DEF LEPPARD's PHIL COLLEN, VIVIAN CAMPBELL Interviewed By NIKKI SIXX (Audio)

November 21, 2013

DEF LEPPARD guitarists Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen were interviewed on a recent edition of the "Sixx Sense" radio show hosted by MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

DEF LEPPARD's "VIVA! Hysteria" video package entered the Top 5 national music video charts in 7 countries (U.S.A., Canada, U.K., France, Australia, Sweden and Finland) and was Top 15 in another 3 countries (Germany, Switzerland and Japan) in the first week of release. The album version also charted in the Top 30 national charts in the USA and Germany, with Top 100 entries in other territories, including the U.K.

With 100 million records sold worldwide, DEF LEPPARD continues to be one of the most potent forces in global rock. For the past 30 years the band has been a top box-office draw, consistently selling out arenas worldwide. October 2013 saw them issue an exciting new live release, "VIVA! Hysteria", across multiple formats through Frontiers Records.

Originally released on August 3, 1987, the "Hysteria" album took the already well established DEF LEPPARD and catapulted the band into the stratosphere.

The statistics are astounding: the album has sold in excess of 25 million copies and counting. Due to the incredible success of previous album "Pyromania" (released in 1983) and "Hysteria", DEF LEPPARD are one of only five groups who can claim two separate original 10 million plus selling albums in the U.S. The others are THE BEATLES, LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD and VAN HALEN.

The "Hysteria" album also spawned 7 hit singles! Enormous hits such as "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Animal", "Love Bites", "Armageddon It" and "Rocket" are hugely influential rock staples that still enjoy huge popularity today and have helped make DEF LEPPARD Britain's greatest-ever arena rock band.

Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the album reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart in the U.S. and also No. 1 on the U.K. album chart. The album has earned critical acclaim from a number of sources including Q magazine, who voted the release as one of the greatest albums of all time, and Rolling Stone magazine, who included the collection on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.

For the first time ever, DEF LEPPARD played "Hysteria" in its entirety during an eleven-show residency which started on March 22, 2013 at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas. The band played also under the fictitious name of DED FLATBIRD (which came about after someone once mispronounced DEF LEPPARD as "Dead Flat Bird"). Two different opening sets of 35 minutes on each of the nights. The band showcased some fan favourites and very rare songs from the early years of the band besides playing a selection of their greatest hits, highlighting classic material from throughout their career. The "VIVA! Hysteria" show featured an elaborate set design created uniquely for the Las Vegas residency.

"We've been asked for many years if we'd ever play an album in its entirety, and the answer was always no because we'd be out promoting a new album," said lead vocalist Joe Elliott. "Then in March and April 2013 when we had no new music to promote, we had a chance to revisit arguably our most important album. It was an easy decision to make. As for Vegas, it's no longer perceived as the place crooners go to die! Artists like MÖTLEY CRÜE, ELTON JOHN, GUNS N ROSES and CHEAP TRICK have recently done residencies and rock 'n' roll has definitely moved in! So, there was no better place for us to take the show. It was a fantastic experience for us and for our fans."

Known for legendary arena shows, DEF LEPPARD bring their extravagant production to your house as "VIVA! Hysteria" is their first full live show shot in HD released commercially. Finally "VIVA! Hysteria" showcases for the first time a career-defining album (excluding concept albums) performed live in its entirety — from start to finish — for a commercial audio/video release. "VIVA! Hysteria"! is unlike any show DEF LEPPARD has ever done or will ever do again.

Check out "VIVA! Hysteria" album audio samples in the YouTube clip below.

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