Allen, drummer with the band 'Def Leppard', rehearsing with his modified drum kit to accommodate the loss of his left arm, on stage in Sheffield, England, October 9th 1987.

3. Mutt Lange’s studio perfectionism added to the album’s delays. Lange ran the guys ragged in the studio, multi-tracking songs more than a dozen times in order to create the album’s cavernous sound. “The idea was that this record was not gonna come out until it was an absolute bona fide classic record,” Joe Elliott told VH1. “It was creating a sound that nobody had heard before,” Savage says in Step Inside . “And to get through that process, sometimes, you could spend three or four days solely on one little thing to realize, ‘That’s not the right way to go.'” 

“A guitar player friend of mine came in the studio to say hello, and I was sitting there going ‘bing, bing, bing’ on one note, and then I am tracking it and then going back and doing another note, ‘ding, ding, ding,’ and tracking it and he goes, ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ We were like, ‘Wait ’til you hear it all together,” Collen told Goldmine in 2013. “It really had this really unique sound. It was not painstaking, because we were doing something that had never been done. Every time we put a new part on, we got excited about it. We had to play things that would assist the song and not affect the groove or the melody. It went on a long time, and sometimes it was exhausting, but, at the same time, it was groundbreaking, which made it really exciting.” Lange’s perfectionist tendencies and other maladies suffered by both him and the band meant that the album’s recording wasn’t completed until early 1987. (The band apologized for the delay in the album’s liner notes.)

4. “Love Bites” originally had a bit more twang to it. “Love Bites,” the band’s first (and only) Number One on the Hot 100, began its life as a country track – not the most surprising beginning for what would become a massive power ballad, although the layers of backing vocals (inspired by the R&B of the time) and guitars and keyboards the band added in the studio made it unmistakably Leppard–ian. “That was written by Mutt,” Collen said in the mid-Nineties, around the time Lange was making waves for producing albums by his then-wife Shania Twain. “When he first showed it to us, it sounded a bit country-and-western. … We just added Def Leppard guitars to it.”

5. “Animal” had a three-year gestation period. “Animal,” the first single from the album outside of the U.S. and the record’s first hit here, took three years to finish, in part because of Lange’s impossibly high standards. “We used … my original demo, but it took three years before we actually completed [the song],” Collen told SongFacts . “I had done this demo and it was okay and there was a song in there we just couldn’t quite get. We’d revisit it and I remember we were recording vocals in Paris for something and one day Joe had done this vocal and Mutt Lange had said, ‘Wow, this vocal’s killer. Let’s rewrite the song around that.’ … He said, ‘Yeah, this is okay but this can be great.’ That’s always his thing. ‘Yeah, it can be alright and it can be an okay song but we want to make it great.’ And I think we achieved that.”

6. The band saw “Pour Some Sugar on Me” as their early foray into rap-rock. “With rock bands in general, they’re usually not very open-minded; they’re kind of genre-specific and like to stay in their little boxes,” Collen told Guitar World in 2012. “I think the whole thing with Mutt was he wanted to open it up and do a hybrid thing, which obviously he’s amazing at.” Hysteria draws inspiration from a lot of the biggest-sounding pop records of the early MTV era – Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s aggro New Wave, Human League’s synth-pop splendor, Queen’s maximalist gravitas – but adds massive guitars and Allen’s rumbling beats to the mix. “The thing we wanted to do in Def Leppard is just be a hybrid of a lot of other things,” Collen said in Greg Prato’s 2011 MTV history MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video. “In England, you don’t really do the ‘cover band thing.’ When you start up, you start writing songs before you can even play an instrument, in most cases. … We were creating our own thing, and I think it was going to combine a lot of different rock bands – Thin Lizzy, T. Rex, and the glam thing, along with the punk stuff, and Zeppelin. It was a total combination.”

The genesis of “Pour Some Sugar on Me” (the last song written for the album) came, in part, from the success of Aerosmith and Run-DMC’s “Walk This Way,” which became the first hip-hop single to hit the Top Five shortly after its release in 1986. “When we did ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me,’ it was only written because Run-DMC and Aerosmith had done ‘Walk This Way,'” Elliott said in 2000 . “All of the sudden, rock and rap did mix, so we wrote our own.” Elliott’s verses were laid down as abstract syllables at first, then massaged into actual (yet still somewhat obtuse) words.

7. Hysteria stretched the limits of how long an album could be. Hysteria ‘s 12 tracks ran just under 63 minutes, testing the new upper limits of album lengths allowed by the CD era. “One of the big things that a lot of people don’t realize Mutt was doing with Hysteria was that he was making the album for CD buyers,” Collen told Goldmine. “He knew the CD thing was going to take off. We had 10 tracks and Mutt said we needed more. All of us, including the record company said, ‘What are you talking about? Quality will suffer from too many songs, and no one will buy the record.'” But it worked out: “If they can put a man on the moon they can press a 63-minute record, especially with all the new technology about,” Elliott told the Toronto Star in 1987. “Besides, I hate defeatists.”

when was the def leppard hysteria tour

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when was the def leppard hysteria tour

"It was the best thing I’d ever heard" – Phil Collen talks Def Leppard's Hysteria track-by-track

Looking back on a classic 35 years on

Def Leppard

Recalling the price tag for recording Def Leppard's 1987 album, Hysteria, guitarist Phil Collen is still amazed. "Four and a half million dollars!" he says, laughing slightly. "Which was ludicrous. Who knows what that would be in today’s dollars? We had to sell three million copies just to break even, and for a while, we didn't know if we would."

