Another concert of the year experienced!
I went with my friend
Heather Criswell to Louisville to see Def Leppard, Poison, and Tesla, at the KFC Yum Center.
This was my 5th time seeing Def Leppard, 3rd time seeing Poison, and 2nd time seeing Tesla.
Tesla started the show with a relatively short set, but packed in some great songs.
They have always been a consistent band, musically, and have never really made a bad album.
All the musicians (Guitarists Frank Hannon and Dave Rude, Bassist Brian Wheat, and Drummer Troy Lucketta) are solid, and singer Jeff Keith’s voice is still strong.
Go see this band if you get a chance. They’re actually opening for Poison in Huntington soon.
This is actually their first tour in 5 or 6 years. Singer Bret Michaels has been quite busy with solo albums and tours, but luckily, got back with the band (Guitarist C.C. Deville, Bassist Bobby Dall, and Drummer Rikki Rockett) for this.
I hope they stick around while, and make a new album. It’s been too long.
They played basically their greatest hits, but that was good enough for the packed crowd in Louisville.
Including me and Heather.
Bret is the consummate frontman, interacting a lot with the crowd, Drummer Rikki Rockett, who is a Stage 4 Cancer survivor, was playing his heart out the whole time, bassist Bobby Dall was solid and running all over the place, and guitarist C.C. Deville was rocking out the whole time and having fun.
People have bad mouthed Poison a lot over the years, and I personally feel that is unfair.
To me, they have always been solid, and are way better musicians than people give them credit for.
A famous photographer, who I actually respect, once said that only girls like them and that if any guy liked them, they were sad.
Well, I’m a guy and I like Poison.
I have no problem saying that.
If that makes me sad, then okay.
I’ve been a fan since 99 and I’m more than cool with that.
If you don’t like me saying that, then screw you.
But anyway, Poison rock and I’m glad they’re back.
Now to the headliner: Def Leppard!!
Like I said earlier, this was my 5th time seeing them, and I swear they just get better each time I see them.
Again, like Poison, I’ve been a fan since 99 and I first saw them on my 18th birthday in 2000, and as solid as I think they are on album, I think they are sooo much better live.
They’re rawer and more in your face, which I love.
They played three songs off their latest album, the great self titled album, but the rest of the set relied heavily on their HUGE albums Pyromania and Hysteria, as well as a few other classics.
Singer Joe Elliott is still singing amazingly well and for the people who don’t agree, they’re wrong.
Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell (another Cancer survivor) are both out of this world as players.
Bassist Rick Savage is great. I’ve always loved his style.
And drummer Rick Allen is an inspiration.
After losing his left arm over 30 years ago in a car crash, he had to teach himself to play all over again, and the band let him take the time to do it, and stayed loyal to him.
That’s friendship.
And I’m so tired of hearing the jokes about him. Enough already!!
He’s amazing and I dare anyone to try to play drums with just one arm.
But anyway, they are amazing and for anyone who have never seen them, please go and see them.
I’ve been going to concerts for almost 20 years and have seen most of my favorite bands.
And I swear they are one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen.
They blow most bands away, in my opinion.
But again, all of this is my opinion, and I stand by all of it.
Thank you Heather for buying the tickets to this show, for being a great driving companion, and I hope you had as much fun as I did.
My next concert is May 16, when I go back to this same venue to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers for the first time.
