Page 51 - Classic Rock - The Complete Story of Def Leppard 2019
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RICHARD SAVAGE
a footballer. Then United turned around as far as I’m aware. It was convenient, with Motörhead. We never felt we were
when I was 16 and said they didn’t think because you could lump Def Leppard, worthy of the name. At the same time that
I was good enough. I had offers to join Iron Maiden, Saxon, Samson – all those the title NWOBHM wasn’t worthy of us.
the other local clubs, but I’d lost the bands that were around – together, even
passion by then. Then I was introduced to though our music didn’t all sound the After that initial media excitement
Joe, and he’s just got this passion, this same. Our sound and Motörhead’s was about your band died down though,
drive about this band we’re gonna put quite far apart! [Laughs] you seemed to suffer because of it.
together. And I thought, this is what I’ve To be honest, when it comes to true, Not just that Leppard dared to be
been missing the last two years: that 100 per cent heavy metal, we’re not very different to the conventions of the
camaraderie, that passion. Not selfish good at that. Maiden are a great metal NWOBHM, but that you dared also to
passion, but for the group. And it’s band because they encompass everything be ambitious, to look beyond that.
always ‘we’. We can do this and we can that’s great about heavy metal. And they Specifically, to America…
do that… a real belief that was created. were genuine, worthy of the name. Same [Laughs] In the end, it made us stronger
mentally. We didn’t understand it at first.
I remember seeing Leppard for the We were pretty much upset by it. But we
first time in 1979, and it was realised how these types of things can
obvious you were all in the same happen. In the end
gang. Such energy and it was about the
excitement coming from the vision and
stage. Was all that energy and ambition
excitement present then, right of the
from the beginning? Or did you band. We
have to work on it? genuinely
It was always there, everybody wanted to be
sharing exactly the same feeling and people who
vision. Musically, it probably made music not
wasn’t that good. But there was just for heavy metal fans
something there that was just that wore leather jackets
bigger than the music. An and rode motor-bikes. We
overall thing. wanted it to go beyond that.
We were doing something I can see why we were
fresh and youthful: a accused of selling out or not
combination of stuff that being true to the cause. We
had previously gone by. weren’t interested in any
We were predominantly hard cause. We just wanted to
rock and heavy metal, but it express ourselves and
wasn’t dreary heavy metal. We further this vision that we’d
weren’t all dressed in grey or harboured since day one, which
black. We were glam that was was: we wanted to sell as many
trying to be a little heavier. records to bank managers as blokes
We didn’t analyse it at the time. who ride bikes. We didn’t think there was
It’s only in interviews years later that anything wrong with that, provided it
you do that. But that was the feeling. came from an honest starting point.
We wanted to incorporate everything. A
bit of punk attitude, but allying the Sex Another big move came with you
Pistols and The Clash with Boston and leaving your hometown management
Queen. That was the feeling that we had team to sign with Peter Mensch, who
within the five of us. was then overseeing the career of
AC/DC. Marillion admitted they found
You broke through as part of the him too intimidating and ‘American’,
NWOBHM. But you were never really and turned him down. You were just
part of that though, were you? kids yet you embraced him. Why?
Who was really part of it? I mean, yeah, To me, it was an extension of the first
we were part of it. Not only in the sense time I met Joe. You get to one level,
that we were one of the up-and-coming then all of a sudden you’re talking to this
new bands being talked about that guy that clearly had so much passion, and
happened to be in that ilk. It was was opinionated in the sense that he
something that Geoff Barton invented, obviously cared about the band. It wasn’t
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