The band had scored an across-the-board smash with 1983's Pyromania, but as they prepared for the follow-up, tragedy struck when drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a 1984 New Year's Eve car accident.

"That was a huge blow to us all personally, of course," says Collen. "But Rick came through it all so well, it's unbelievable. The fact that the record took so long to make took a lot of pressure off of him, in some ways. 

"He had the time to learn how to play in a new way, of course, but just the way that he became a new person and learned how to do all the normal things that we take for granted – tying his shoes, cutting a loaf of bread and stuff like that – it was amazing. So Rick was able to get so many elements of his life back before we finished the album and went back into the world.”

Compounding matters was the fact that the group (which at the time also included singer Joe Elliot, bassist Rick Savage and guitarist Steve Clarke) were starting the album without their trusted producer, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who was committed to working with The Cars on the album Heartbeat City. The band began sessions with noted Meat Loaf writer and producer Jim Steinman.

"It seemed like a good idea at first," says Collen, "but it just didn’t work out at all. So we waited for Mutt. I remember he said to us once, ‘You can be a cool band, a good band or a great band. If you want to be a great band, you have to work harder than anybody else.’ That was it right there. That explains why we went that extra mile, and it was all because of Mutt.”

We wanted clarity – clarity with a lot of bottom

Already famous – or infamous – for his meticulous nature, Lange took the unusual step of instructing Collen and Clarke - heretofore Marshall amp lovers - to play through Rockman units to achieve a uniform, pristine guitar sound.

“We wanted clarity – clarity with a lot of bottom," says Collen. "Steve and I were working on these elaborate, very intricate guitar orchestrations, and if you’re layering 15 or 16 guitar tracks on a song, Marshalls just aren’t going to work. Using the Rockmans worked very well in that we could fit part upon part upon part, even separate strings. We might have sacrificed some of the hard rock balls element you’d get with a Marshall or something, but the melody and hooks and tone to each part really came through with the Rockmans. It wasn’t all Rockmans, though – there were some parts where we used small Gallien-Krueger amps.”

Going into Hysteria, Lange stated that he wanted the band to make a hard rock version of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Collen states that everybody was on board with such an approach. "Sure, let’s make every song as great as possible – why not?" he says. "Let’s be daring. So many rock bands just follow the stereotype, but Mutt wanted to open us up to any kind of sound, make us like a hybrid in a way, and we thought that was really exciting. He’s amazing at that.

“A lot of rock albums can sound thin and reedy. But listen to hip-hop albums and R&B records – they sound huge! We found that we could get a lot of crossover appeal by making the songs big and open. High ‘N’ Dry had a bit of an AC/DC thing to it. I remember putting my vocals on Pyromania and thinking, This doesn’t sound like anyone else. In fact, it sounded like Def Leppard for the first time."

Hysteria marked the last recordings of Steve Clarke (although he did contribute to the writing of 1992's Adrenalize). The guitarist, who died in 1991, was plagued by alcoholism, but Collen remembers that "he was OK during the Hysteria sessions. It wasn’t until after the Hysteria tour that things came to a head with the drinking. And it wasn’t like he was out of control then, it was the physical reactions he was having. But during the recording of Hysteria, he was OK.”

Collen admits that the three-year process for recording Hysteria did "make us a bit crazy at times, mainly in the beginning," but he clearly recalls the moment when he heard the completed work from start to finish: "We were staying at this little house on a lake in Holland. Steve got a copy and put it on. It was the first time I heard drums on a lot of the tracks, because when I was recording it, a lot of times I played to a click. So I listened to the record and I thought, If it sells one copy and my mom’s the only one that buys it, I’ll be happy. It was the best thing I’d ever heard. I was completely satisfied. I was so proud and pleased. I can still listen to it and feel the same way."

Released on 3 August 1987, Hysteria got off to a slow start (Collen credits strippers in Florida who embraced Pour Some Sugar On Me for kicking the album into the mainstream), but it eventually exploded, spawning seven singles and selling over 20 million copies. "It's been 25 years now," says Collen. "That's enough to make you feel old. Oddly enough, I can remember making the record very clearly. I can remember being in the studio, what guitars we used – I think I remember what we ordered for lunch on some days."

1. Women 

“Mutt came in with the idea. He wanted to do a song that was pro-women and didn’t say all the usual misogynistic things. It would be a celebration of women. That was mainly his song, and we worked around that.

“On the intro part, for that sort of riffy guitar line, I used a Les Paul Custom. My main rhythm guitar was a Fender Strat that I called Felix. It was something of a hybrid. It had two single-coil pickups and a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge position. Actually, it had a Kahler on it. It was a great-sounding guitar that got broken, unfortunately. Nowadays it’s at the Fender Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum in Corona.

