The Relentless Blogger

I don't know which I'm more geeked about: the whole concert experience, or getting to meet Rick Allen. The whole night is still fairly surreal for me. (The "we" in this is my husband and me.)

To start, we ended up arriving so early that ours was the only "non-staff" vehicle in the parking lot. We kicked back to wait for the gates to open, knowing it was still three hours away. Security was totally cool to us. They said we'd probably have to move when they started letting people in to park, but they had no problem with us parking right up front until then. (They never did ask us to move the car.)

Suddenly, we realized the music we were hearing was Def Leppard's stuff. "COOL!," we thought, "we get to listen to their techs tuning up their equipment!" About five minutes in to it, we hear Joe's voice. We look at each other in awe, "That's not their TECHS! That's THEM!"  We couldn't believe we were getting to hear the guys rehearsing. It was like a mini-concert just for us as we sat in the parking lot rocking out.

Me even BEING HERE is a bona fide miracle. I've never been to a rock concert in my life, and I'd always hoped that if I ever COULD see one, it would be Def Leppard or Van Halen (in that order of preference). Having gotten married and jumping right in to parenthood at the tail end of my teens, I've devoted my entire adult life to my kids. Things like $300-$400 concert tickets are just not one of the luxuries that comes with that package. So managing to WIN the tickets that included the backstage "meet and greet" with Rick Allen was a miraculous gift.

The tickets were awaiting us at "Will Call", just as promised. Not knowing the venue, we had no idea whether or not we had good seats. We just knew we were in the orchestra pit. We were the first people allowed through the gates and into the amphitheater. The *singular* disappointment of the entire experience occurred at this point. As we were waiting "stage right" for our escort backstage, Foreigner took to the stage. I have always liked Foreigner, and I'd wanted to see them perform. The second opener, Styx, however, is so NOT my thing. I loved "Renegade," but that was it. I had really hoped Styx would play first so we could do the backstage thing, miss Styx, and get to see all of Foreigner and Def Leppard.  Ah well.  What we got was a pretty damn good alternative ...

JUST as Foreigner started playing the song I most wanted to hear - "Dirty White Boy" - we were called backstage. We were lead around back between the Lepp's tour buses and LOTS of semi trucks loaded with all three bands' gear. It smelled like a truck stop or a bus station. Much grittier than I'd imagined. Much more real. We waited on the loading dock for Rick to appear. Just next to us, Phil Collen was having a workout. It was surreal to see in the flesh this person I have idolized for nearly 30 years now ... and HOLY $**T, can he brutalize a sparring partner! His kicks were so hard and lightning-fast - one right after the other - that it sounded like one kick to the head from him would explode your skull like dropping a pumpkin onto a sidewalk from two stories up.  Major carnage. He struck me as an enormously focused and self-disciplined man - but he also smiled and laughed constantly. It was a muggy-humid 96° outside, and here's Phil doing a full workout an hour before a full concert performance in the same heat. No wonder he's so ripped!

Rick showed up, and I was immediately struck by how comfortable and genuine he was. He said hello and shared a firm handshake, and looked me in the eye as we introduced ourselves. I couldn't help but reflect on how different this man standing in front of me is from the younger man who always looked so determined and serious in their Hysteria-era videos. THIS Rick is at peace with himself and his life, clearly appreciates his blessings, and is utterly without ego. He is like an open book. Surprisingly, the other four people in our little group seemed a bit starstruck and tended to talk amongst themselves when Rick Allen was RIGHT THERE, making himself available to them.

We all got to take pictures with him. He signed autographs for those who had items they wanted inscribed. He took care to ask each person's name, look them in the eye as he spoke to them, and made sure he spelled their names correctly as he personalized each and every signature.  When it was my turn, I whipped out my picture of Def Leppard "Simpsonized". He *loved* it, and I couldn't have been more thrilled. I was wearing my brand-new limited edition Raven Drum Foundation/Def Leppard 2007 Tour shirt, and he signed that as well.  This part was pretty funny. He asked me where I wanted it signed - front or back. I'm looking down, and I put my hand a couple inches below collar level and say, inexplicably, "Well, I'm flat here!" So he signed there.  Pretty goofy, but I'm sure he's heard worse.

From there, he took us backstage. We were actually able to look out on the crowd exactly as the bands see them when they perform. Foreigner was still on stage and started playing "Jukebox Hero" as we stood DIRECTLY BEHIND the keyboard player and got to explore Rick's drum set and his little pre-show quiet space. Again, he was most gracious and generous with us, inviting us to take more pictures and welcoming any and every question. Everyone was just kind of standing there, so I thought, "Oh, HELL no! I am not going to let this opportunity go by. If they won't talk to him, I will!" We stood there for a good ten minutes just talking about his set, how he'd built his way back up to the acoustic drums, and surprisingly, MY family. I even got to tell him about how my 15-year-old son had "discovered" them over the summer and has since commandeered my favorite band T-shirt, which he wears to school, football and marching band practice, and just about everywhere else. He LOVES when kids ask him about the band, and usually advises them on which CDs to start with. Rick seemed genuinely surprised and pleased that my son's recommendations are, "X and Slang first, then Hysteria."

I didn't want to monopolize his time and attention so I kept backing off, but nobody else was talking to him, so I kept finding myself turning back toward him to ask or answer a question. I don't know how else to describe how thoroughly gracious and generous he was other than to say he is disarmingly open and curious, and makes you feel like you are family. There was no sense of being rushed or him wanting to get us out of there as quickly as possible. It was completely relaxed and laid-back.

