When it comes to rock bands, having a long career together isn’t typical.
Even when a band has been doing concerts for decades, like Journey or Foreigner, it doesn’t mean the members have stayed together. But Def Leppard is unique in their longevity. And Joe Elliott is spilling the reason why.
Journey has been around since 1973. And the only founding member still with the band is Neal Schon. Ross Valory, Steve Smith, even Randy Jackson have all come and gone in the history of the band’s line-up. Foreigner has also had a lot of rotating members. Mick Jones is the only original member of Foreigner still with the band.
Def Leppard, on the other hand, has had some impressive staying power as a band. And while it’s not the case that they have all of their original members, four of the five current players have been together since 1982. And the last one joined in 1992. So for the last 31 years, these guys have managed to stay together.
That’s pretty darn impressive. Admit it…you find yourself nodding your head in approval when you hear a couple has been married as long as Def Leppard has been together. And this marriage includes five people, not two. Major props to these guys.
So what’s the secret to Def Leppard staying together as a band?
Joe Elliott recently told People Magazine that a big part of the longevity of the band is their ability to distinguish themselves from their characters, foxnews.com reported. Elliott said that the guys in the band leave their egos in the dressing room. And that who they are offstage isn’t who the crowd sees onstage. The importance of being two different people was mentioned by Elliott, who says the band does a good job of leaving their rocker personas where they belong.
In the interview, guitarist Phil Collen agreed. He called his onstage persona his “avatar”, and said his performances were a lot like acting. Elaborating that his avatar even possessed characteristics that Collen offstage doesn’t have. Most notably, his “swagger” (foxnews.com).
The members of Def Leppard also attributed their humility offstage to their families. Saying they often remind the rockers that they’re actually regular people pretending to be rockers when they’re onstage. So let’s take a look at the members of Def Leppard and who these guys actually are when they’re not convincing the world they’re rock stars. 😉 – Wendy Rush