“The Strat was pretty much the rhythm guitar for everything. All the guitars on Women went through a Rockman.”

I feel that Rocket is the absolute pinnacle of Def Leppard

“Even in demo form, Joe said, ‘I’ve got an idea to use the rhythm from this African Burundi tribe.’ There was a song in the ‘70s called Burundi Black, and I remembered it, and so the idea was to use that feel and turn it into a real rock anthem. It was a little weird and quirky, but it really came together.

“I feel that Rocket is the absolute pinnacle of Def Leppard. It sums us up in a nutshell: massive drums, massive guitars, big choruses, and lyrically, it’s what the Yeah! album was. So you’ve got all of our influences and elements right there."

“I used the Strat on all the jangle parts and the rhythms. We had a lot of fun making that Star Wars bit in the middle – you know, ‘Countdown commencing’ and all that. It was an absolute blast. It's Star Wars for the ears. [laughs] And again, what was great was to not be restricted by your genre. We knew what we were doing was different and it sounded great.

“We had started taking weekends off, and I remember Nigel Green, the engineer, sitting in the studio with an AMS delay machine, and he was delaying all the stuff by hand. ‘Ahh-ahh-ahhh…’ Now you can do that so easily, but he had to do it the hard way – physically.”

“We wrote the song in Dublin, which was kind of my idea. Frankie Goes To Hollywood was really popular at the time, and we wanted to get some of that in there. Trevor Horn had produced their record, and it sounded amazing.

“We tried to get elements The Fixx, as well – that ‘prrring!’, all the guitar stuff. But we failed miserably [laughs], because I was using Gallien-Krueger on the clean setting.

For some reason, the whole thing took three years

“For some reason, the whole thing took three years. We started it in Dublin, recorded it in Holland, Joe did a vocal in Paris – but it was kind of sucking. [laughs] After all that work, Mutt said, ‘We’ll keep the vocal and rewrite the song.’

“So I sat with Mutt and Steve and we worked on a demo. I played through the Gallien-Krueger, Steve went through a Rockman, and we were both using Mutt’s guitars. I think I had either a Charvel or a Larrivee. Even though it was a demo, we were cranked up. Coming through the speakers, I got a bit of feedback, just barely, and it ended up on the record.” [laughs]

4. Love Bites 

“Mutt had brought the song in as an acoustic thing. His voice is a little Don Henley-ish. He’s a great singer, and you hear him on Shania Twain records, Bryan Adams records – he does all the high stuff. Most of the backing vocals on Love Bites are Mutt.

“We demoed it – me, Steve and Mutt, initially – and then it made the rounds with everyone in the band. Like on Animal, I played through the Gallien-Krueger, and Steve went through a Rockman. I reinforced loads of stuff with my Strat through a Rockman. Those two demo guitars again wound up on the album.

With Animal and Love Bites, we captured the real essence pretty fast

“It’s really funny, because the initial sound was so shitty – it was like, ‘Oh, it’s fine for now’ – but the intention, especially when you play something for the first time, that’s what makes it. If you play something even two or three times, you start to lose it. So with Animal and Love Bites, we captured the real essence pretty fast.

“It’s an emotional song. I use my mom as a yardstick, and I remember the first time she heard it, she burst into years. Joe did a killer job on the vocals. It’s probably one of his best performances.”

5. Pour Some Sugar On Me 

“It was the last song we recorded. We had the whole album done, and one day Joe was sitting in the corridor of the studio, strumming an acoustic guitar and singing, ‘Pour some suga on meeee’ – kind of like in a Bob Dylan way. Mutt heard it and went, ‘What’s that? Let’s turn it into a song.’

“Mutt’s a big country fan, and he plays guitar with his fingers, so when he played me this line to the song, I said, 'I can’t play like that, I use a metal pick.' I ended up playing it my normal way. 

"Then he said, ‘We have the verses, the rap parts, but it’d be great to have these gaps.’ So I thought of Grandmaster Flash, you know, White Lines, and I worked up a guitar riff in that style, which sounded killer. Crank those up with the big snares and the ‘Heyyyys!’ – it became the song it is. We recorded it in 10 days.

It’s funny: the album came out and kind of tanked. But the strippers in Florida started putting this song it in their routines

“For the intro riff, I used my sparkly Jackson, the one with with the crackle finish. I used that for two tracks, and then I played a Tele on two other tracks.

“It’s funny: the album came out and kind of tanked. But the strippers in Florida started putting this song it in their routines. They loved dancing to it, it totally worked, and they would call up the local radio stations and ask them to play it. 

"That’s what got it all going. Before you knew it, the song took off like wildfire, all over the States, Canada, everywhere. So it was the strippers in Florida who put this one over. Isn’t that something?” [laughs]

6. Armageddon It 

“Initially, this was Rick Savage's thing. It kind of went like ‘Dah-dah-dah-dahhh,’ and being that we’re all big T Rex fans, we said, ‘Let’s make it sexier, like Bang A Gong,’ you know? So we put that vibe to it.

