Def Leppard rocks India: A spotlight on the legendary band amid their ongoing tour

Legacy rock band Def Leppard’s heavy-duty music has arrived in the city for a couple of live extravaganza, bringing the country’s classic rock fans together. The band that began their journey in Sheffield, England during the late 1970s initially consisted of lead singer Joe Elliot Def Leppard India Tour, bassist Rick Savage, guitarist Pete Willis and drummer Tony Kenning. In a next punk-rock move, the band renamed itself from Deaf Leopard in a stylised revision. The original name is said to have been inspired by Joe Elliott’s wacky artwork during a class.

The band’s story is as endless as many Indian's love for rock! What started as a performance for a group of six friends eventually evolved into a face-melting yet endearing roster of songs and albums, which hit big numbers, with the biggest being 110 million albums sold. Pyromania (1983) and Hysteria (1987) are arguably their biggest-selling albums, achieving multiplatinum status. Although known for their biggest hits like Rock of Ages, Pour Some Sugar on Me, Foolin’, Def Leppard’s impacts on the international musical society is as obvious as rock royalty members like Led Zeppelin (whose name and music influenced their own), AC/DC (for whom they opened during the Highway to Hell tour), Thin Lizzy (a defining influence to their sound; specifically seen in the ridd-based harmonies shared by Phil Collen and the late Steve Clark, who was their second lead guitarist till 1991) and even David Bowie.

The band’s official timeline highlights that July 18, 1978, was a crucial turning point for the band as they set the stage ablaze with their public performance for the first time at a Sheffield school. “The 50-minute set list was all originals until we encored with Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak! We were paid approximately £5 by a teacher and we also smuggled beer in via the bass drum case to calm our nerves,” Joe recollected about the event on the official band website. Def Leppard’s music has also been an important turning point for genres like heavy metal to transition from niche to a widely acknowledged and appreciated art form — as reflected in the success of the Pyromania in 1983.

The band’s recent connections to inspirations from India, particularly in their song Turn to Dust, are currently a point of discussion. Over the years, Def Leppard’s ability to indulge in a wide variety of diverse sounds has kept them inspired to put out original music, with new music reportedly to be released soon!

CURRENT MEMBERS:

Phil Collen (guitar)

Rick Allen (drums & percussion)

Joe Elliot (lead vocals)

Rick Savage (bass)

Vivian Campbell (guitar)

SOME OF THEIR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS:

They achieved RIAA Diamond Award in 1999 and 2004.

They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

They were honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2025.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

City band Thermal and A Quarter is opening for the band at their Bengaluru show.

This is their first full-fledged tour in the country.

Def Leppard will perform in Mumbai today. Their next show will be the big finalé of their India tour in NICE Ground, Benglauru.