Backstage with Def Leppard is Awesome
What’s it like being backstage with Def Leppard? We can definitely talk about the recent Comerica show. But after that we’ll take a deep dive into what it was like at Pine Knob and how I became part of a concert film.
Backstage with Def Leppard at Comerica
We recently had the pleasure of joining 30,000 of our best friends at Comerica Park for Def Leppard, Journey and Steve Miller. Perfect night for a concert and the vibe exactly what you’d expect from a Detroit concert crowd…singing along, smiles everywhere and the beer was flowing.
Over the years I’m proud of the friendship I’ve built with Phil Collen (lead guitarist, always has his shirt off guy…lol). I was invited to come backstage and say hi before the show – since there really isn’t a backstage, we wound up going down through the visitors dugout and in the tunnels underneath to say hi (along with some other very nice people that know Phil. I told you, he’s a class act). I took Jenny Jenny with me so she could check it out – fun watching her dig on the music…she’s a concert pro.
Backstage with Phil, said hi and chatted briefly (he didn’t know it was me at first….has my face changed that much with the weight loss?) Ran into lead singer Joe Elliott as well – talked about the time Bono introduced him to David Bowie (but didn’t tell him it was Bowie until they walked into the kitchen and he was there).
All in all a wonderful chance to say hi to my friend Phil and peek behind the scenes.
But what happened at Pine Knob?
Let’s go back to July 15th, 2016 – Def Leppard were in town and Phil invited me to come back and say hi. It’s a more “traditional” backstage area – so we hung out in the gazebo area, then floated back to the small cafeteria where the crew was getting something to eat. They told us Phil would be out in a second to say hi, just hang out (I was with our amazing Marketing Director Ben Perez). So we sat and drank a beer while taking in the conversations around us (I mean, come on – you’re backstage at a Def Leppard concert…gotta soak it in, right?).
Suddenly Phil walks into the room, shirt off and ready to rock. He sees me and says “he’s a DJ, he can do it!” – I said “do what, Phil?”. They needed someone to go pump up the crowd and tell them that they were filming the concert for a DVD release – and remind everyone to really get into it.
Gee, tough job. Getting 15,000 people at Pine Knob fired up for a Def Leppard concert…lol. So they put an “all access” sticker on me and sent me on stage. I really don’t remember what I said, but I’m sure it was compelling and motivating to the crowd (again….lol). So I walk off stage, there’s Phil and the band – I get a couple of “good jobs buddy” and they started to head out to do what they do best.
And I was standing there with an all access pass. No one said anything to me (pro tip – act like you belong, sometimes they’ll think you do…don’t tell my bosses that). So I stood off to one side and watched them launch into their set. It’s an interesting perspective when you can look OUT at the crowd at Pine Knob like that – the pure unbridled emotion and passion for the band was electric.
So now I’ve been back there for a couple of songs, and I’m still waiting for someone to ask me to go back to my seat in the crowd.
No one did.
I wandered slowly directly behind the stage, watching Rick Allen on the drums was mesmerizing. If you don’t know, Rick lost an arm back in 1985 and figured it out…how to keep going with the band – watching the way he worked the intricate foot pedals and keeping the beat was something I’ll never forget. It was a reminder of the human spirit – if you love something enough, you’ll work out a way to keep it in your world.
I don’t remember how long I hung out backstage after that. Just trying to soak it all in as they played. Eventually I went back to my seat and enjoyed the rest of the show with my 15,000 friends.
Thank you Phil for letting me be a small part of the Def Leppard universe that night. Even if I didn’t make the DVD final cut. Next time I’ll take my shirt off.
