And Another Concert of an Old Favourite - Def Leppard

I gave some kind of an intro to my history with Def Leppard which goes back some 40 years in my earlier blog. The concert was at NICE grounds which is at the other end of the city - a good two hour drive or a 90 minute Metro ride. 

My three nephews Abhi, Shrinjay and Shashank decided we'll drive and it took us exactly 2 hours 7 minutes to hit the parking lot at NICE. Parking was organised enough and we quickly entered our designated Gold space and found some place to stand and sway.

Thermal and a Quarter was opening for Def Leppard - the group so named because it has three Malayalis and one quarter Malayali - and it was celebrating its thirty years in existence. I loved their numbers, their political statements, and their energy. The nephews made visits to get food and drinks.

A half hour break during which it threatened to rain and then the 1977  band from Sheffield in England - 'Def Leppard' came on stage. An ageing Joe Elliot, Rick Savage, the ever smiling Rick Allen, and others came on and sang. Some of the numbers went by without me knowing them but the ones i knew we had fun singing along etc. 

'Animal', 'Foolin', 'Rocket', 'Love Bites', ''Armageddon It', 'Rock of Ages', 'Two Steps Behind' came along with some songs I was not too familiar with and ended with 'Hysteria' and finally 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'. They played visuals of the group playing in their younger days and they looked so young and so good. But you got to hand it over to them - to still come and sing to an audience that they are only connected through music work all their heart and soul.

The crowd was elderly, people trying to relive their memories like me. a smattering of slightly younger lot who had perhaps heard these numbers and very few teenager types. Families came, old friends gangs (one raucous old gang of men, college gang perhaps, in front of us raising hell), people swayed, danced, women dresses in hippie like 60s fashions and not the clothes of today's turn. No singular magic moment, but lots of good memories. It was too loud and I could not hear myself at all. I borrowed ear buds from the ever resourceful Abhi and tried to limit the damage to my poor ears.

Overall I was glad I went. I enjoyed listening to all the old hits. Then we headed out even as the band played 'Pour Some Sugar on Me'. The return journey took two hours again.