“It was a fun song to record. We had a guide vocal going, and we were doing the T Rex groove – it was all very easy to put things on top. We never really did gratuitous recording; anything that we laid down was supposed to be there. No matter what we did, we never got in the way of the melody.

Another one of the genius things about Mutt is his way with subliminal hooks

“There’s some guitar stuff, some harmonics, that kind of sounds like bells. Maybe that’s for the headphone freaks, but they work as hooks. Another one of the genius things about Mutt is his way with subliminal hooks: You hear one thing, and you might not even realize what you’re hearing, and before you know it, you’re hearing something else – and then the whole song opens up.”

7. Don't Shoot Shotgun

“We wanted it to have an AC/DC feel, although originally it was kind of Stones-y. The verse is really cool, but I will say that we didn’t get enough time to finish the song off. Just subject matter-wise – you know, I think the title could have been better. The rest of it is really grooving.

“I tried a Telecaster on it – I was thinking ‘Keith Richards’ – but it ended up being more AC/DC.”

8. Run Riot

I used to really cringe when I heard it

“Again, we didn’t finish it off. We just didn’t get enough time to work on it, like chorus-wise. The verses are great, but we get to the chorus and it’s too… I don’t know, that’s just my opinion, although Joe thinks the same thing.

“It went a bit too poppy, a bit too happy. The vocal melody was a little too major scale. It should’ve stayed more rock ‘n’ roll, especially with the title. I remember I came back from Paris to do the solo, and I fumbled it and made some mistakes. I used to really cringe when I heard it, but it’s been 25 years now, so I’ve let it go.

“Actually, now I like mistakes here and there. You play something, you struggle, you leave a few hiccups in – it’s cool.”

9. Hysteria

“An epic song, that one. We put so much into it. Rick Savage had this idea on guitar, and I literally sang the first verse over the top of it. I said, ‘Oh, I’ve got this bit – I gotta know tonight…’ We took it to Steve, Joe and Mutt, and they added their parts.

“Rick Allen had suggested that we called the album Hysteria, so we decided to call the song the same thing. Once we had the basis for it, it was just a matter of getting all the parts down.

On the ‘gotta know tonight’ part, we recorded every guitar string separately so that there would be no arpeggiating

“On the ‘gotta know tonight’ part, we recorded every guitar string separately so that there would be no arpeggiating. Mutt said, ‘I don’t want a keyboard doing it, I want it on guitar.’ It had to sound non-arpeggiated. Because even if you hit a power chord, there’s a certain amount of arpeggiation. But if you hit every note separately, it sounds totally different. It’s a brilliant sound.

“Steve and I played the solo live together in the studio. We did the same notes, but our vibrato techniques were quite different. We both went through Rockmans. I was playing a Strat, and Steve played a Les Paul.”

10. Excitable

“We wanted Prince meets Michael Jackson. There was also a song called State Of Shock, which was Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger. So we were trying to get all of these dance things together.

“I think Sav came up with the idea and we hammered it out. The big thing on this song was, we didn’t want it to be too obvious. We were bringing in all kinds of genres and moods and mixing them up. I think it came out great. I’d like to play it live again one day.”

11. Love And Affection 

“I sat around my apartment in Paris and came up with the idea for this song. We actually played it live before we recorded it. It almost became a single; a lot of people were calling for it, in which case we would’ve had eight singles. [laughs]

“It flowed very easily. A very fun song to record. Why it wound up last on the record, I really don’t know. I think if we would have put it in the main section of the album, it would have made everything lean too commercial-poppy. So it ended the record, which is fine. I like putting a song like this as the closer. It takes you out real well.”

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Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for  Guitar World ,  Guitar Player ,  MusicRadar  and  Classic Rock . He is also a former editor of  Guitar World , contributing writer for  Guitar Aficionado  and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.

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The Lep Report

Indulge in Def Leppard!

Def Leppard: Hysteria (Song Spotlight)

Last updated on March 26, 2023

The Def Leppard song “Hysteria” may very well be a magical mysteria, especially in how it packs a wallop as powerful as any of the Hysteria album ‘s most bombastic tracks.

It’s not a power ballad. It would be a bit of a stretch to even classify it as a ballad per se, at least a typical one. Referring to “Hysteria” as a mid-tempo pop-rock song might be more appropriate.

The elusiveness to label “Hysteria” only adds to its mystique. And while it’s delicate and subtle in its approach, it grasps listeners and places them under its mighty spell right from the outset.

Def Leppard Hysteria single vinyl 45

Meanwhile, the second half (“Side 2”) contains the album’s “deeper” cuts. And in the middle of that assortment, “Hysteria” makes its appearance. It’s a bit unexpected and almost sneaks up on a listener, yet still doesn’t seem out of place as it’s sandwiched between “Run Riot” and “Excitable.” It assuredly holds its own, standing out from the “Side 2” pack.

It’s also worth mentioning that Def Leppard did a splendid job visually capturing the essence of the song with its classy, memorable music video . From its dancehall setting to its dimly lit mood lighting, not to mention the band’s choice of wardrobe, the video embodies and reinforces the elegance of the track. (Frankly, there have been times when a Def Leppard music video has detracted from a song, “Tonight” being one of them . “Hysteria” is definitely not one of those instances!)

