Latest News:
Def Leppard’s tour dates:
- October 15, 2026 – Hollywood, FL (Buy Tickets: Ticket Network)
- October 17, 2026 – Querétaro, Mexico
- October 19, 2026 – Mexico City, Mexico
- October 21, 2026 – Guadalajara, Mexico
- October 24, 2026 – San Salvador, SV
- October 27, 2026 – Alajuela, CR
- October 30, 2026 – Quito, EC
- November 2, 2026 – Bogota, CO
- November 5, 2026 – Buenos Aires, AR
- November 8, 2026 – Santiago, CL
The latest Def Leppard 2026 tour news is here.
Ticket links for MANY other tours are here.
Quick links:
• “I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY” (Second Edition!) book all about Def Leppard is here!
• Def Leppard’s ‘Definitely’ book is here!
• Def Leppard’s ‘Drastic Symphonies’ album is here!
• Def Leppard merchandise and more is here!
• Ticket links for numerous concert tours are here!
Previous Summer Stadium Tour News:
Def Leppard’s 2024 Summer Stadium Tour has wrapped up! Recent news and highlights are below…
** A review of the tour’s recent Pittsburgh show at PNC Park has been posted here. (“The whole band still sounds incredible.”)
** Def Leppard has been posting Behind The Summer Stadium Tour videos:
Episode 1 (St. Louis, Orlando, Atlanta) –
Episode 2 (Chicago, Detroit) –
Episode 3 (Nashville, Philadelphia, Hershey) –
Episode 4 (Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toronto) –
Previous Summer Stadium Tour News:
Def Leppard’s Summer Stadium Tour 2024 with Journey has begun!
Here are some answers to questions about Def Leppard’s show —
- How long is Def Leppard’s portion of the Summer Stadium Tour? Approximately 90 minutes.
- What is Def Leppard’s setlist for the Summer Stadium Tour? Based on the tour’s first night in St. Louis, here is Def Leppard’s setlist:
Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
Rocket
Foolin’
Armageddon It
Animal
Love Bites
Just Like 73
Comin’ Under Fire (switched out with Billy’s Got A Gun at times)
Too Late for Love
Die Hard the Hunter
Two Steps Behind
This Guitar
Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
Switch 625
Rock of Ages
Photograph
Hysteria
Pour Some Sugar on Me
- How does Def Leppard’s new concert stage/show look? Here is how their show opens along with their performance of “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)”:
- Is Def Leppard’s new single “Just Like 73” included in their setlist? Yes, here is the band performing “Just Like 73”:
- Which Stadium Tour dates does Def Leppard headline? Def Leppard is the headliner for all of the Summer Stadium Tour dates. Journey goes on first, and Def Leppard goes on last.
- Who replaced Heart on Def Leppard’s tour? Heart was originally scheduled to be the opening act for three dates. Cheap Trick took their slot on July 30 and August 2. Steve Miller Band took the opening slot on August 5.
Ticket links, tour news, and so much more info are below!
Def Leppard & Journey have announced The Summer Stadium Tour 2024! Supporting acts will rotate between Cheap Trick and Steve Miller Band. (Heart was originally scheduled to be the opening act for three dates, but is no longer part of the tour due to Ann Wilson’s cancer diagnosis announcement.)
Stadium Tour 2024 dates are below.
