Vote for "PHOTOGRAPH" to be one of VH1's 100 Greatest Rock Songs!

Later this year, VH1 will be broadcasting "The 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs", and the viewers get to decide which songs actually end up in the final list. Def Leppard's "PHOTOGRAPH" is nominated, so you can help vote and make sure it will end up in the list. All you have to do is go to this page, select "PHOTOGRAPH" from the list (and up to nine other songs) and submit your vote!

8.24 Syracuse show review

By TIFFANY BENTLEY

Eighties-famed band Def Leppard played to a group of lively and loyal fans Sunday evening at the Mohegan Sun Grandstand at the New York State Fair.

For a night, it was about remembering the fun. This may have resulted from the vibe that Def Leppard put off.

The band kicked off with "ROCKET" and "ANIMAL," and kept cranking through an all-star set for almost two hours. They also played some new material.

Lead singer Joe Elliott exclaimed, "New music keeps us fresh." This particular show was the last of the American leg of the tour promoting their new album, "SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE," but was by no means a send off. "We may be back," Elliott said.

The band's resistance to changing music trends could be heard in their power ballads of hair-metal fame. The screeching guitar sound and raspy voices that have signified the Def Leppard sound were just as strong as they were on many of the cassette tapes that audience members listened to and may still have around.

Resiliency in the industry and the band's commitment to rocking could be heard most in the one-armed drum playing of Rick Allen. Without the flashes of Allen on projection screens, you'd almost forget that he was using one less tool than musicians in the industry offering lesser drum rolls.

Acoustic renditions of "BRINGING ON THE HEARTBREAK" and "TWO STEPS BEHIND" induced crowd sing-alongs and offered a more romantic compromise to many couples in attendance who were singing to each other and remembering days of when many may have met.

The rain held off until the band's power track, "POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME," but didn't pose an issue, since the short burst only lasted for the last few songs. Attendance may have been somewhat affected by the threat of rain by forecasters all week, but this crowd seemed to be unscathed and would've rocked through the show regardless.

Either way, as fans agreed after Elliott flipped off the sky, "It was only water," and it "couldn't dampen the night."

The show was too secure to be threatened by anything, especially change. Secure in their music, the past and its influences, musicians and audience shared in a common life experience of rocking in their own skin and liking it.

Happy birthday Vivian!

Hot off the trails of the second US leg of the band's "Sparkle Lounge" tour, Vivian Patrick Campbell celebrates his 46th birthday today.

Happy birthday Viv!

Bowling partners

Check out this picture of Joe and Billy Bob Thornton! The guys went bowling together last week in Grand Rapids, but no word on who actually won!

Def Leppard launches "Rockzimity Marketing"

DEF LEPPARD LAUNCHES "ROCKZIMITY MARKETING" ON AUGUST 23rd AT JOE LOUIS ARENA IN DETROIT - Win A Trip To The Sparkle Lounge!

ACE Marketing & Promotions Inc. Power ROCKZIMITY MARKETING Bluetooth & Wifi content delivery system Free Content to all fans attendingthe show

New York, New York August 14, 2008 -- Def Leppard proves once again they are pioneers not only in music, but now, as leaders in the digital age, through a strategic partnership with Mobile Marketing Firm Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. On August 23rd at the group's concert in Detroit, MI at the Joe Louis Arena, Def Leppard will introduce their "ROCKZIMITY MARKETING," a Bluetooth & Wifi proprietary marketing technology, only from ACE Marketing & Promotions Inc. (AMKT). Ace Marketing will power the delivery of exclusive content direct to the fans of Def Leppard, via Bluetooth and Wifi enabled "Hot Spots" at the show.

For the first time ever in an arena environment Def Leppard fans will be "Welcomed to the Sparkle Lounge" upon walking through the main entrance of Joe Louis Arena. They also can get a message that enables them to "Win A Trip To The Sparkle Lounge" after the show. Fans will also receive select discounts on merchandise adding a third layer of value for the Def Leppard fan.

Def Leppard lead singer, Joe Elliott said of the program, "You have to differentiate your music in today's industry and how you introduce things to your audience. This is the direction for the future of the way fans connect with artists, it also adds another dimension to our live performance by getting the fans involved from the moment they walk though the door -- literally."