Def Leppard Hysteria Music Video

When You Get That Feelin’, Better Start Recording It!

“Hysteria” is a prime example of Def Leppard’s method of song creation synchronicity.

As you may have already read elsewhere on this site , the band is known to sometimes piece together completely different ideas brought forward by band members, which then results in the creation of an entirely new song.

Phil Collen explained how the song “Hysteria” came about to Goldmine Magazine :

“We pieced together that song. I remember we were sitting in Dublin, and Rick Savage goes, ‘Oh, I’ve got this riff.’ He played it, and I literally just sung the first verse. It was the first thing that came out of my head and I was like, ‘Write this down; record it.’ We did the next bit. It literally happened so quickly that we had half of the song. We took it to Steve, Mutt and Joe, and it turned out to be something else.”

Rick Savage described (and demonstrated) the origins of the song in the Classic Album s : Hysteria release:

Producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange and engineer Mike Shipley (who handled the mixing) also deserve major accolades for making “Hysteria” a reality. Without their creative input and technical wizardry, the song would not have been the gem it turned out to be. (Read an in-depth look at Mutt Lange’s body of work here .)

“Hysteria” Chart Performance

“Hysteria” was the third single off of the Hysteria album in the U.S. (following up “Women” and “Animal”), and continued the album’s streak of every single release outperforming its predecessor on the charts. “Hysteria” became the album’s first Top 10 single, peaking at #10. (The upward chart streak on Billboard ‘s Hot 100 singles chart would continue, as “ Pour Some Sugar On Me ” followed it up, reaching #2; “Love Bites” then came next, reaching #1.)

Might the single chart performance of “Hysteria” have been even better if it were released after a juggernaut like “ Pour Some Sugar on Me ,” which resulted in Hysteria ‘s album sales, radio support, and overall awareness to skyrocket? Potentially.

In the end, it doesn’t matter, as a #1 single does not always a great song make, and “Hysteria” soared regardless.

By the way, if you really want to indulge in more Def Leppard, check out this must-read book ! Also, visit LiveLoveLep.com for one-of-a-kind products, including these t-shirts (and much more):

Def Leppard Eat Sleep Hysteria Repeat T-shirt | LiveLoveLep.com

Still Hysterical After All These Years

“Hysteria” is a mainstay on Def Leppard’s tour setlist; it would be sacrilegious to not include it. (The same can be said about numerous other songs in the band’s catalog, which is a whole other discussion .)

The track is still well-received and as popular as ever with concertgoers. The band’s live performance is more straightforward these days, as opposed to the Hysteria tour, when they teased audiences with an extended, ambiguous introduction, leaving them guessing for a brief period (which also allowed Joe Elliott to take a quick break). It wouldn’t be until the song’s classic melody kicked in that its identity would finally be revealed, to the delight of those in attendance.

Here’s a prime example of this unique introduction, from the band’s memorable In The Round, In Your Face live release:

“Hysteria” (Take 2)

Before making their catalog available digitally, and due to what seemed like a never-ending royalty dispute over digital sales with their record company, Def Leppard re-recorded (nearly) identical versions of several tracks and released them themselves.

It’s no surprise one of the songs the band chose to re-record in 2013 was “Hysteria.” While the term “imitated but never duplicated” could apply, Def Leppard’s effort was respectable, despite the newer version’s inability to completely (and impossibly) replicate the inimitable magic of the original.

Fortunately, it’s now a moot point, as the band’s entire catalog was finally released digitally in 2018, allowing a whole new generation of fans to discover and enjoy the songs as they were originally intended.

Oh, Can You Feel It? Def Leppard Fans Still Do!

“Hysteria” isn’t the band’s loudest or most anthemic track, yet it’s Def Leppard at their Hysteria -era best.

It also ranks #1 on this site’s song ranking of the Hysteria album :

“Some Def Leppard songs have the ability to transport you to a different time and place the very moment you hear their opening chords; “Hysteria” unfailingly achieves this remarkable feat.”

As for the song’s true meaning and ultimate message, Phil Collen explained it to Songfacts :

“The song really is about finding spiritual enlightenment. Not many people know that because it sounds like just getting hysterical, but it’s actually about that. It’s about finding this deeper thing, whether you believe it or not.”

Oh, can you feel it? Do you believe it? Def Leppard fans certainly still do.

Reader Interactions

jarjarbacktattooguy says

April 28, 2020 at 8:37 pm

Thank you for this examination of such a great song, it doesn’t get spotlighted enough since it isn’t a heavy uptempo rocker.

I think Hysteria, along with Gods of War and Love and Affection are the most atmospheric tracks on the album. I think the title track has some similarities to Boston’s Hitch a Ride.

Hysteria was such a perfect fit for Top 40 radio at the time since it was mid tempo and so slickly produced. It clearly helped to pave the way for the massive Top 40 success of PSSOM and Love Bites.

