Def Leppard Quotes
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There's a standard that we never let ourselves go below. We're our own worst critics.
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So you kind of know that anytime we want, we could do a tour without even an album to promote, which is kind of reassuring, cos that's what most people are coming to see - just us doing the old classics.
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I don't think we'll ever get too theatrical on stage. I can't see us using exotic props or fancy stages. Of course, we want to put on the best show possible, but we want the music to be the star of the show, not the stage set.
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I don't have to try and be a comedian to fit in the band. It's such a comfortable vibe. Had I been born in Sheffield, I probably would have been in the original lineup.
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I think Joe's a little harsh on our early albums. I still like to listen to them occasionally, and we all still get a kick out of playing Rock Brigade in concert.
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It's big production. It's huge. It's using studio technology to your benefit. You don't go in and play live and then just take the tapes and get them mastered. You have to create.
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If I couldn't play drums it would have destroyed me. If you're thrown in the deep end you swim, and that's basically what I did. I had to do it and with the rest of the band behind me and the encouragement I got from people from all over the world, I knew that I was going to play.
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Our first single wasn't put out by any big-name record company. We had been playing in clubs for a while and we wanted to put out an EP. None of the record companies would have us. They told us that our type of rock and roll wasn't happening. We decided to show 'em they were wrong, so we recorded the stuff on our own and put it out on our own private label, Bludgeon Riffola Records. When it started to sell a lot of copies, the record companies 'suddenly' discovered us. It was strange, but we felt vindicated.
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I wanted to write a song that's known to the world as a classic, stadium-rock anthem.
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I can think of maybe a couple of days before my accident or the day of my accident that I could have definitely done things slightly different.
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Recording Hysteria and Rick's accident, and the Steve thing, but that was over a period of years. I miss him more now than I did when he first died. I think about him all the time. It bugs me more now. What a waste!
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Forget about being a guitar player. There's plenty of guitar factories and shops - you can do that'. That was my career officer at school. My mom said 'Fuck them, do what you feel, don't be discouraged by it'. That was cool. We all came from a working class, very supportive background. Joe's mom helped him fold sleeves of the first EP.
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Some people say that practice makes perfect but I just feel that the repetition works against me and I start thinking too far ahead during a show.
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We just did what we wanted to do. We never thought, 'Well, punk is fashionable, heavy metal is dated - let's be fashionable, let's be a punk band!'
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For five guys from Sheffield who didn't know shit about anything, being in a band was like winning the lottery. Suddenly you didn't have to beg for a date anymore - they'd come up to you.
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I never had a real job either. I sort of fell out of school and ended up playing guitar.
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When Phil turned up it was a great kick up the ass for me ... It provided me with some really good competition. I had probably got into a bit of a rut. When Phil joined it was a completely fresh attitude.
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Def Leppard is a rock band that can sing.
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The most frustrating thing for musicians who want to play stuff from the new album is when everyone goes out to buy a beer.
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When we try to write a pop song, we go for standard pop arrangements, even to the point where we will go to the key change at the end, which is really cheesy.
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And more importantly, I wouldnt be the person I am today, I wouldnt be where I am now and I may not even have been here if it wasnt for the accident.
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Just follow your gut. If you seriously believe that something is the right thing to do, if you are so convinced that your stomach is knotting up every time someone suggests an alternative way of doing all this, take a deep breath and just say, "You're wrong."
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The key to longevity? Maybe putting an album out every four years - people don't get bored of you! No, just joking. I think, not taking yourself too seriously. You've got to have a sense of humor. You have to be strong-willed to put up with all the bullshit that goes with the job. You've got to consistently write good songs, and have the right rock-n-roll attitude. The Stones are a perfect example. If we could last that long, I'd be very happy.
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That was the most exciting period, I think: at first, when you get the success on that really large scale.