Matt Gaines, Sr. Vice President of Marketing for Ace Marketing & Promotions stated "We are proud to partner with Def Leppard on this ground breaking initiative, we love firsts, this is a first for Rock music and a first for the fans of Def Leppard, it doesn't get any better than this. So come to the show with your Bluetooth visibility enabled, and experience "ROCKZIMITY," you could win a trip after the show to meet Def Leppard in The Sparkle Lounge.

Def Leppard's "ROCKZIMITY MARKETING, will be activated at key HOT SPOT locations in and around Joe Louis Arena. Upon arrival at the venue, signs will direct fans to enable their Bluetooth or Wifi signal on their mobile device. Once fans are visible to the zone, they then will receive a message from the band. Upon accepting the message, fans will instantly begin receiving exclusive content from Def Leppard. There will be no cost to a fan, data charges or minutes of service incurred for content.

About Ace Marketing & Promotions
Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. based in New York, is a full-service promotional marketing company offering a wide array of business solutions. Ace Marketing is a global leader in proximity marketing with proprietary Bluetooth and Wi-Fi integrated technology that establishes the benchmark for how multimedia messages are being delivered. Established in 1998, the Company has built a successful, scalable business platform capable of consolidating a portion of the promotional products industry.

About Def Leppard
With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, Def Leppard--Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums)--continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name and they are an institution in the touring industry as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide. The band's latest album, "SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE" (Bludgeon Riffola/Island/UMe), debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200, earning Def Leppard their highest-charting debut since 1992. "SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE" contains 11 new songs including the hit single "NINE LIVES," featuring a groundbreaking collaboration with country music superstar Tim McGraw.

Request "C'MON C'MON"

Hey everyone....we need your help. These next few weeks are really important to " SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE" . The single, " C'MON C'MON", is getting airplay on many stations across the USA.

Could we get you to make phone calls to your classic rock station, and REQUEST THE SONG "C'MON C'MON".

We thank you in advance for helping us and making 2008 a great year.

Best wishes,
Joe, Sav, Phil, Vivian and Rick

8.16 Des Moines show review

BY SOPHIA AHMAD

English metal band Def Leppard played sounds as sweet as saccharine Saturday for an Iowa State Fair crowd of 10,118 - the largest at the Grandstand this year.

The iconic band rocked hard all night. The set list included "ANIMAL" from the 1987 power-hit album "HYSTERIA" and newbie "COME UNDONE" from their 2008 album, "SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE."

The shirtless and tanned Phil Collen strummed a tight guitar solo during "FOOLIN" off the 1983 "PYROMANIA" album. In response, Vivian Campbell (shirt on, but wide open) played his own riff in "LOVE BITES." The audience didn't wait for him to finish - as soon as the first notes hit the air, the crowd yelled and followed with slow, soulful clapping.

Throughout all the screams, frontman Joe Elliott's voice stayed strong all night. Still, he invited the audience to sing along. "For the next few minutes, everybody is invited to be a member of the band," he said. The invitation wasn't really necessary. The audience was already two steps ahead, chanting the rock anthems loud and clear, especially during "PHOTOGRAPH."

"POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME" caused the biggest stir in the audience: beers spilled, hands shot up, and the few who didn't know the words sang anyway. By then, pitch - both the band's and the crowd's - was irrelevant.

8.15 Grand Rapids show review

By LORILEE CRAKER

Hedonism was alive and well Friday night as glossy pop-metal outfit Def Leppard enthralled about 8,500 blissed-out fanatics at Van Andel Arena. There were sweaty, shirtless rockers, show-off-y guitar solos, fans making out and much, much more.

What would the queen say about all of this rock 'n 'roll excess? The Brits (and one Irishman, Vivian Campbell) did pay homage to HRH at the show's launch, as a huge British flag rose in the background to the sounds of "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN," in stylized, electric guitar format, of course.

"ANIMAL" featured a sideshow of band members morphing into creatures such as gorillas and vipers on enormous video screens behind them as they played.

For the first few songs, the sound drowned out some of Lepp's hallmark harmonies, which was pretty much the only negative in almost two hours of loud, raucous head-banging and shiny pop metal.

