Def Leppard Reveal Freddie Mercury Ripoff

Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott discussed The Struts and Freddie Mercury’s band Queen in a new Rock Classics Radio on Apple Music Hits interview.

“I think the production’s more of a modern influence on this record than the actual songwriting. The songwriting is classic. I mean, when we first started doing this record, me and Phil were in the periphery of working with The Struts and there was going to be some writing which didn’t happen, but then we’d ended up performing on one of their songs instead. So there was this like… That’s about as modern as it got, but even The Struts sound like Queen and Slade. Actually, Fred Mercury singing in Slade is what they sound like.”

Def Leppard recently had a bout with rain for much of its performance on Thursday night (June 16) at the opening show of “The Stadium Tour” in Atlanta, Georgia. The veteran rockers closed out the show at Truist Park that included co-headliners Motley Crue and support from Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

Def Leppard played some huge hits

Def Leppard’s set included some of the band’s biggest hits, such as “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Photograph” and “Rock Of Ages” — as well as songs from the group’s latest album, “Diamond Star Halos”, including “Kick” and “Fire It Up”.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Take What You Want
02. Fire It Up
03. Animal
04. Foolin’
05. Armageddon It
06. Kick
07. Love Bites
08. Excitable
09. This Guitar
10. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
11. Two Steps Behind
12. Rocket
13. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
14. Switch 625
15. Hysteria
16. Pour Some Sugar On Me
17. Rock Of Ages
18. Photograph

Def Leppard’s long-delayed North American trek with Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022. “The Stadium Tour” will conclude on September 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“The Stadium Tour” marks the Crue’s first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell tour. Crue toured with Poison back in 2011 and Def Leppard teamed up with Poison for a string of road dates in 2017, but this tour marks the first time all four acts have hit the road together for an extended tour.

Motley Crue fans had been waiting for three years the Stadium Tour with Def Leppard. They have been also been friends and big rock stars waiting to see the band members backstage, as happens a lot on major tours with famous stars visiting dressing rooms. However, it turns out that it has been banned due to the protocols of the pandemic.