After 18 months of touring the globe, Def Leppard and Motley Crue: World Tour played their final show in Melbourne. Marvel Stadium played host to a concert experience that hard rock music lovers were waiting for. There was anticipation in the air as fans gathered on a cool November evening that would allow these bands to heat things up.
The sound of Requiem in D Minor played as the stadium lights dimmed, and the stage erupted in a blaze of lights and the slogan “The Future is Ours”. In true rockstar fashion, Motley Crue burst onto the stage to the opening riff of “Wild Side,” and wild applause. They strutted the stage like hard rock icons in leather and latex attire. In their 90-minute set, The Crue performed hits spanning their 40+ year career in all their rock n roll glory. Classics like “Too Fast for Love”, “Dr Feelgood”, and “Live Wire” ignited the crowd chant and singalong reverberating throughout the stadium.
The sound was loud, raw, and cocky – every guitar note and thundering bass and drum beat gave the audience stadium-volume rock music. And of course, it’s not a concert unless there’s a shredding guitar solo from replacement guitarist John 5, who added an Australian flavour with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” riff. Singer Vince Neil took moments to acknowledge his love of Australia and that Australians are “badass”. Tommy Lee ignited the crowd with the Aussie, Aussie, Aussie chant before launching into “Home Sweet Home” on the piano.
The show had elements of excess, glam, and living it up is a part of their reputation. This included The Nasty Habits stripper-inspired dancers during “Looks that Kill” and “Girls, Girls, Girls”, Machine Gun Kelly video doing a nu-metal rap during “The Dirt”, to Tommy Lee daring audience members to flash themselves on screen.
The concert reached its climax with the finale “Kickstart My Heart,” the stadium transformed into a unified singalong. Motley Crue delivered a performance that gave old fans a good dose of nostalgia and new fans a taste of 80’s hard rock.
Motley Crue:
Vince Neil: Vocals
Nikki Sixx: Bass
Tommy Lee: Drums, Piano
John 5: Guitars
Setlist:
1.) Wild Side
2.) Shout at the Devil
3.) Too Fast for Love
4.) Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) (Preceded by snippet of “On With The Show”)
5.) Live Wire
6.) Looks That Kill
7.) The Dirt (Est. 1981)
8.) Guitar Solo (With “Thunderstruck” snippet)
9.) Rock and Roll, Part 2 / Smokin’ in the Boys Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy in the U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop / Fight for Your Right
10.) Home Sweet Home
11.) Dr. Feelgood
12.) Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)(Preceded by “Let’s Get It On” snippet)
13.) Girls, Girls, Girls
14.) Primal Scream
15.) Kickstart My Heart
It was truly impressive to watch production crews complete a production set change from Motley Crue to Def Leppard in a stadium in just 20 minutes.
The stadium lights dimmed as a countdown was displayed on the stage. As Def Leppard took to the stage with the first riffs of “Take What You Want” echoing through the stadium, there was a flood of lights and colour as the crowd cheered. It was pedal to the heavy metal for Def Leppard. Their performance was nothing short of spectacular, a seamless blend of well-honed musicianship, showmanship, and near-pitch-perfect vocal harmonies. And their sound was impeccable – there was incredible clarity with each instrument and vocal in the mix.
The audience was engaged to every note and word. “Let’s Get Rocked” and “Animal” had thousands of fans singing along. The anthemic “Pour Some Sugar on Me” to “Rock of Ages,” created a wave of nostalgia for fans. The energy went down a few notches with the acoustic-driven ballads “This Guitar” and “When Love and Hate Collide”. As they transitioned to the anthem “Rocket”, the crowd sang along and the lighting backdrop of TVs and lasers created an immersive visual experience.
The show had everything you want from a rock concert, with plenty of loud intertwined guitar solos from Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen in “Armageddon It”, “Promises”, and “Switch 625” that leads into an incredible drum solo from one-handed drummer Rick Allen. Joe Elliott took moments between songs to connect with the crowd. The crowd cheered as Joe Elliot expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support of their fans, promising that they would be coming back again.
The finale “Photograph,” was a celebration of the band’s music spanning decades with early band photographs mixed with fan photos displayed on screen. It was clear Def Leppard had orchestrated a mix of nostalgia, excellence, and rock ‘n’ roll to satisfy the fans.
Def Leppard:
Joe Elliott: Vocals
Phil Collen: Guitars
Vivan Campbell: Guitars
Rick Allen: Drums
Rick Savage: Bass
Setlist:
1.) Take What You Want
2.) Let’s Get Rocked
3.) Animal
4.) Foolin’
5.) Armageddon It
6.) Kick
7.) Love Bites
8.) Promises
9.) This Guitar (semi-acoustic; with Mentor… more )
10.) When Love and Hate Collide (short acoustic/electric version)
11.) Rocket
12.) Bringin’ On the Heartbreak
13.) Switch 625 (With Drum Solo)
14.) Hysteria (Extended Outro)
15.) Pour Some Sugar on Me
16.) Rock of Ages
17.) Photograph
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Darren Chan is a talented and creative photographer with a passion for capturing life’s special moments through the lens of his camera. With over a decade of experience in the photography industry, Darren has honed his skills in various genres of photography, including weddings, portraits, landscapes, and commercial photography. Over the years, Darren has developed his unique style, which is characterised by his ability to capture the essence of his subjects and their surroundings.
Whether it’s a live music event, press shoot, wedding, or a commercial shoot, Darren puts his heart and soul into every project he undertakes. He works closely with his clients to understand their vision and brings his expertise and creativity to the table to produce results that impress. His attention to detail, technical proficiency, and creative flair makes him a sought-after photographer.
Darren’s work has been featured in various publications and has his work presented in exhibitions including the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. He resides in Melbourne, Australia, where he runs his photography business and continues to capture life’s precious moments, one frame at a time.