After a while, Foreigner was wrapping up their show, so it was time for Rick to start getting ready. He had to go find a crew member to escort us back out, but even then, he returned with the guy and gave each and every person another firm handshake and thanked us. THANKED US!!!  I put out my hand to shake his, and he smiled and gave me a hug. That right there meant the world and beyond to me.

Rather than taking us back out the long way, the escort walked us through the breezeway, where Joe was walking. I knew he was the tall guy in the band, but I really didn't know he was as BIG and he is. Kinda brawny in a good way. Understanding that we were Rick's invited guests backstage, none of us tried to hound Joe to talk to us. He was, after all, busy doing his job. We were let back out at the foot of the stage, but that was a long way from the end of the surprises for me.

Turned out our seats were right next to the end of the catwalk ... but I actually spent the first half of the concert strategically standing RIGHT at the corner of the catwalk and the stage. I mean, I was RIGHT THERE! Front line! NOBODY was any closer than I was. How was this even POSSIBLE?! I stood there singing my BLEEP off to each and every song. Made eye contact with Phil twice; Sav five times! Joe walked back and forth right in front of me a lot, but honestly, I was spending a lot of time looking everywhere. Joe might be on the catwalk, but there was Sav standing right in front of me ... or Phil was right there, and even from across the catwalk, I could see how absolutely stunning and gripping Sav's eyes really are! Absolutely gorgeous!

I was REALLY happy to see ... how do I say this without sounding like a schmuck?  I have really felt for Sav since he developed Bell's Palsy. It's a rare enough condition, but to have it linger and last in the form of permanent damage to the facial nerves is almost unheard of. The odds of this happening to arguably the best-looking man in all of rock music are astronomical, and yet, it happened. I felt for him because my Mom had a similar condition that left one side of her face paralyzed. Mom has NEVER been a vain woman, but it was a crushing blow to her self-esteem and self-image to be unable to control half her face ...  and her face was not connected to her means of making a living as Sav's is. It had to be very difficult for him on a personal and human level - let alone with the weight of his celebrity and the fickle nature of public opinion. In many ways, he is no less brave than Rick for his devotion to his craft over ego.

The thing is, though, is that all the pics I have seen of Sav in the last few years make the nerve damage look much worse than it appears to be when you see him in person. He is still Sav; he does still have a beautiful face, a disarming smile, and those eyes that feel like lightning striking you when they connect directly with yours. I was REALLY happy to see that Sav is in such good health and looking so wonderful. Life on the road seems to agree with him to the extreme.

Yaddah, yaddah ... it was a killer concert, and I had the time of my life. The funny thing is that I walked out of there with a completely different perception of Def Leppard that so took me by surprise, it actually took me a couple DAYS to process it all into thoughts I could translate into text.

What makes Def Leppard so amazing and so special is not any one member's talent or looks or artistry. It's not just the perseverance through so many soul-breaking tragedies. For me, it's realizing that they guys are only "rock stars" for a couple hours a day at best - and that's only if they are touring. Clearly, the "rock star" images are no less a piece of showmanship and costume than anything else in the show that exists purely for effect. In fact, theirs is a business - a job - and they do it with serious dedication and a business mind. They do seem to understand that one instant of eye contact; one single touch; a wave; a smile; a wink at specific members of the audience are priceless treasures to the recipients that will be cherished for a lifetime.

Even more than that, though, is realizing by observing them that Viv, Sav, Joe, Rick, and Phil are COMPLETELY different and unique personalities with different interests and personal pursuits. The fact that these five people have functioned as a single, cohesive and egoless unit in the form of Def Leppard for all these years without a single public falling out or break-up speaks volumes to the phenomenal devotion they each bring to their craft, their business, their jobs, their relationships, and even their consideration for their fans.

It truly is a job that they do. For me, it was a one-night, once-in-a-lifetime experience. For them, it is a job they do night after night in one city after another. I guess what I'm trying to say is seeing these gentlemen in person and behind the scenes (so to speak) was illuminating in more ways that I would ever have expected. They are people. Just people. Just individuals who do a job and do it well and with all the care and dedication I bring to my own work. They aren't objects. They aren't icons. They aren't monuments at whose colossal feet we should worship. They are, very simply, an extraordinary assemblage of talent, artistry, business acumen, and pure devotion to their craft and each other. I'll never again be able to objectify any of them, and that's kind of weird - since that is what celebrity is all about - but what I took away from that show is far more precious to me.

At the close of the show, there were a couple of small incidents that truly illustrate the kind of professionalism and nerves of steel it takes to do what these guys do. One young lady - more than a bit tipsy - hoisted herself up and perched on the far end of the catwalk, waving her arms and ... um ... "lap dancing" with the catwalk. Did she plan to pick up the show herself and entertain in Joe's place? Did she think she was going to just sit there and wait for Joe to come back down the catwalk so she could grab him??  Security got her down pretty quickly, but they DIDN'T catch the cute young blonde who also got herself onto the catwalk and ran at Joe.  WHERE THE HELL WAS SECURITY??

She made it to Joe, and he didn't freak out. He gave her a hug and gently but firmly managed to get her to go back to her seat. Joe started down the catwalk, and one after another, two different parents chunked their young children up on stage and told them to go hug Joe. Again, he handled it professionally and without missing a beat. Though I was highly irate at the venue staff for allowing this inexcusable lapse in security, I will never in my life forget the expression of radiant joy in the face of the little girl no higher than Joe's mid-thigh as she hugged him tight and closed her eyes, smiling blissfully. It could have been a horror for Joe, and I honestly hope he had some asses for that very dangerous lapse in security - not once, but FOUR TIMES IN A ROW - and all from the same spot on the catwalk. Joe is a gifted front man, and the consummate professional entertainer. He had the situation in hand and under control in far less time than security EVER could have managed it. THAT is charisma!