- July 6 – St. Louis, MO (Busch Stadium) w/Cheap Trick
- July 10 – Orlando, FL (Camping World Stadium) w/Cheap Trick
- July 13 – Atlanta, GA (Truist Park) w/Steve Miller Band
- July 15 – Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field) w/Steve Miller Band
- July 18 – Detroit, MI (Comerica Park) w/Steve Miller Band
- July 20 – Nashville, TN (Nissan Stadium) w/Steve Miller Band
- July 23 – Philadelphia, PA (Citizens Bank Park) w/Steve Miller Band
- July 25 – Hershey, PA (Hersheypark Stadium) w/Steve Miller Band
- July 27 – Pittsburgh, PA (PNC Park) w/Steve Miller Band
- July 30 – Cleveland, OH (Progressive Field) w/Cheap Trick
- August 2 – Toronto, ON (Rogers Centre) w/Cheap Trick
- August 5 – Boston, MA (Fenway Park) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 7 – Flushing, NY (Citi Field) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 9 – Davie, FL (Hard Rock Live) (Def Leppard only)
- August 12 – Arlington, TX (Globe Life Field) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 14 – Houston, TX (Minute Maid Park) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 16 – San Antonio, TX (Alamodome) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 19 – Minneapolis, MN (Target Field) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 23 – Phoenix, AZ (Chase Field) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 25 – Los Angeles, CA (SoFi Stadium) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 28 – San Francisco, CA (Oracle Park) w/Steve Miller Band
- August 30 – San Diego, CA (Petco Park) w/Steve Miller Band
- September 2 – Portland, OR (Moda Center)
- September 4 – Seattle, WA (T-Mobile Park) w/Cheap Trick
- September 6 – Spokane, WA (Spokane Arena) (Def Leppard only, special guest: JBLZE – Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening)
- September 8 – Denver, CO (Coors Field) w/Cheap Trick
- September 10 – West Valley City, UT (Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre)
(Def Leppard only, special guest: JBLZE – Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening)
Read more news about the Def Leppard/Journey Summer Stadium Tour 2024 here!
DEF LEPPARD STADIUM TOUR — MORE UPDATES:
- Def Leppard promised a “drastically different” show for the 2024 summer stadium tour. (A refreshed setlist is most welcome and long overdue.)
Quote from Phil Collen’s interview with Ultimate Classic Rock:
“We changed the whole set. You know, there’s a whole screen [production] and we’ve been using pretty much the same stuff for like 12 years. So we’ve changed it completely. The stage show is drastically different. It’s going to take a lot of energy. There’s going to be a lot of running around. So I’m working out, trying to get the stamina up and all of that.”
If the band’s recent Sirius XM Garage performance is any indication, Def Leppard’s Stadium Tour setlist could shake things up a bit.
Here is Def Leppard’s Sirius XM Garage setlist:
Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
Photograph
Too Late for Love
Die Hard the Hunter
Kick
Just Like 73
Foolin’
Billy’s Got a Gun
Comin’ Under Fire
Rock of Ages
Hysteria
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Here is the band’s Sirius XM Garage live debut of their new single “Just Like 73”:
Read more news about the Def Leppard/Journey Summer Stadium Tour 2024 here!
Quick links:
• “I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY” (Second Edition!) book all about Def Leppard is here!
• Def Leppard’s ‘Definitely’ book is here!
• Def Leppard’s ‘Drastic Symphonies’ album is here!
• Def Leppard merchandise and more gift ideas are here!
• Ticket links for numerous concert tours (including the Def Leppard/Journey tour) are here!
PREVIOUS UPDATES:
- Def Leppard has a brand new song titled “Just Like 73” (read more about it and listen to the track here) — just in time for the band’s 2024 Stadium Tour (and refreshed concert setlist). Rick Savage revealed the news tidbit during an interview with Stereogum:
“This is hot off the press, but we have just mastered a one-off single, and playing on it is Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine, who was a huge fan back in the day when he was growing up. High ‘n’ Dry was like his Bible. He’s playing a solo on our new single, it’s going to be out there pretty soon.”
Sav recently posted on his Instagram account that the band had been working on a new setlist for the 2024 Stadium Tour with Journey, adding that it will include “a brand new song” and, in acknowledgment of Def Leppard’s new 40th anniversary Pyromania release, “we’ll be throwing a few more of those tracks in as well.” He also teased that their updated Stadium Tour setlist would include “a song we’ve never played live before.”
- In a recent interview with Nikki Blakk, Rick Allen explained why The Summer Stadium Tour no longer includes Motley Crue, instead featuring Def Leppard co-headlining with Journey (again):
“… We’d been on the road, on and off, with Motley Crue for about 18 months, and we felt as though we kind of covered pretty much everywhere there was to. We started off in the States, went off to Europe, did South America, came back to the States and then Japan and Australia. And we just felt as though we’d been everywhere. We would always wanna tour with those guys, but we just felt as though it was time for each of us to move on.
