Def Leppard & Motley Crue - Sheffield Arena 13th December 2011

Def Leppard/Motley Crue/Steel Panther
Sheffield Motorpoint Arena 13th Dec. 2011

A triple bill at Sheffield Arena promised a good evening's entertainment with two blockbuster bands on one billling,  we were not disappointed....

We arrived at the arena a little later than anticipated due to traffic off the M1, but it was an early start of 18:30. By the time we found our seats, Steel Panther were already over half way through their short half hour or so set.

We settled into our seats in block 119, which were fantastic seats, to the right of the stage and close to the action.

Steel Panther

Steel Panther were incredibly funny. Their music style is Motley Crue/ Poison, but with a very funny comical twist to notions that any of that type of band should take themselves seriously (Just listen to the lyrics and song titles!) Much banter between songs, and strange dancing/stage moves, and inviting certain female members of the audience to bare all for rock and roll! (some did and took up the invitation to the stage to display their chests).

Steel Panther Set List

1. Supersonic Sex Machine
2. Tomorrow Night
3. Asian Hooker
4. Just Like Tiger Woods
5. Guitar Solo
6. Gold-Digging Whore
7. Community Property
8. 17 Girls In A Row
9. Death to all but Metal

Motley Crue

Before long the stage was cleared and a backdrop erected to hide the drum kit rollercoaster we all knew Motley Crue had lined up for us. The house lights remained down throughout, and with a very loud explosion and curtain drop Vince Neil bounded out on stage and Motley Crue got stuck straight into Wildside. Pyrotechnics, wild light show, and drum rollercoaster centre stage it was a feast for the eyes.

Musically, Motley Crue may not be the best band on the block, but the stage show was very entertaining, and Vince Neil interacted with the crowd, getting amongst it via the stage runway out into the front.

There was fire, there were pyro explosions, there was a rollercoaster drum kit, there was Vince Neil running stage left, stage right and out into the crowd stage centre. The music wasn't half bad either with many of the older classics being aired rather than the newer perhaps less- known material.

The mood slowed with the appearance of a piano on the runway, and Tommy Lee getting down from his drum kit greeted the crowd with "Hello F***rs" and took the piano to begin the opening bars of "Home Sweet Home". The rest of the band joined him around the piano, with Vince re-appearing on stage to join the crowd in singing the intro. Tommy then ran back to take the drum kit as the number kicked up a notch, before once again sliding from his rollercoaster ride, to run back to the piano to finish the song out on that. Good stuff!!

With little or no warning , the mellow bars swapped to loud rock once again and the Crue turned it up a notch and another gear, going through "Shout at the Devil", "Girls,Girls,Girls" and other classic fare.

We were then treated to Mr. Tommy Lee taking a rollercoaster ride on his drum kit, drumming a solo upside down, and then taking a competition winner, on the same ride. "When did you last take a s**t?" he asks the lucky winner.

Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars took a lesser part in the proceedings overall, but offered some half reasonable guitar solos, though nothing massively impressive.

The evenings set drew to a close with "Kick Start My Heart", a good crowd pleaser, and the Crue finish by taking their leave and throwing buckets of fake blood over the crowd. Something to remember them by (if not the pyrotechnics and stage show overall)

Motley Crue Set List

1. Wild Side
2. Saints of Los Angeles
3. Live Wire
4. Shout at the Devil
5. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
6. Primal Scream
7. Home Sweet Home
8. Looks That Kill
9. Drum Solo
10. Guitar Solo
11. Dr. Feelgood
12. Mutherf**ker of the Year
13. Girls, Girls, Girls
14. Smokin' In The Boys Room
    (Brownsville Station cover)
15. Kickstart My Heart

Def Leppard

A half-hour to clear the stage and set up for Def Leppard.
The stage lit up to reveal a fairly spartan set, but with bright lights, raised drum riser and walkway,  huge images projected at the back and the screens left and right stage.
The band kicked off with their new track "Undefeated", one of the few studio tracks from their recent "Mirrorball" live album.

The band seemed in fine form and presented as expected a slick, no frills set based upon musical excellence rather than pyrotechnics and imagery. They played their classic, most popular, tracks as well as a couple of slightly different versions of old favourites.

Joe Elliot's vocals may wander off track sometimes from perhaps when we have seen the band just a few years ago, but overall still a fine perfomance. When he is good, he is good, but.....

My highlights were the vocally excellent "Bringing on the Heartache" followed by musical excellence of "Switch 625". "Pour some Sugar on Me" was excellent as well as "Armageddon it". Too many highlights actually!!

The crowd lapped it up, the band interacted well with the crowd, Elliot taking much time and opportunity to strut out on the runway and face both sides and front of the audience regularly.
Before long the evening was over as the last song finished and Def Leppard left the stage with the crowd calling for more.

Having seen this band on five occasions now we elected to leave and beat the rush, but could hear the anthemic "Love Bites" reverberating around the arena as the band returned to encore.
The set finished with "Lets Get Rocked."

We certainly had been tonight!!

1. Undefeated
2. Rocket (Mirror Ball Version)
3. Action
   (Sweet cover)
4. Make Love Like a Man
5. When Love and Hate Collide
6. Slang
7. Women
8. Two Steps Behind
9. Bringin' on the Heartbreak
10. Switch 625
11. Hysteria
12. Animal
13. Armageddon It
14. Photograph
15. Pour Some Sugar on Me

Encore:

16. Love Bites
17. Let's Get Rocked

Our Band Scores:

Steel Panther: 6.5/10 (Comedy Value!)

Motley Crue: 7.5/10 (Visual/Pyro Value)

Def Leppard: 8/10 (Musical Value)

The Night Overall : 8/10 (Value, Value!)