In a new interview with Hotpress, Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott talks to Stuart Clark about touring with Mötley Crüe, paying tribute to Taylor Hawkins with the Foo Fighters and Miley Cyrus, his Dublin love affair, the special guests on their Diamond Star Halos album, and his 2022 music essentials. An excerpt follows...
Stuart Clark: "Elliott sounds almost embarrassed when I mention that their American ginormodome tour this year with Mötley Crüe, Poison and Joan Jett grossed a whopping $173.5 million."
Joe Elliott: “The grown-ups told me that it looked like this was going to be a big deal, but selling-out every show in the current post-pandemic climate, which is really difficult for bands, is not something I was expecting. 1.3 million tickets - that’s just insane. What meant more to me than the numbers, though, was the fact that all the acts on the bill were on top of their game. I like to think we give it 100% every night, but when you’re keeping that sort of company there’s zero room for complacency!”
Clark: "While still capable of kicking serious ass on stage, off it Mötley Crüe are a far tamer proposition than they were in the ‘80s when, like Def Leppard, they were conquering Planet Rock."
Elliott: “Thank God for that! My first time encountering Mötley in the ‘80s was in the Rainbow on Sunset Strip. It was quite comical, really – they had their arms draped around hot chicks with bits of pizza in one hand and a fag in the other and they were just off their face drunk. It wasn’t a particularly cohesive conversation we had – just, ‘Hey dude!’ The last gig on the Pyromania tour was in a San Diego barn called the Jack Murphy Stadium, which is sadly no longer there. It was the first stadium we ever headlined, 55,000 people were there and supporting us were Mötley Crüe, Eddie Money and Uriah Heep, which was quite the mixture! I’d just bought my first video camera, which was the size of a telephone box, and shot footage from the dressing-room of Mötley on stage that I still have. Then in 2011, they opened for us in the UK. It wasn’t that particular tour, but Tommy Lee used to do this mad thing where he played the drums upside down. The whole kit would flip over with Tommy harnessed in and he wouldn’t miss a beat. He’s a real showman – they all are.
“My favourite Mötley album is Dr. Feelgood. Bob Rock was the producer and it’s got some great riffage! They got the sound down better and really focused on the songwriting.”
Read the complete interview at Hotpress.
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe have announced an intimate show in Hollywood, FL at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on March 12.General on-sale is Friday, January 13 at 10 AM.
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe are going global in 2023 with their co-headlining "The World Tour" along with special guest Alice Cooper.
Produced by Live Nation, the US leg of the world tour kicks off on August 5 in Syracuse, NY. The bands will bring their electrifying stage shows across America throughout the month of August including being the first ever show at the H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, OK.
“After finally getting back on the road this past summer, we’re beyond thrilled to bring this massive tour to a global audience including some special dates in America!,” said Joe Elliott of Def Leppard.
"We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America this summer and we truly can't wait to take the show around the globe with The WORLD Tour in 2023. Crüeheads get ready because we have a few amazing U.S. dates set for you!," Mötley Crüe said in a joint statement.
Check local listings for complete ticket details including VIP offerings. To purchase tickets please visit motley.com and defleppard.com.
"The World Tour" dates:
August
5 - Syracuse, NY - JMA Wireless Dome
8 - Columbus, OH - Ohio Stadium
11 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome
13 - Omaha, NE - Charles Schwab Field Omaha
16 - Tulsa, OK - H.A. Chapman Stadium
18 - El Paso, TX - Sun Bowl Stadium
February
10 - Atlantic City, NJ - Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena^
11 - Atlantic City, NJ - Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena^
18 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol
21 - Monterrey, Mexico - Estadio Banorte
25 - Bogota, Colombia - Parque Simon Bolivar
28 - Lima, Peru - Estadio Nacional
March
3 - Santiago, Chile - Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida
7 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Allianz Parque
May
22 - Sheffield, UK - Bramall Lane
25 - Mönchengladbach, Germany - SparkassenPark
27 - Munich, Germany - Koenigsplatz
29 - Budapest, Hungary - MVM Dome
31 - Krakow, Poland - TAURON Arena Kraków
June
2 - Prague, Czech Republic - Prague Rocks *
3 - Hannover, Germany - Expo Plaza
7 - Solvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival *
9 - Hyvinkää, Finland - RockFest *
11 - Trondheim, Norway - Trondheim Rocks *
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - COPENHELL *
18 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting *
20 - Milan, Italy - Ippodromo SNAI San Siro
23 - Lisbon, Portugal - Passeio Maritimo de Alges
24 - Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain - Auditorio Miguel Ríos
27 - Thun, Switzerland - Stockhorn Arena
July
1 - London, UK - Wembley Stadium
2 - Lytham, UK - Lytham Festival *
4 - Dublin, Ireland - Marlay Park
6 - Glasgow, UK - Hampden Park
^ - no Alice Cooper
* - Festival Date
