Def Leppard + Poison + Tesla @ Bell Center – 10 April, 2017▪

Def Leppard at the Bell Center in Montreal

The first signs of spring are in the air and the shorts and skirts are already out in abundance as Montreal gears up for summertime. The weather is gorgeous and so is the ambiance inside the mighty Bell Center, for the 80’s have loaned us three of its greatest for the evening. Originally a bill slated for Def Leppard alone, while touring pals Tesla and Poison were excluded, soon included the full package; much to my delight.

Playing the opening slot in any city on a Monday evening is a tough feat to pull off, but Sacramento’s Tesla did well and got people up out of their seats early on. As stragglers slowly made their way into the arena, Tesla were already into their seven song set – which strangely enough contained two cover songs. For a band that has been around for three decades and released seven albums; I found that a surprising decision. None the less, the boys started off with “Into The Now”, following that up with “Edison’s Medicine” from the wonderful “Psychotic Supper” record, “The Way It Is” and “Love Song” from “The Great Radio Controversy”, with the first of the two covers, Five Man Electric Band’s “Signs”, splitting them up. Finishing up with a cover of Ph.D’s “Little Suzi” and ending with “Modern Day Cowboy”. The band looked and sounded fantastic – with front-man Jeff Keith still as flamboyant and awkward as ever. Part of the charm of the group. I would have loved to have seen an extended set from these guys – perhaps they’ll return sometime soon. I have wanted to see these guys since I was nine years old, and a cassette copy of “The Great Radio Controversy” was sent to my home erroneously from Columbia House. Nobody else wanted it, so it fell into my hands – and I still own it thirty years on.

“Look What The Cat Dragged In” introduced the arrival of Poison – to a raucous Montreal welcome. Singer Bret Michaels warmed hearts for the duration of their hour long set, taking the time to dish out high fives and on several occasions, taking a knee to shake hands with the fans up front. As minor as that seems to be, let us not forget that many music stars – and Poison have fallen under that category for thirty odd years now, would take the time to even acknowledge a fan. If I could have reached out and slapped hands with the man, I would have. My seats were great (thanks again Evenko) but alas, my arms fell short. Michaels skipped up and down the walkway, hair flowing beneath the trademark bandanna, spewing energy and exuberance with every leap and bound. “Rock The Wind” was followed by a cover of Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re An American Band” as covers seemed to be the cool go to thing in the early going of the show. After that, Michaels addressed the crowd to assure all of us that the following message was an apolitical nod to the servicemen of the United States military. Nothing out of character for the band, who then played “Something To Believe In”.

Not to be shown up by Tesla, Poison themselves pulled out a second cover, although one the boys have been jamming for long enough that many probably consider it one of their own; Loggins & Messina’s “Your Mama Don’t Dance”. By this point, the crowd is in full sing-a-long mode and nary an ass is sat in a seat. Because if the person in front of you gets up to rock out, your vision is obstructed but we won’t get into the whys of it. Everybody was on their feet, OK? Good! Lets move on then. It was then time for the guitar solo. The only thing I like less than a guitar solo is a drum solo. What are you going to do? So after the guitar wankery had passed us by, it was back to the rocking ways of “Fallen Angel”, then the classic “Unskinny Bop” (I still don’t have a clue what this song is about!) and… then came the drum solo. Great. On this occasion though, given that drummer Rikki Rockett had just beaten cancer, I clapped as hard as I could for the man.

The final moments of Poison’s set of course included the best of the bunch – “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Talk Dirty To Me”. Yet, while the music had ended and the road crew showed up on site to dismantle the gear and make way for England’s Def Leppard, there was Bret Michaels, still on the walkway, still shaking hands and dishing out high fives and taking the time to exchange words with the fans. Hats off to you, man. That is how bands should be. Always humble.

“Lets Go” kicked off the final portion of the night, with Def Leppard taking the stage to a now packed house of roughly eleven thousand spectators in attendance.
Playing many of the groups hits as well as a few lesser known ditties – and a cover! David Essex’s “Rock On”. Some of the highlights on the night came by way of “Foolin’” and “Love Bites” (sure does, maaaan!), “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”, “Hysteria”, “Let’s Get Rocked” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me”. All sounding dead on despite the time that has elapsed since these tunes were first written and performed. Age wasn’t something that the audience was reflective of, though. Some of the many that had gathered appeared to have been with the band from their beginnings while others looked to have been born after all of the bands major hits had breached billboards worldwide – and that is fantastic. Most fell somewhere between these two extremes. I wondered to myself, which, if any of today’s bands, will still be touring when (if!) I reach my sixties?

Front-man Joe Elliott too was feeling the ages, eluding to this being the fortieth anniversary of the band. “It crept up on us” he joked, and even if his vocal range isn’t quite what it was, it is still fantastic and damned near perfect. Def Leppard put on a quality show, with great lighting and a fantastic video montage of photographs of the band throughout the years – as an avid photography nerd, this plastered a gigantic grin on my clock. Many of the shots I recognized as being the works of one of my concert photography idols – one mister Ross Halfin. (Seriously, check him out!) And of course, the encore concluded with “Rock Of Ages” (which now makies me think of Tom Cruse every single time I hear it) and… “Photograph”. I can’t remember a Def Leppard show that didn’t end with that particular song.

For as long as I have been aware of the music of Def Leppard, I have had a severe admiration for drummer Rick Allen and his shear stubbornness in the face of serious adversity. Very, very few people would have found the courage and determination and commitment to continue on after sustaining such a life shattering injury as he did. For the two of you that might not be aware, Allen lost his arm in a horrific car crash back when he was just twenty-one years old. Arms are pretty vital to a drummer – all appendages are, really. Imagine that for a second. You’ve just hit the big time and now you’re in a position that would crumple most humans to the ground. This man, though, didn’t give up. He got back on the drum kit and taught himself to play the drums again, using extra foot pedals to compensate for what he would normally have done with his lost arm. The man played a drum solo that lead to a loud standing ovation. A well deserved one. If ever there was somebody to look to when things seem unbearably hard and adverse, it is without question Rick Allen. Mr. Allen, you sir, are a source of inspiration.