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Watch Def Leppard’s unforgettable performance of Hysteria live in London

Def Leppard launch video showcasing their classic track Hysteria - will feature on the upcoming London To Vegas live release

Def Leppard

Def Leppard have released a video showcasing their classic track Hysteria .

The performance was captured in December 2018 when Joe Elliott and co. played at London’s O2 – part of the band’s UK tour celebrating the Hysteria album.

The  Hysteria At The O2  concert was the first time Def Leppard played their smash hit 1987 record in full in London, with the band also dusting off more of their back catalogue on the night, performing tracks including  Let’s Get Rocked , Photograph and Rock Of Ages .

Hysteria At The O2 will be coupled with Hits Vegas, Live At Planet Hollywood on London To Vegas , with the latter captured during  Def Leppard’s successful 2019 Sin City residency .

London To Vegas  will be released on May 29 in a variety of formats, including a deluxe box set which will include a 40-page hardback book. There are also a number of bundle options available direct from  Universal , including autographed sets. 

The package will also come with the mini-documentary  Hysteria: Then And Now , while Hits Vegas, Live At Planet Hollywood will feature a total of 28 songs, including acoustic versions of  Let Me Be The One ,  We Belong ,  Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad  and  Two Steps Behind .

  • London To Vegas Deluxe 2Blu-ray+4CD -  Buy UK  |  Buy US
  • London To Vegas Deluxe 2DVD+4CD -  Buy UK  |  Buy US
  • Hysteria Live At The O2 DVD+2CD -  Buy UK  
  • Hysteria Live At The O2 Blu-ray+2CD -  Buy UK  
  • Hysteria Live At The O2 DVD+2LP vinyl -  Buy UK  
  • Hysteria Live At The O2 Blu-ray+2LP vinyl -  Buy UK  
  • Hysteria Live At The O2 crystal clear 2LP vinyl -  Buy UK  |  Buy US  
  • Acoustic In Vegas picture disc -  Buy UK  

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Def Leppard, Journey team for stadium tour: 'We may have a surprise or two up our sleeves'

The anthems will be loud and frequent when Journey and Def Leppard take a spin through stadiums this summer.

The rock powerhouses are teaming for a 23-city tour that will kick off July 6, 2024, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and wrap Sept. 8 at Coors Field in Denver.

While the bands have a stockpile of smashes including “Any Way You Want It,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” respectively, they’ll also be joined by fellow hitmakers Steve Miller Band , Heart and Cheap Trick in varying markets (see list below).

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When do tickets for Def Leppard, Journey go on sale?

Registration for presale tickets begins at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT on Dec. 7 at www.defleppardjourney2024.com .

A presale for Citi cardholders kicks off at 10 a.m. local time on Dec. 13 via www.citientertainment.com . The general public sale begins at 10 a.m. local time on Dec. 15.

Both Journey and Def Leppard have been road warriors lately. Def Leppard played a sold-out stadium run in summer 2022 with Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and continued a worldwide tour with Motley Crue in 2023.

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott shared that the band's set will celebrate specific parts of the rockers' history. "We may even have a surprise or two up our sleeves," he said in a statement.

Journey recently announced a spate of 2024 dates for their 50 th anniversary Freedom tour, which will play arenas across the U.S. between Feb. 9 and April 29.

Interested in going? Check out tickets at Vivid Seats , StubHub , SeatGeek , and Ticketmaster .

Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

More: Steve Miller felt his 'career was over' before 'Joker.' 50 years later 'it all worked out'

Journey and Def Leppard 2024 tour dates

  • July 6, 2024, St Louis, MO Busch Stadium with Cheap Trick
  • July 10, 2024, Orlando, FL Camping World Stadium with Cheap Trick
  • July 13, 2024, Atlanta, GA Truist Park with Steve Miller Band
  • July 15, 2024, Chicago, IL Wrigley Field with Steve Miller Band
  • July 18, 2024, Detroit, MI Comerica Park with Steve Miller Band
  • July 20, 2024, Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium with Steve Miller Band
  • July 23, 2024, Philadelphia, PA Citizens Bank Park with Steve Miller Band
  • July 25, 2024, Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium with Steve Miller Band
  • July 27, 2024, Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park with Steve Miller Band
  • July 30, 2024, Cleveland, OH Progressive Field with Heart
  • Aug. 2, 2024, Toronto, ON Rogers Centre with Heart
  • Aug. 5, 2024, Boston, MA Fenway Park with Heart
  • Aug. 7, 2024, Flushing, NY Citi Field with Steve Miller Band
  • Aug. 12, 2024, Arlington, TX Globe Life Field with Steve Miller Band
  • Aug. 14, 2024, Houston, TX Minute Maid Park with Steve Miller Band
  • Aug. 16, 2024, San Antonio, TX Alamodome with Steve Miller Band
  • Aug. 19, 2024, Minneapolis, MN Target Field with Steve Miller Band
  • Aug. 23, 2024, Phoenix, AZ Chase Field with Steve Miller Band
  • Aug. 25, 2024, Los Angeles, CA SoFi Stadium with Steve Miller Band
  • Aug. 28, 2024, San Francisco, CAOracle Park with Steve Miller Band
  • Aug. 30, 2024, San Diego, CA Petco Park with Steve Miller Band
  • Sept. 4, 2024, Seattle, WA T-Mobile Park with Cheap Trick
  • Sept. 8, 2024, Denver, CO Coors Field with Cheap Trick

More: KISS delivers explosive final concert in New York, debuts digital avatars in 'new era'

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Def Leppard, Journey team for stadium tour: 'We may have a surprise or two up our sleeves'

Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell (from left), Phil Collen, Joe Elliott, Rick Allen and Rick Savage, will hit the U.S. in August for six stadium shows with Motley Crue and Alice Cooper.