“Now, we toured with Journey, I forget exactly what year — my memory is terrible; I think 2018, ’17 or ’18 — and it was awesome. I mean, those songs are timeless. And we just thought that it would be great to reach out to them and see if they wanted to do it again. And, lo and behold, they did. So, we just feel as though with a band like us, with a band like Journey, and a band like Steve Miller. I mean, you’re gonna be sitting there in the audience listening to hit songs all night. So, we just feel as though that’s really a good deal, and I think people are really gonna enjoy it.”
PREVIOUS DEF LEPPARD/MOTLEY CRUE WORLD TOUR UPDATES:
- The World Tour 2023 has wrapped up — at least until 2024, according to Vince Neil.
- Concert reviews from the World Tour 2023’s final shows in Australia: The Age reviewed the Melbourne show (“If the Crue have spent their decades living it up, Def Leppard have spent that time practicing…”), Hot Metal Mag reviewed the Sydney show (“In contrast with Def Leppard’s breezy, easy going and wide-eyed fun, Mötley Crüe was spiky, jagged and disjointed.”), TheMusic.com.au reviewed the Brisbane show (“One of the night’s most powerful moments would easily have been experiencing the raw grit and power of drummer Rick Allen’s solo in the spotlight…”)
- If you REALLY want to indulge in much more Def Leppard, check out this must-read book featuring extensive, in-depth analysis of the band’s studio album and single releases, never-before-told stories ‘from the inside,’ never-before-seen photos, tribute chapters spotlighting Steve Clark, Joe Elliott, and Mutt Lange, and so much more!
- Def Leppard’s setlist remained the same for 2023’s final shows in Japan and Australia:
Take What You Want
Let’s Get Rocked
Animal
Foolin’
Armageddon It
Kick
Love Bites
Promises
This Guitar
When Love and Hate Collide
Rocket
Bringin’ On the Heartbreak
Switch 625 (w/drum solo)
Hysteria
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Rock of Ages
Photograph
PREVIOUS WORLD TOUR UPDATES:
- U.S. World Tour concert reviews: The Columbus Dispatch review (“Motley Crue a bit sluggish, Def Leppard pleases crowd at Ohio Stadium”), InForum.com review (“Def Leppard still ‘Bringin’ on the Heartbreak’ while Mötley Crüe has ‘Looks That Kill’ at Fargodome show”)
- The Guardian posted a concert review of The World Tour’s Bramall Lane, Sheffield show. (Snippet from the review: “On this co-headline tour, Mötley Crüe are crass and limp, and then shown up all the more by the triumphant power of Def Leppard’s homecoming…”)
- If you’re looking for concert tickets, a large list of tour options can be found here. You can also quickly search for tickets in the handy box below:
Visit Site PREVIOUS — MORE WORLD TOUR UPDATES:
- During Def Leppard’s break from The World Tour, the band released their new album “Def Leppard: Drastic Symphonies (With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).” Read all about it here.
- Rick Allen discussed Mick Mars’s decision to no longer tour with Motley Crue. Read more about it here. (An interview with drummer Carmine Appice, a good friend of Mick Mars, provides a very different take on the situation. There has also been some back and forth between Carmine and Nikki Sixx about it since then.)
- Mick Mars is suing Motley Crue, alleging the band is trying to “gaslight” and fire him. The lawsuit also alleges Motley Crue members mimed some, if not all, parts during the Def Leppard/Motley Crue 2022 Stadium Tour. Read all the latest updates here.
- Rick Allen was physically assaulted outside the Four Seasons in Florida on March 13, where he had been staying for Def Leppard’s Hollywood, FL show at that Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (the final tour date for The World Tour’s first leg). Read the latest information (and watch the video of his recent appearance on ‘Good Morning America’ discussing the assault) here.
- Joe Elliott discussed Def Leppard’s World Tour setlist in an interview, and whether including several new songs from the band’s Diamond Star Halos album is “overindulgent.” Read about it here.