"C'MON C'MON" and "NINE LIVES," off their new CD, "SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE," were warmly received by the crowd, maybe because they still bore their unmistakable stamp of luscious harmonies, layers of guitar and extra-sharp hooks.

The good news is Joe Elliot is as cheeky as ever and still has amazing stamina in the vocal department. The guy can hold a strong note for a looong time, as he did on "FOOLIN'."

"Thanks for being so patient," he said, referring to the band's reschedule from its original April date. Obviously, his voice, hampered at the time by illness, is back in fine form.

During the subdued portion of the evening, he and his amigos came out on the catwalk bearing acoustic guitars. Elliot dedicated two softer songs -- "TWO STEPS BEHIND" and "BRINGING ON THE HEARTBREAK" -- to Susie Young, the ailing wife of James "JY" Young of Styx, and Billy Bob Thornton, the actor/musician, in town as well Friday, with whom the band bowled the previous night in GR.

Things got rabble-rousing again soon after; "PHOTOGRAPH" lit the crowd on the fire, and just when you thought it was as rowdy as it could get, "POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME" stoked everyone anew.

With Elliot's voice in stellar shape, and the shirt-free guitarists Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen scorching it up with blazing guitar solos, it was clear Def Leppard is on top of its game, and probably will be for many, many years to come.

8.13 Winnipeg show review

By ROB WILLIAMS

Don't put Def Leppard on the endangered species list just yet.

They haven't had a major hit in more than a decade and their relevancy in today's musical climate is practically nil, but the hard-working quintet from Sheffield, England refuse to be put down.

They have never stopped releasing albums and still remain a strong concert draw, as witnessed by the 8,000 fans that turned out at the MTS Centre last night for a healthy helping of hits from days gone by.

And on that front the band -- playing a make-up date for a cancelled April show -- didn't disappoint, offering the nostalgic audience almost everything they could want to hear from throughout Def Leppard's 31-year career.

Six of seven singles from 1987's 15-million seller "HYSTERIA" were sprinkled throughout the 90-minute set -- "HYSTERIA," "ROCKET," "ANIMAL," "ARMAGEDDON IT," "POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME" and "LOVE BITES" -- along with highlights from "PYROMANIA" and "ADRENALIZE", including "FOOLIN'," "PHOTOGRAPH" and "ROCK OF AGES."

The set was similar to their last two appearances here in 2002 and 2005 with some songs moved around and material from their new album "SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE" replacing whatever new material they were pushing at the time (the less said about the album "X" the better).

For most nostalgia acts, playing new songs is a sure way to get fans out of their seats and into beer and washroom lines, but tracks like "C'MON C'MON" and "NINE LIVES" held the crowd's attention nicely since both fit comfortably into the band's glossy pop-rock template.

Frontman Joe Elliott remains the focal point of the group, running around working the crowd and spending plenty of time on an extended T-shaped stage that ran into the audience. Guitarists Phil Collen and Viv Campbell and bassist Rick Savage prowled the stage chugging out familiar riffs and singing backup vocals into microphones scattered all over the setup's three tiers while drummer Rick Allen held court centre stage on his own riser in front of a giant video screen showing a variety of graphics and clips of the band from days gone by.

Allen left the stage while his bandmates gathered at the top of the T-stage with acoustic instruments for up close and personal versions of ballads "TWO STEPS BEHIND" and "BRINGING ON THE HEARTBREAK", both which had the audience singing along at Elliott's urging. They finished the latter song plugged in on the main stage.

Prior to Def Leppard, a youthful looking Billy Idol won over the crowd with 70-minutes of well known singles from his '80s heyday, pumping his fist and sneering while singing hits like "EYES WITHOUT A FACE," "WHITE WEDDING," social favourite "MONY MONY" and set closer "REBEL YELL". He even showed off his punk rock past with a version of "READY STEADY GO," one of the best known songs from his former band Generation X.

The driving 1978 single fared much better than his misguided version of the Doors' "L.A. WOMAN." On that one he pandered to the crowd -- which was already on his side -- by changing the lyrics to "Winnipeg woman." Yes, it was as cheesy as it sounds.

Idol was taking the place of prog-pop band Styx, who were originally slated to open in April, but had their own tour scheduled this month.

Airport adventures

Here are some contributions from our correspondent Urie Qut -- Def Leppard's airport adventures!