Page 122 - Classic Rock - The Complete Story of Def Leppard 2019
P. 122
VIVIAN CAMPBELL
history before I joined. So, I always feel as
if I’m a little bit on the outside looking in.
It’s not that I’m excluded at all, but the
others achieved so much before I was in
Leppard. I joined one of the biggest bands
in the world, so it’s inevitable I would
believe I was coming into the picture after
their greatest success, and therefore was
something of an intruder.
Were you a fan of Def Leppard before
you joined the band?
Oh, yes. Absolutely. I bought their first
single Wasted in the picture bag when it
came out. And I remember when High ’n’
Dry was released, I got it on cassette.
Sweet Savage were doing a gig at
McGonagle’s in Dublin, and we played the
tape over and over in the car on the way
there and back. We all loved it. Then
Pyromania came out and it was
gamechanger. The production was state
of the art and set the tone for everything
that followed in the 80s. It had such a
pioneering impact. And what can you say
about Hysteria? Full of great songs.
We in Sweet Savage looked up to Def
Leppard as one of the leaders of the
NWOBHM. We spent most of our time
playing in Ireland and rarely got out of
there to do anything else. We did get to
come to London, and opened for Budgie
at the Marquee club, and then got the
chance to support Thin Lizzy on the
Renegade tour. But that was it as far as
getting to perform on a wider scale. To us,
Leppard, Iron Maiden and Saxon were the
main bands of the NWOBHM movement
– the ones we wanted to emulate.
Joe Elliott will not be happy you’ve
mentioned Leppard in the same
NEIL ZLOZOWER sentence as the NWOBHM!
He won’t be pleased I’ve mentioned
Leppard with Saxon, either! Not that he’s
Birmingham, and had a much lower King of rock and know them quite well. And they knew me got anything against Saxon, but you’re
profile than John, Adrian and myself. roll: during his as a person. right; Joe doesn’t see Leppard as having
days as Dio’s
How far Leppard got with any of the six-stringer. any connection to the NWOBHM. He
others, I don’t know, but in the end we Even now you’re regarded as the band’s says the band were never metal, and he is
mutually decided it would work if I ‘new guy’. Does that irritate you? right about that. But I think we all know
joined the band. I am glad this took the Not at all. On the contrary, I want to that the NWOBHM explosion really
time it did, because by the end of it we remain the band’s new guy for a long helped to make Leppard’s reputation. And
knew each other a lot better. Sure, I had time. I hope we don’t have any more Leppard also helped to make the
bumped into the guys every so often on lineup changes, because what we have movement a global phenomenon.
the road, and I did know Joe a little bit, but works. And let’s face it, 90 per cent of
I really wasn’t familiar with them as what we play live – and what we have Talking of Joe Elliott, what’s he been like
people. By the time they offered me the played live ever since I joined the band – to be with over the years?
chance to be in the band, I had gotten to comes from the period in the band’s Look, Joe wears Def Leppard on his
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