PREVIOUS STADIUM/WORLD TOUR UPDATES:
- The first leg of the 2023 Def Leppard/Motley Crue World Tour wrapped up on March 12 in Hollywood, Florida. Def Leppard did not change their setlist for the show — it was the same one they’ve used since the start of the World Tour.
- Def Leppard (and Nikki Sixx, etc.) posted on their social media that the Def Leppard/Motley Crue World Tour is heading to Japan fall 2023.
- The Stadium/World Tour will reportedly return to the U.S. in 2024, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal report/interview with Vince Neil.
- Nikki Sixx has said that 120 more shows are planned and a tour for 2024 was forthcoming. (“…another 120 next year and the year after that.” — ET Online)
- Joe Elliott mentioned The Stadium Tour/The World Tour will travel to Europe and beyond in 2023. Louder
- Read an in-depth write-up about Def Leppard’s latest album ‘Diamond Star Halos,’ The Stadium Tour, and the current state of Def Leppard here.
- Def Leppard fans! If you REALLY want to indulge in Def Leppard, check out the must-read book “I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY! (Collections, Recollections & Personal Reflections About Def Leppard).” It includes extensive write-ups and in-depth analysis of the band’s studio albums and numerous singles, as well as tribute chapters spotlighting Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, and producer “Mutt” Lange. Plus, never-before-told personal stories, never-before-seen pictures, and more!
PREVIOUS STADIUM TOUR UPDATES:
- If you would like to read a Stadium Tour 2022 concert review, here’s one from the Chicago Tribune which not only sums up the show nicely but also ties in well with the original post below. (On a related note, Phil Soussan — who is a member of Vivian Campbell’s side band Last In Line — criticized Motley Crue’s Stadium Tour Las Vegas performance on social media (“never seen a place empty out so fast after only a few songs”) after praising Poison (“nothing but a good time”) and Def Leppard (“spectacular and pristine”)…but quickly took it back and apologized to Nikki Sixx). Here’s a review of the tour’s Los Angeles show. More Stadium Tour concert reviews: Cleveland, Arizona, and another one for Los Angeles.
FYI: The thoughts & opinions critiquing The Stadium Tour in the post below were written soon after the tour was originally announced in late 2019. Enjoy!
After weeks of rumors, it’s finally official: Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts are going on tour together.
“The Stadium Tour” (as it’s officially called) will be traveling across the U.S. and parts of Canada. (Tour dates and ticket information can be found here.)
Response to the tour has been quite passionate, and many fans have described the collaboration as “awesome,” “epic,” and “amazing.”
I’d like to add another word: Why?
Questioning this tour — specifically, a Def Leppard, Motley Crue tour — may be unpopular, but from a Def Leppard fan perspective, I ask again: Why?
I’m sure some can easily come up with financially motivated reasons, but I digress.
Let’s really dig deep and delve into this tour event!
Def Leppard, Motley Crue Stadium Tour: Do You Really, Really Want To Do This Tour?
Even though this site is Def Leppard-centric (obviously), that’s not to say yours truly has anything against Mötley Crüe’s catalog of music.
But why pair up Def Leppard with Mötley Crüe, and why do it now?
No doubt a Def Leppard, Motley Crue tour package is a concert promoter’s dream. Well-known acts, each with large fan bases who will happily pay to take part in the concert event.
And though I’m not here to speak for Mötley Crüe fans, let’s take a look at their band’s “return” to touring.
Cessation From The Cessation
If Mötley Crüe hadn’t made such an extravaganza of their “Cessation of Touring” contract — a publicity stunt in hindsight — it might be a bit easier to buy into their return, let alone for this new tour.
Just a bit.
The fact that Mötley Crüe sold THEIR fans on the idea that their previous tour was most certainly their last — thus creating way more interest in the “farewell” tour itself — surely stings for some Mötley Crüe followers.
Press conferences with gravestones, posing with their signed “Cessation of Touring” contract, etc., etc., etc.
Mötley Crüe fans traveled from near and far to witness the band’s supposed final shows, buying into (pun intended) the whole farewell circus — including all the inflated in-demand ticket prices, farewell merchandise, and other products (CD, DVD, Blu-ray, etc.) that commemorated “The End.”
