Page 97 - Classic Rock - The Complete Story of Def Leppard 2019
P. 97
PHIL COLLEN
ADRIAN GREEN/RETNA UK
was another time in Biarritz in France decided to stop, properly. I remember the Love and affection: With Steve it got worse. When I stopped I
Leppard enjoy
where I’d bought the whole bar a round of day in 1984: it was my girlfriend at the a harmonious could sense I was on a slippery slope and
drinks then pulled my trousers down. time’s birthday. We were in Paris and moment during had to get off it. Steve didn’t,and the
the Hysteria era.
Horrible stuff. So I just thought to myself, about to go to India the next day. I said, stories about him drunk got worse and
I’m not going to do this any more. So I “Okay, I’ll have one glass of champagne suddenly they weren’t funny anymore. He
stopped drinking and started running, with you to celebrate and then I’m not got a bit violent occasionally, too, which
just jogging along by the sea at Dublin. drinking… any more.” She said, “All right, wasn’t like him . Steve was this angel, the
I’ll do it with you.” And that was it – the most amazing guy, but the alcohol
But it wasn’t that easy? last time I had a drink. So I just stopped changed his personality.
I used to think I could be a social drinker and never looked back. But,
and just have one glass of wine, but for unfortunately, Steve couldn’t… Was Miss You In A Heartbeat written
some reason – maybe because I’m an about Steve?
alcoholic – I couldn’t have just one glass. How hard was it watching Steve It might have started off that way but it
I never knew why only that I couldn’t do continue down that path? ended up being about lots of people.
it. One glass became a bottle and then I’d It was horrible. Because I knew he wanted
move on to the Jack Daniel’s or whatever to stop, too. Sometimes we’d have the After Steve’s death you came under a
else was around. But it was bugging me discussion and he’d say, “I hate myself for lot of pressure to complete Adrenalize
that I was having black-outs and doing so doing this, I’m going to try to stop.” He – playing solo parts that he had demo’d
much stupid stuff that people would tell told us that’s what he wanted to do and he etc. Is it true to say that you came close
me about later. Dropping my trousers, took himself off to rehab saying he’d do to leaving Def Leppard at this point?
that sort of thing. Stupid stuff. Plus I whatever it takes. But he never could, he Yeah, I nearly did. But not because of the
would drive in that condition and that really struggled with it. And it continued struggle to play all the guitars, it was all
was really not on. So eventually I just for years until we got the phone call. the other stuff going on around the band
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