The Def Leppard summer stadium tour rolled into Canada for a Friday night show in the electric city of Toronto. Transforming the home of the Toronto Blue Jays into a venue for a rock show, thousands of fans clad in band t-shirts shuffled their way into the Rogers Centre for a night of arena rock that they were sure to remember.
Def Leppard
Rogers Centre, Toronto – 2 August 2024
Words And Photography: Taylor Cameron
Closing out the night with Cheap Trick and Journey were none other than arena rock legends Def Leppard. A countdown with graphics of Toronto in the background lit up the screen, counting down the minutes until it was time for the band to take the stage.
As the countdown ticked to under a minute, the crowd cheered in anticipation before erupting into loud roars when the lights went down.
Ripping into the Pyromania (1983) opening track, Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop), the band hailing from Sheffield, had the crowd in the palm of their hands within seconds.
Formed almost fifty years ago (1976), Def Leppard continue to take the stage every night with an energy that could make you believe it was still 1987. Their music brings joy to generations beyond those who grew up wearing acid wash and spandex, old and young rockers alike seen singing along with their horns held high in the air throughout the stadium. 
Celebrating their fiery 1983 release, the set included fan favourites such as Photograph, Too Late For Love and Foolin’, as well as B-side tracks, Billy’s Got A Gun and Die Hard The Hunter, songs the band have not played live in anger on tour since the ’80s.
Although rock music may not graze the charts as it once did, Def Leppard never fails to have a crowd chanting “I want rock ‘n’ roll” when asked “What do you want?” during Rock Of Ages, a song that hit #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983.
Stepping up to the front of the catwalk with an acoustic guitar, Joe Elliott performed a short rendition of the acoustic ballad, Two Steps Behind, before his bandmates joined him.
“It was Joe’s birthday yesterday,” Phil Collen said into the mic. “Let’s sing for him.”
The crowd erupts into song, singing Happy Birthday to the frontman.
“I’ll never forget this,” Joe smiled as the band kicked into a track off their latest studio album, This Guitar. Keeping things mellow, the band followed up with their 1981 hit Bringin’ On The Heartbreak.
Resembling the rendition performed during their In The Round tour in 1987/1988, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell began the track on acoustic guitars before kicking things into high gear with their electric guitars for the solo as the rhythm section, Rick Savage (Bass) and Rick Allen (Drums), joined in.
To honour the late, great, Steve Clark, Def Leppard chose to include Switch 625, an instrumental guitar track written by Clark, at almost every show. A special tribute that Campbell and Collen deliver perfectly, the band has never forgotten their fallen brother. 
“There was another album,” Joe Elliott said before the melodic guitar riff of the power ballad Hysteria rang through the stadium. With its catchy hooks and magnetic guitar solo, Hysteria has always translated to the live stage seamlessly. It is a no-brainer as to why this has been a mainstay in their set since its release in 1987.
Animal, Love Bites and Rocket, songs that were also released as singles alongside Hysteria, grace the setlist as well. The songs from Def Leppard’s most successful release were made for the big stage, the quintet never failing to deliver the songs on a larger than life scale.
From backing vocals and guitar harmonies, to tasty bass lines and thumping drum beats, Def Leppard continue to prove that they are masters of their craft. 
Closing out with the ever so popular Pour Some Sugar On Me, there was not a quiet fan in the audience. The tongue and cheek radio-rocker skyrocketed Def Leppard to the top of the rock’ n’ roll food chain back in 1988 and the popularity of the track has never faded.
Pour Some Sugar On Me is the epitome of ’80s hard rock and is the perfect way to end an incredible night of rock ‘n’ roll.
You can read each of the reports from an evening at Rogers Centre here: Def Leppard – Journey – Cheap Trick.
