Def Leppard reveal ambitions for live shows with a symphony orchestra - watch
Watch Joe Elliott and Phil Collen's chat with Planet Rock
Last updated 19th May 2023
Def Leppard have told Planet Rock that they hope to play live shows while accompanied by a symphony orchestra.
To celebrate the release of their orchestral album ‘Drastic Symphonies’ with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra today (Friday 19th May), Def Leppard frontman (and Planet Rock presenter) Joe Elliott and guitarist Phil Collen joined Paul Anthony for a wide-ranging chat.
During the interview, Paul asked Joe and Phil if they have any plans to take ‘Drastic Symphonies’ out on the road at some stage.
Answering in the affirmative, Phil said: “We'd love to! We're waiting for the invite."
“We’d love to do The Royal Albert Hall with The Royal Philharmonic. Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Philharmonic you know. Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic. It would be brilliant. But you’ve got to be invited, we can't just go and say, ‘we want to go on tour.’
Joe quipped: “Turn up and busk!”
Phil added: “So, we're waiting for something. When we talk about it more, hopefully someone will come up with an idea. We'd love to, it'd be amazing.”
Confirming that all five members of Def Leppard are on the same page, Joe continued: “But there's an energy there. We have discussed it and it just comes up. When one of us says ‘it would be great to do this live’, there’s not like ‘oh, I’m not sure about that.’ It’s like ‘yep!’. Everybody's just on board.
“But you have to let these things percolate and then they get pencilled in and then they get inked in.
“But right now we've got all these shows in Motley (Crue). They don't finish till the end of this year. There's stuff in the pipeline for next year as well.
“So, like you say, two/three nights at the (Royal) Albert Hall, two/three nights at the Hollywood Bowl or whatever. A residency in Vegas. Any of these things, all the above are possible. But there's nothing definite yet... Maybe you can give Andrew Lloyd Webber a ring?”
You can watch the full interview with Phil Collen and Joe Elliott below where they also discuss pranks that Tommy Lee and John 5 pull on their joint tour with Mötley Crüe, how Def Leppard made their orchestral album 'Drastic Symphonies', how stadium rockers adapt to intimate gigs, how they choose deep cuts to play live, their tour bus lifestyle, playing back home at Sheffield's Bramall Lane, and how Joe Elliott's Planet Rock show may be presented by an AI avatar...”
Watch Planet Rock’s interview with Def Leppard:
Def Leppard play their completely sold-out show at The Leadmill in Sheffield tonight (19th May) with ticket proceeds going to the Music Venue Trust.
The band then kick off their co-headline Stadium Tour with Mötley Crüe with another homecoming show, this time at Bramall Lane stadium, on Monday 22nd May.
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe then play a gargantuan concert at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1st July 2023 before playing Lytham Festival in Lancashire (Sun 2nd July) and Glasgow Green (Thu 6th July).
Select tickets to the tour are on sale from Planet Rock Tickets right now.
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe’s UK Stadium Tour dates:
MAY 2023
Sheffield Bramall Lane – Mon 22nd
JULY 2023
London Wembley Stadium – Sat 1st
Lytham Festival – Sun 2nd
Glasgow Green – Thu 6th
Buy Def Leppard and Motley Crue tickets
Music News: Def Leppard and Motley Crue reveal support acts for Stadium tour
The real names of famous rockers, including four members of Mötley Crüe:
Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks
Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović
'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'
Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker
John 5’s real name: John William Lowery
Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback
Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont
Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello
Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano
Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock
King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen
Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga
Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano
Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti
Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose
Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott
Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick
Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III
Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola
Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara
Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary
Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein
Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib
Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal
Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III
Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison
Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg
Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz
Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray
Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.
Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier
Slash's real name: Saul Hudson
Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard
Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona
Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson
Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer
Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones
Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler
Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks
Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell
Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen
Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton
Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan
Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black
Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister
John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin
Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin
Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp
Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion
Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth
David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman
Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie
Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley
Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank
Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor
Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld
The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans
Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday
Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne
Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi
Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini
Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis
Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson
Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner
Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad
Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler
Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo
Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel
Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield
Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch
Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk
Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira
Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)
Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan
Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke
Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford
M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders
Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett
Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine
Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls
Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews
Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis
Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum
Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain
Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder
Steel Panther’s real names
Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.