DEF LEPPARD Singer: I Detest The Phrase 'Hair Band' Or 'Hair Metal'

September 7, 2006

Stephanie Warsmith of the Akron Beacon Journal recently conducted an interview with DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Q: Do you consider yourself a hair band? Hard rock? Something else?

Joe: I detest the phrase "hair band" or "hair metal." It's insulting to us. I still think there is a level of negativity attached to "'80s band." There's always a joke that follows it... We are just a rock band. We're too pop to be metal. We're too rock to be pop. We came from the British glam scene. We have more in common with THE ROLLING STONES than IRON MAIDEN.

Q: The band has faced a lot of hardship, including the death of guitarist Steve Clark and drummer Rick Allen's car crash in which he lost an arm. What have been the band's low point and high point?

Joe: The absolute low point was Steve's (death)... There's no coming back from death. Rick Allen proved there is coming back from an accident as bad as his. You can do what you did before. Rick's an inspiration... Our ticket sales are the best since the "Hysteria" tour... What we are doing now is absolutely one of the highs. It makes a mockery of how we are supposed to be this cursed band.

Q: How did the idea for your latest album of cover tunes from the '60s and '70s develop?

Joe: The "Yeah!" album has been in the making in my head since 1983. It got shoved aside. We were making our own records... We recorded songs that were inspirational to us as young kids, when we were pulling our parents' sleeves and saying, "I want a guitar for Christmas, please."

Q: Does the band have plans for another album and, if so, when and what will the theme be?

Joe: We are already doing new material — writing on the road. We're hoping to get a record done for next year. It will be a good, classy DEF LEPPARD record.

Q: Did you tour with JOURNEY in the past? How's it going this time?

Joe: We never have. It's a shame because it's working so well this time. We met them a bunch of times. I went to see them in Lexington (Kentucky) in 1983. It's a joy — an absolute pleasure. My kind of tour.

Read the entire interview at this location.

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