That’s NOT to say many aren’t genuinely surprised their farewell tour was for not, but that doesn’t mean some of their fans don’t feel duped, sadly, at the expense of their own band.
And who can blame them, especially when Mötley Crüe’s members REPEATEDLY assured everyone that their farewell tour was truly their last?
Some notable quotes from Nikki Sixx:
“There are people in this band who will refuse to ever do it again, and you’re talking to one of them.”
“There is no amount of money that would ever make me do it again because I have such pride in how we’re ending it.”
“We want to have some dignity.” (during the “Cessation of Touring” contract signing)
“If we did agree [to another tour], the way we’ve set it up…we’d have so much egg on our face. We have so much pride that that alone would stop it.”
And just a quick counterpoint to those quotes from Def Leppard’s Phil Collen (from earlier this year):
“We are having an Indian summer and it’s because we have this integrity. We never stopped, actually, in the 40-odd years that the band’s been together. We just keep going through thick and thin, all the bad stuff, good stuff. And I think that shows, and we’re just enjoying this Indian summer.”
Moving right along.
The Dirt on…The Dirt
This article is ultimately about Def Leppard (we’ll get there, I promise), but I need to revisit one of the marketing angles Mötley Crüe has been using to validate their return to touring, in addition to comments made by Mötley Crüe’s manager.
Mötley Crüe has been saying as a result of the MASSIVE success of the band’s Netflix movie The Dirt, a whole new “generation” of Mötley Crüe fans — who missed out on seeing the band live — are demanding their return.
Ok, let’s go with that for a moment.
How long had it been since Mötley Crüe’s last “farewell” tour date?
Less than four years.
47 months, give or take a few days.
A little over 34,000 hours.
No wonder that iron-clad agreement was blown up — a “generation” of fans missed out on seeing the band’s last tour in…2015!
But let’s put that aside.
Was this supposed newfound demand for Mötley Crüe’s return really due to The Dirt‘s “massive” success (and new tracks added to the film’s soundtrack), which they said resulted in the band becoming “more popular than ever”?
Maybe Mötley Crüe’s cover of Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” will make it onto their Stadium Tour setlist for the “legion of new fans” who only know them from The Dirt — after all, it is on the soundtrack.
Maybe, maybe not.
There’s absolutely no doubt a large portion of Mötley Crüe fans — new and old — are ecstatic that their band is coming back to tour.
But mixed feelings are understandable, too.
And while some question Vince Neil’s vocal abilities, if Mötley Crüe truly feels their return is due to overwhelming fan demand, it’s absolutely their decision and prerogative.
More power to them. Let Mötley Crüe be Mötley Crüe.
But why pull Def Leppard into this tour scenario?
Obviously, it’s a rhetorical question. Neither band is being forced to tour together.
But would a stadium tour have been warranted if Mötley Crüe went out on their own reunion tour?
Maybe that gargantuan legion of new fans from The Dirt isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. (Discussing The Dirt during an interview, Mötley Crüe’s manager Allen Kovac touted “tens of millions of people saw the film,” adding “I think the data is equal to [Martin Scorsese’s movie] The Irishman.” Yet The Dirt wasn’t even included in Netflix’s Top 10 most popular movies of 2019, which included The Irishman at #5.)
Separately, Poison’s Bret Michaels said in an interview that he worked on making a Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe tour happen “for years.” If true, that also doesn’t mesh with the narrative that Mötley Crüe reconsidered their “Cessation of Touring” only after The Dirt‘s success.
I think some Mötley Crüe fans would have been more accepting if the band was more on the level about why they were returning.
Why not go back out on the road with their own “Nevermind!” tour?
Some honesty and levity would probably go a long way.
Def Leppard Motley Crue Stadium Tour: Who’s REALLY Headlining?
A rumor that floated around the web prior to the official tour announcement was that Mötley Crüe would be headlining “The Stadium Tour.”
Since then, it’s been announced that it will be a “co-headlining tour” with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe switching off on who closes the show in certain cities.
