DEF LEPPARD appearances on Jimmy Kimmel and more
DEF LEPPARD, who've sold a staggering 65 million albums worldwide and played in front of more than 50 million people across the globe, will impact the TV airwaves in a major way beginning with a powerful outdoor performance on ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Wednesday, November 23. This will be followed by performances on VH1's "Big In '05" December 4 and Spike TV's "3rd Annual Video Game Awards" December 10.
These appearances come on the heels of a year that has seen DEF LEPPARD--Britain's Most Powerful And Greatest Arena Rock Band--galvanize music fans by debuting in the Billboard album Top Ten with their now-platinum double CD set Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (Bludgeon Riffola/Island/UMe) and co-headlining two hugely successful North American concert "Double Shot of Rock" tours with Bryan Adams. Known as one of rock's premiere bands, they're building on their fan base by earning legions of younger fans who are discovering their unique blend of virtuosic heavy music infused with unforgettable pop melodies.
On ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," on Wednesday, November 23 at 12:05 AM Eastern/Pacific, DEF LEPPARD will perform songs for the crowd who will gather to see them on the show's outdoor stage. And fans tuning in to the VH1 "Big In '05" awards show--airing on December 4 at 8:00 PM Eastern/Pacific--will see them performing alongside Beck and INXS.
For the "Video Game Awards" airing on Spike TV December 10 at 9:00 PM Eastern/Pacific, DEF LEPPARD--JOE ELLIOTT (vocals), RICK ALLEN (drums), RICK SAVAGE (bass), PHIL COLLEN (guitar) and VIVIAN CAMPBELL (guitar)--will perform their vintage rockers. Other celebrities set to appear at the event include host Samuel L. Jackson, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 50 Cent, Missy Elliott, The Rock, Vin Diesel, Tony Hawk, and Michael Chiklis. The "Video Game Awards" have been dubbed "the Oscars for video games" by both the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 94 million homes and is one of the Top 5 cable networks overall, ranking #1 with men 18-34 in prime time.
DEF LEPPARD have been absolutely tearing it up on the road, performing classic songs and introducing audiences to songs from their upcoming covers album that's due in ‘06 (release date TBA). Raved the Orange County Register about their triumphant show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA near Los Angeles: "'a force to be reckoned with...Now a younger generation has evidently rediscovered the British group's insanely catchy tunes. Last spring, a new Def Leppard career retrospective, Rock of Ages: the Definitive Collection, debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart'Meanwhile, the classic single ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me' was recently certified as a gold digital download...singer Joe Elliott prowled the stage as guitarist Phil Collen let it rip on the first of several amazing displays of prowess with shredding foil Vivian Campbell. Each solo was rapturously received by the boisterous crowd...Standouts included ‘Foolin',' the call-and-response roar during ‘Armageddon It,' an eerie take on David Essex's ‘Rock On' and a poppy version of Badfinger's ‘No Matter What' (both due on next year's covers album), the tribal-beat-driven ‘Rocket,''‘Photograph' and a monstrous encore, ‘Bringin' on the Heartbreak.'"
Elsewhere, Guitar World (November 2005) lauded: "'after 25 years of rocking audiences ‘til they drop, Def Leppard have transcended classification. This is, after all, a band that virtually defined the power ballad with ‘Bringin' On The Heartbreak' and ‘Love Bites;' yet Leppard have always been equally adept at purveying bar-knuckled hard rock (‘Wasted,' ‘Foolin''), stomping glam sing-alongs (‘Pour Some Sugar On Me,' ‘Let's Get Rocked') and pure pop heaven (‘Photograph,' ‘Hysteria')."
DEF LEPPARD is one of only five rock groups that can claim two original albums selling 10,000,000+ copies each in the U.S.: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Van Halen and DEF LEPPARD. The British band's blockbuster Pyromania hit #2 and is 10 times platinum; Hysteria soared even higher--#1 and is 13 times platinum--led by the #1 single "Love Bites." The retrospective Vault has sold over 7 million copies worldwide.