British rock legends filmed their VHS concert video,“Live: In the Round, In Your Face” at Denver’s McNichols Sports Arena over 20 years ago. Judging by the crowd Monday night at the , many in the audience might have been there.
The Rock of Ages Tour, which reunites Def Leppard with former tourmates Poison and opener Lita Ford, is one of several throwback concerts on the summer circuit offering audiences a chance to rock out and reminisce to some of the most recognizable songs of the past few decades. Fans who grew up with the ultra-long haired, bandana-toting versions of Poison and Def Leppard may have known more of the set lists, but when Bret Michaels belted out “Talk Dirty to Me” or when the first chords of “Pour Some Sugar on Me” sounded from Def Leppard’s guitarist ,there wasn’t a single person in the arena who didn’t sing along like it was 1988 again.
The concert was everything fans expected it to be. Poison satisfied fans with “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” signature Bret Michaels guitar tosses across the stage, a couple C.C. Deville guitar solos and a fully amped-up version of “Nothin’ But A Good Time.” Deville’s re-entry onto the stage in a Peyton Manning jersey was also a contender for the nightap biggest crowd pleasing moment.
Def Leppard’s set began at 9:20 p.m. after the dropping of an oversized British flag that led into “Undefeated.” The set list, stage design and even the band’s attire were almost identical to the band’s last set in Denver. But why fix it if it’s not broken? The acoustic break in the middle of the set, which featured “Where Does Love Go When It Dies” and “Two Steps Behind” offered some variety, but really just gave concertgoers a chance to rest their feet in anticipation for “Sugar.”
The show ended on the nightap highest points with a back-to-back offering of “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Rock of Ages” — it just took an hour and a half to get there.
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Paige Montgomery is a Denver-based freelance writer. Check out more of her work on Facebook and .
Michael McGrath is a Denver area photographer. His work is available at . Visit .