IMAGES

  1. 35 years ago: Def Leppard's Hysteria Tour hits the US

    when was the def leppard hysteria tour

  2. Def Leppard, Hysteria tour, 1988 : r/OldSchoolCool

    when was the def leppard hysteria tour

  3. DEF LEPPARD's "Hysteria At The O2" And "Hits Vegas" To Be Released On

    when was the def leppard hysteria tour

  4. Def Leppard

    when was the def leppard hysteria tour

  5. Def Leppard

    when was the def leppard hysteria tour

  6. 'Hysteria': The Def Leppard Classic That Whipped The World Into A Frenzy

    when was the def leppard hysteria tour

COMMENTS

  1. Def Leppard Hysteria World Tour 1987

    Def Leppard's 1987 Hysteria world tour on The Def Leppard Tour History - setlists, reviews, photos, videos and show info. Home > Tour History > 1987 Tour Dates < 1986 Tour | 1988 Tour 1 > 1987 | Def Leppard Hysteria Tour Dates. DATE: COUNTRY: CITY: VENUE / EVENT: PICS: REVS: AUDIO: VIDEO: JUNE 1987: 24th: Holland: Tilburg: Noorderligt:

  2. 35 Years Ago: Def Leppard's Hysteria Tour Hits the United States

    Def Leppard's tour cycle to promote their fourth album, Hysteria, started on Aug. 27, 1987, in Dublin.But an argument could be made that the Hysteria tour did not begin until Oct. 1, when the ...

  3. Hysteria (Def Leppard album)

    Hysteria is the fourth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 3 August 1987 [4] through Phonogram Records. It is Def Leppard's best-selling album to date, selling over 20 million copies worldwide, including 12 million in the US, and spawning seven hit singles. The album charted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and the ...

  4. Hysteria World Tour

    The Hysteria World Tour was a concert tour by English hard rock band Def Leppard for their fourth album Hysteria. This was the first tour with drummer Rick Allen since his car accident on 31 December 1984 when he lost his left arm. Allen returned to the band for recording sessions and the tour using a custom designed electronic drum set.

  5. Def Leppard Tour History (Concert Tours/Setlists)

    The Def Leppard Tour History - A fan compiled archive of tour dates, setlists, reviews, photos and details of all shows from 1978 onwards. Submit your photos and reviews to the archive. ... Def Leppard Tour - 1986 / 1987 / 1988. Hysteria Tour. 241 Shows played from August 1986 to October 1988. Def Leppard Tour - 1983 / 1984.

  6. Def Leppard's 1987 Concert & Tour History

    Def Leppard is an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), and Vivian Campbell (guitar, backing vocals). They established themselves as part of the new wave of ...

  7. def leppard / Hysteria In The Round Stage Unveiled

    Def Leppard opened their US Hysteria tour on this day in 1987 in Glens Falls, NY using their unique In The Round stage for the first time. The first North American show to promote the 'Hysteria' album was performed 'In The Round' at Glens Falls Civic Center. Def Leppard were the first band to use a dedicated In The Round concert set up for a ...

  8. def leppard / Hysteria 1987/1988 World Tour Start

    on this day - 27th August 1987. On this day in Def Leppard history the 'Hysteria' world tour started in Dublin, Ireland. Their first major world tour since the 1983/1984 Pyromania tour ended in 1984. "Thanks for making it such a great tour so far." This section looks at the opening night of the 'Hysteria' world tour in Dublin, Ireland.

  9. Def Leppard News

    Def Leppard opened their US Hysteria tour 31 years ago on this day in 1987 in Glens Falls, NY using their unique In The Round stage for the first time. The first North American show to promote the 'Hysteria' album was performed 'In The Round' at Glens Falls Civic Center.

  10. HYSTERIA

    Description. HYSTERIA is DEF LEPPARD'S fourth studio album and was released on August 3, 1987 through Mercury Records. The album charted at #1 on Billboard Top 200 chart in the U.S. and #1 on the U.K. Album Chart and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and spawned seven hit singles.

  11. 35 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD HYSTERIA Tour 1988 In Nashville, TN (Concert

    Def Leppard played a Hysteria tour show in Nashville/Antioch, TN on 5th August 1988 and an archive concert review is available to read. The Tennessean reviewed the show which took place at Starwood Amphitheatre. The first visit to this city since January 1988 on the indoor leg of the tour. The Tennessean - Online Review Quotes

  12. Def Leppard

    Published on January 25, 2022. It has been awhile since we've gone through a Tour Book and this time around, we have a three set series on Def Leppard Tour Books. Only 3 because that is all I have at this time. And we are kicking it off with the band's biggest tour, Hysteria. The Tour ran from 1987-1988 and I saw it 3 times.