“Headlining” is a subjective term though — realistically, it’s the bands’ paydays (among other things) that will ultimately determine which band is TRULY considered and rewarded as the headliner.
Based on the information that made the rounds online prior to the tour’s announcement, it was revealed that the concert payday will allegedly be 2-to-1 in favor of Mötley Crüe over Def Leppard. Put another way, Mötley Crüe is being paid twice as much — double! — what Def Leppard is earning.
Really?
It’s interesting (and not surprising) to see how a more balanced approach is being taken publicly, alternating each band’s logo placement in marketing materials.
For example, Def Leppard’s official newsletter announcement features top placement for Def Leppard!
In other instances, Mötley Crüe receives prime (top left) placement when the bands’ logos are shown together:
After all, it’s a “co-headlining” tour, right?
Just a minute.
Did you notice which band is listed first in the Stadium Tour official press release announcement? It’s Mötley Crüe.
How about the poster art which was included with the Stadium Tour’s press release?
The top left priority placement went to Mötley Crüe.
Ok, how about having a “neutral” party be the deciding factor? Live Nation (the concert’s promoter) sent out an e-mail about the tour announcement.
Which band received priority (top left) placement in Live Nation’s e-mail graphic and messaging? Mötley Crüe.
Don’t think for a minute that any of these placements are random.
All of these materials are extensively thought through, legally decided, and approved.
So what does this mean?
Frankly, it means that Mötley Crüe and their management are marketing geniuses: their non-farewell “farewell” tour worked out splendidly and to their advantage. They monetized their farewell to the hilt and generated a whole new level of interest to exploit “reuniting” merely a few years later.
They even made sure to time “The Stadium Tour” announcement with a newly created social media “Mötley Crüe is Back” hashtag (presented in the form of an image) to encourage fans to utilize the hashtag and get it trending.
So if the band paydays circulating on the web are true, then Mötley Crüe’s “newsworthy” return undoubtedly results in more concert promoter interest, and thus more money in the Crüe’s pockets. Meanwhile, tried and true Def Leppard lacking the drama of a break-up and unable to exploit a reunion angle does not work in the band’s financial favor for The Stadium Tour.
The Real Dirt on The Dirt
It’s quite interesting that Mötley Crüe’s manager had been touting his band’s successes in the months prior to The Stadium Tour announcement, calling out bands from the ’80s era — and specifically Def Leppard and Poison — saying they were no longer on the radio charts. He also went on to say that only a few select bands from that earlier era still have the ability to accomplish that feat, namely Metallica and, of course, Mötley Crüe.
So let’s really take a look at the recent success Mötley Crüe has enjoyed, and whether that popularity is potentially inflated.
The Dirt soundtrack (an album mostly comprised of the band’s greatest hits) debuted on Billboard‘s top albums chart at #10. (It was the band’s first top 10 album in more than a decade.)
In its first week, 15,000 albums of the soundtrack were sold, and after mixing in digital sales, the total came out to a little less than 30,000 units in equivalent album sales.
For sake of comparison, Def Leppard’s 2015 studio album (the self-titled Def Leppard) sold 30,000 copies in its first week. It was also a top 10 album but was comprised of all-new music (not a greatest hits release).
Following The Dirt Netflix premiere, there was boasting that the band’s catalog album sales soared 683% (according to Billboard), but let’s put that in perspective by calling out another data point that is conveniently overlooked: Billboard also noted that the band’s album sales the week prior to the premiere totaled only 2,000 units.
So a catalog sales increase of nearly 700% is quite impressive, but much less so when it’s calculated off of a base amount that’s practically non-existent.
Gotta love marketing and PR spin!
The movie’s title song “The Dirt (Est. 1981)” ended up reaching the top 10 on Billboard‘s niche Mainstream Rock Songs chart. (Mötley Crüe last appeared on that chart’s Top 10 with “Saints of Los Angeles,” which achieved an even higher rank, reaching #5 in 2008.)
I’m going to stop there in terms of chart analysis even though further points can be made to dispute Mötley Crüe’s stance about them being “more popular than ever” as a result of The Dirt.
