Def Leppard Quotes
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It's a catchy name. We didn't want to call ourselves anything too traditional. If we had called ourselves the something-or-others we would have been just another group in the crowd.
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Def Leppard is a rock band that can sing.
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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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When we first started touring after the release of 'On Through the Night', a lot of people kept calling us a 'punk' band. Obviously they never saw us. Evidently, a paper would assign a writer to cover the show, and the guy would unload his ticket for a few quid, go home and write the review anyway. They all called us 'punk,' because the name sounded that way.
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The thing in Mexico in 1983. I don't want to get into it again because it will open up a whole can of worms, but I apologized profusely and it made me a better person. It was a mistake but it's something I learned from. The other biggest mistake I made was supporting Sheffield United because they're fucking useless.
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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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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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People always ask me how we got the name Def Leppard. Actually, it came from a poster I had made which depicted a rather strange-looking jungle cat with a hearing horn at his ear. I called him the deaf leopard. The guys in the band loved the poster, and after a bit of work, we decided to call ourselves Def Leppard. The name is funny, but it has strength.
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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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I never had a real job either. I sort of fell out of school and ended up playing guitar.
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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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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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Deep Purple, 'In Rock'. My cousin got me into it. I really dug it and that's why I started playing guitar. There's been other albums over the years, but that was the first one.
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In 1979 in Wolverhampton at a club I forgot the name of, my trousers split, luckily up the back. I duct-taped them together just before we went on. I didn't have any spare ones. I've had a few stupid incidents where things have been thrown on stage, but nothing that would put me off going on stage.
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If you're driving, don't forget your car.
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My wife is my ultimate sexual fantasy. But there was this cute sheep back in Arclove ...
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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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One time a girl climbed around ten floors up the hotel balconies to Sav's room. All of a sudden, this pair of hands come up. Very dangerous. People do some strange things to meet bands.
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Only people who really know me will believe this, but I never had one. I never chatted a girl up in my life. I'm a little bit shy. I've always been introduced to someone, or it just happens. I've never been one for making a move on somebody. I think people can see right through that.
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I don't have any guilt. Because I grew up Catholic and with so much guilt, I've worked hard at getting rid of it.
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I'd find myself leading girls on when I didn't realize I was doing it. I try to distingush between groupies and a genuine fan that just wants to get to know you better. But sometimes I'd really f*ck up. I'd think I was on to a fan that just wanted to talk. Then I'd find out she's trying to ring me up in the next city and writing letters.
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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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Come Taste the Band. That was the only Deep Purple lineup I really liked. It was really funky and different for hard rock.
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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.