  13. Def Leppard's 'Hysteria': 10 Things You Didn't Know

    When Def Leppard's Hysteria came out 30 years ago, it made itself known as a massive achievement, its wall-to-wall sonics and skyscraping harmonies sounding like a turbo-charged version of the ...

  14. Tour

    Summer Tour 2013 2013. Rock Of Ages Tour (2012) 2012. Mirror Ball Tour (2011) 2011. Songs From The Sparkle Lounge Tour (2009) 2009. Songs From The Sparkle Lounge Tour (2008) 2008. Downstage Thrust Tour (North America 2007) 2007.

  15. Def Leppard Average Setlists of tour: Hysteria Tour

    Def Leppard Hits Canada (11) Downstage Thrust Tour (53) Early Years Tour (30) Euphoria Tour (147) European Tour 2019 (15) High 'n' Dry (130) Hysteria Tour (238) Mirror Ball (69) North American Tour 2018 (60) On Through the Night (149) Pyromania (187) Rock N' Roll Double-Header Tour (37) Rock of Ages (47) Rock of Ages Tour 2012 (43)

  16. "It was the best thing I'd ever heard"

    Recalling the price tag for recording Def Leppard's 1987 album, Hysteria, guitarist Phil Collen is still amazed. "Four and a half million dollars!" he says, laughing slightly. ... It wasn't until after the Hysteria tour that things came to a head with the drinking. And it wasn't like he was out of control then, it was the physical reactions ...

  17. Def Leppard

    Def Leppard's US tour in support of the album began in March opening for Billy Squier and ended with a headlining performance before an audience of 55,000 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, ... VH1 produced and aired Hysteria - The Def Leppard Story, a biopic that included Anthony Michael Hall as Mutt Lange and Amber Valletta as Lorelei ...

  18. Def Leppard: Hysteria (Song Spotlight)

    Still Hysterical After All These Years "Hysteria" is a mainstay on Def Leppard's tour setlist; it would be sacrilegious to not include it. (The same can be said about numerous other songs in the band's catalog, which is a whole other discussion.). The track is still well-received and as popular as ever with concertgoers.

  19. Hysteria 30th Anniversary Editions Out Now

    Def Leppard celebrate the 30th anniversary of their seminal album HYSTERIA one of the best-selling and most influential releases in music history, with the release of Hysteria (Remastered 2017). ... a Ross Halfin photo book; Discography; Hysteria Tour Program and Tour Poster. The Deluxe Versionfeatures 3 CDs, the Vanilla Version is 1-CD, and ...

  20. Def Leppard

    Live At The Joint, Las Vegas 2013 featuring the album "Hysteria" in its entirety plus fan favourites.TracklistWomen 6:05Rocket 12:03Animal 18:14Love Bites 22...

  21. Watch Def Leppard's unforgettable performance of Hysteria live in

    Def Leppard have released a video showcasing their classic track Hysteria. The performance was captured in December 2018 when Joe Elliott and co. played at London's O2 - part of the band's UK tour celebrating the Hysteria album. The Hysteria At The O2 concert was the first time Def Leppard played their smash hit 1987 record in full in ...

  22. New Tours + Stream and Download Entire Catalog Now

    Def Leppard's full catalog of Diamond, ... the "HYSTERIA" album performed in full plus other Def Leppard hits across eleven arena dates in December 2018 with special guest CHEAP TRICK! ... These will be the first Def Leppard UK and Eire tour dates since the sold-out Arena run in late 2015. The band will return to Sheffield Arena for what ...

  23. Home [defleppard.com]

    02/28/2024. DEF LEPPARD ANNOUNCE PYROMANIA 40TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET FT. UNHEARD DEMOS AND LIVE SHOWS COMING APRIL 26. The 40th anniversary edition of Def Leppard's iconic album 'Pyromania,' is out April 26th, along with a new official merchandise line to celebrate its place in rock and roll history. Featuring global hits such as….

  24. Def Leppard, Journey team for stadium tour: 'We may have a ...

    The anthems will be loud and frequent when Journey and Def Leppard take a spin through stadiums this summer.. The rock powerhouses are teaming for a 23-city tour that will kick off July 6, 2024 ...

  25. Pin by Michelle Bott on Def Leppard

    Def Leppard Hysteria. Joe Elliott. Old Men. Loving U. Wild Cats. Rock Music. Phil. Love Of My Life. Michelle Bott. 277 followers. Comments. No comments yet! Add one to start the conversation. More like this. More like this. Def Leppard Joe Elliot. ... G Eazy Concert. Def Leppard Hysteria. Purple Gothic. Hot Guys.

  26. 2024 Fenway Park concerts: Full list of shows, how to buy tickets

    Def Leppard and Journey (Aug. 5) Def Leppard and Journey are bringing the '80s back to Boston for a concert at Fenway Park on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.