In the end, Mötley Crüe can do as they please, and they can go about their reunion with whatever storyline they feel suits them best, but from a Def Leppard perspective, it is so unnecessary for the boys from Sheffield to partake in the spectacle.
Def Leppard: Welcome To The Carnival
Def Leppard practically tours yearly (pre-pandemic), riding the wave of a resurgence that’s elevated the band to a whole new level of notoriety four decades into their career.
One of the most thrilling aspects of their “Sin City” Las Vegas residency was that they shook up — or, at the least, began to shake up — their concert setlist. (You can read all about it here.)
Not having an opening act afforded Def Leppard the opportunity to have more stage time to introduce more (and deeper) tracks into their set.
This helped refresh the band’s live show, especially for fans who frequently see them on tour.
Now, a Def Leppard, Motley Crue tour (“co-headlining” or not) puts limitations on the band’s setlist once again, as they’ll have a shorter timeslot (likely 90 minutes or less) to work from — regardless of which band closes out the show.
That’s a shame.
Joe Elliott confirmed this in an interview with RollingStone.com:
“We’re not going to be digging into deep tracks, album cuts, and obscure B-sides like we tended to do when we did the Vegas residencies.”
He also went on to describe The Stadium Tour this way:
“We’re trying to turn these shows into a mini-festival… we’re all from the same genre. Most people that like that kind of thing saw us day after day on MTV in the Eighties. Our journeys have gone in different directions since then, but synchronicity pulls us back together once again.”
The word “synchronicity” really stands out in Joe’s comment, and therein lies another point worth making.
There’s no doubt Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe have crossover fans, but I wouldn’t call putting these two bands on tour together a match made in heaven.
Other bands would have meshed much better with Def Leppard and their fanbase, all the while creating a high-profile tour attraction.
So without further ado, let’s have some fun…and imagine what could have been better 2020 Def Leppard tour options.
An Open Letter To Def Leppard & Their Management
Here are several other 2020 proposed tour packages that would have been just as, if not more, appealing to Def Leppard fans.
1) Def Leppard and Bon Jovi
If there were two bands that have lived in parallel universes in terms of career success, along with many crossover fans, this would have been the ultimate “Eighties” ticket.
I know many passionate fans take sides in a Def Leppard vs. Bon Jovi matchup, and there is a spirited, friendly competition between the two bands, but there’s no denying touring together would have complemented one another’s body of work and their fanbases.
It would be newsworthy, memorable, and definitely provide a lot of excitement…and synchronicity!
2) Def Leppard and Whitesnake
The Leppard and the Snake unite.
It’s been done internationally, so why not a full-fledged U.S. tour?
Pairing up the two bands would not only be a powerhouse concert lineup, but it would also be a must-see tour for both bands’ collective fanbases.
By the way, I have no issue with Poison (or Joan Jett & The Blackhearts) being part of next year’s summer tour. That said, I would also have no issue with including other bands in their place to make this type of hypothetical tour event even more special.
There are plenty of noteworthy bands to choose from that concertgoers would love to see be part of a Def Leppard/Whitesnake (or Bon Jovi) tour: Cinderella, Skid Row (with Sebastian Bach returning, of course), L.A. Guns, Tesla, etc.
Take your pick!
A tour package overflowing with “synchronicity.”
3) Def Leppard, Queen, and The Struts
How about a more unique tour package that would reward multiple generations of glam rock fans?
Def Leppard has spoken countless times about Queen’s musical influence. To have Queen be part of a Def Leppard tour, performing the songs beloved by so many fans (including Def Leppard) would be a wonderful, celebratory event in and of itself.
That’s why it would also be so fitting if The Struts — a band Joe Elliott has sung the praises of countless times — was the opening act.
Co-headliners Queen (with Adam Lambert, of course) would take it from there to celebrate the band’s unforgettable body of work, and, most notably, Freddie Mercury’s legacy.
Unique, unforgettable, crackling with glam rock energy, and something many fans would thoroughly enjoy being a part of.
“We Will, We Will Rock You…Till You Drop!”
4) Def Leppard and Scorpions
If you want a solid, straightforward tour package, how about Def Leppard teaming up with Scorpions?
How fitting would it have been if Def Leppard — who once opened for Scorpions in 1980 in support of their On Through The Night album — returned the favor?
“Synchronicity” galore!
Call it the “The Rhythm of Love Bites” tour.” How about the “Rocket Like A Hurricane” tour?
Ok, kidding aside, the point is there would be great synergy — from the music to the bands, to the fans in attendance. All would complementary.
Now let’s change gears for just a moment…
Def Leppard and… Journey?
What, again? No.
Def Leppard and Journey already hooked up for a very successful “stadium tour.”
Their 2018 tour grossed nearly $100 million and sold over 1 million tickets.
How about Journey reuniting with Steve Perry and going out on tour with Def Leppard? Now that would be a completely different type of Def Leppard and Journey tour!
But, wait, you know what? A Journey/Steve Perry reunion tour wouldn’t necessarily need Def Leppard on the bill: Steve Perry reuniting with Journey could survive — and thrive! — touring on their own.
The same goes for why Def Leppard isn’t touring with KISS (on their latest farewell tour) again, or a reunited Guns ‘n’ Roses for their “Not In This Lifetime…” tour.
Because, frankly, neither band needs “a Def Leppard” on their bill.
This brings us full circle: Mötley Crüe should not have to be on a shared bill with Def Leppard. They should be able to go at it alone — after all, they’re “more popular than ever,” right?
That being said, the same applies to Def Leppard: They can go it alone, too.
This brings us to the fifth and final proposed tour, and it’s in response to those that have called the Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Joan Jett tour a welcomed “nostalgia act.”
There’s a much better nostalgic option for Def Leppard fans.
5) Def Leppard: In-The-Round In-Your-Face Again
Have Def Leppard return to their unforgettable in-the-round in-your-face stage show.
So many concertgoers who experienced it decades ago loved it, while newer generations of fans missed out and never had the chance to witness it themselves.
Well, this would be their chance.
While we’re at it, bring back any number of the bands that were originally part of Def Leppard’s Hysteria tour to be part of the extravaganza: Tesla, Cinderella, L.A. Guns, Europe.
That would be quite a must-see event.
Granted, an in-the-round concert is physically challenging for Def Leppard — it was even a workout back in their Hysteria tour days — but this proposed in-the-round return is not based around a massive 200+ date tour that lasts years.
It could be treated as a limited-time event, spaced out to provide the band with adequate rest between dates and arenas — that’s right, arenas, not stadiums. Arenas will allow the band to reach more cities (and fans) who can partake in the special event.
I can go on about some of the exciting, jaw-dropping, nostalgic things Def Leppard could do to really amplify this type of in-the-round event, but I’ll leave it at that for now.
In the end, no matter the age of Def Leppard’s concertgoers, an in-the-round stage show would be worth experiencing at least one last time.
Def Leppard, Motley Crue Stadium Tour: Final Thoughts
If you’ve read any number of posts on this site, you’re used to seeing Def Leppard’s “brand” and promotional strategies over the decades analyzed and even scrutinized.
I assure you that any and all critiques come from a good place. (By the way, if you really want to go in-depth and indulge in Def Leppard, check out this must-read book!)
That being said, I believe any of the proposed tours listed above would reward and benefit Def Leppard and its legacy, not to mention the band’s fans.
With all due respect, this “co-headlining” tour potentially tarnishes Def Leppard’s brand a bit and doesn’t allow the band to shine to its full potential, especially at this point in its stellar career.
From a financial perspective, yes, a stadium tour is “best for business” and a no-brainer; many fans will purchase tickets and you can’t blame them for wanting to see their favorite band(s). Most will thoroughly enjoy the experience, too.
But it didn’t have to be done this way.
Mötley Crüe should have known better, from the narrative they fed their fans about never ever touring again, to the reasoning they chose to use to reunite so quickly.
And Def Leppard could have done better for themselves and for their fans.
There were better touring options worth exploring.
Much, much better.
