Def Leppard Tour Cancelled Due to What?
Today's mystery is what's behind the sudden cancellation of the third leg of Def Leppard's North American tour. A statement from the band cryptically attributes the cancellation to "unforeseen personal matters" (which is about one notch above "just because" as a clear reason.)
An apparent attempt at clarification also falls somewhat short. "[W]e don't take cancelling shows lightly, but unfortunately life's commitments need to be the priority." Life's commitments. Really?
No doubt the details will eventually dribble out, but the perception created by the purposely vague explanation (for lack of a better word) is that the tour is being cancelled because they can.
The third leg of the tour was scheduled to begin October 22. Ticket holders will get refunds, which is a polite way of saying that the cancelled dates won't be rescheduled.
Def Leppard's Joe Elliott - photo by Paul Kane / Getty Images
Comments
I guess they just got tired of the road, or their wives did. Touring the US is hardwork. The shows are night after night with 6-10 hours of road in between. Of course when you have sold 64 million + albums and discs you don’t really need to leave the estate.
I’m peed at certain sarky comments, I work on the crew and the reason is health not going to say who but the dates will get rescheduled nothing to do with the 3 wives so stop guessing
Ok people… DL members have kids, wives and extended family. We have never seen pics of these people because DL keeps their private life away from the camera. So why go out of our ways to express our frustrations as the sudden cancellation when we know DL will do what they want, how they want, when they want and nobody will know why till they say. DL lives without being the center of attention and that’s why I like them.
Apparently Vivian Campbell’s father just passed away suddenly.
Tough break for anyone to go through that …
Alun
Vivian’s father passed away in August. They cancelled two concerts before resuming their tour a few days later. I really doubt that’s the reason this new set of shows has been cancelled.
Well that’s strange …?
It’s what master rock news man Andrew McNiece – http://www.melodicrock.com – has posted on his forum regarding the matter:
http://forums.melodicrock.com/phorum33/read.php?f=1&i=373041&t=372990
Alun
It was Viv’s dad that died as we cancelled the nashville and birmingham dates
Tigz please tell me that Def Leppard will be back, I was planning on going to the show in Kansas City and then my husband got hurt and was off work for awhile so I couldn’t go and then I found out they were going to be in Omaha NE went to get my tickets on Friday 10/16/09 and was broken hearted when the lady told me the show was cancelled. I have been wanting to see Def Leppard since I was 13 so please tell me that they will be back and I will finally get my chance. What ever has happened may God Bless them all.
I hope all members of def leppard are in good health i would hate anything to happen to you, DL rocks and i would love to see them again next time they are in the uk, Def Leppard are my love and anyone who slags of will have me to answer to, Def Leppard members should be allowed a private life. VIV im so sorry for your loss, my thoughts are with you xxx
The second freaking time they have canceled a show I had bought tickets to attend!!!!!! I still have my stinking tickets from the previous Beaumont Texas show they canceled and now this one in Beaumont too!!! I have been a fan for 30 years and have seen them in concert 4 times prior. I even married a guy from just outside Sheffield and saw them live there once (way cool) but truthfully, the last time I saw them in Dallas, Joe sounded crap. It was kind of painful to listen to but I still bought tickets for Beaumont-TWICE- but I won’t be buying tickets for their show again.
i have been a fan for over 23 years, been to about 20 DL concerts, i have to say that i am mad about the cancellation. We already had plane tix, hotel, and concert tix to Atlantic City. I feel as fans we are owed more than just a generic explantion.
I saw Def Leppard 4 years ago and they only played stuff from Pyromania onwards except for Bringing On The Heartbreak and I vowed never to support them again. To disrespect the fans that were there from the beginning is an insult. Playing hits for the girls is ok but remember its the guys who rocked out to the early stuff is what got them on the radar.
I live in Michigan….saw them the past four years, including most recent concert in July. Already had tickets to see them in downtown detroit in November. Very bummed that the show is cancelled. But when all is said and done, their health and families are the most important thing and will be there long after DL isn’t around anymore. Love their music, shows are AWESOME. Hope everyone is fine and I plan to be there again next year when they are in town.
C’mon people-just because your fans doesn’t mean you own their life. I’ve loved this band for 26 years now. Shoot, yeah I’m disappointed, so what. Just because they sell records doesn’t mean we own them. They are regular people too. They do have private lives and I respect them wanting to keep it private. I just hope that whatever it is will be healed, taken care of , etc. I can handle a few cancelled concerts, what I can’t handle is losing a member of a band that I have loved for so long. It would feel like losing a close friend. Like Joe says-” We’ll see ya next time-and there will be a next time! Of that I’m confident!
Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever read such a hoopla over a rock band’s decision to cancel a leg of a tour! It’s been a circus atmosphere at the band’s main site, Twitter, Facebook etc. Leads me to think some folks need to find something more productive to do with their time. So a couple of shows were cancelled. I can understand feeling disappointed. It’s not the end of the world though, people! The rumor mill out there is disgusting and probably why the messageboard at the band’s main site was closed down for a few days last week to avoid garbage. If you’re posting garbage somewhere online about a band member “being sick” “divorcing” “being in rehab” or whatever, you then become part of the problem with the circus atmosphere. Claiming to be a crew member’s sister in law’s dog walker when spouting garbage is about as believable as a three dollar bill. I am sure people who work around or with the band sign confidentiality agreements forbidding them to spill any personal things they may be privvy to when working with band and people who work around the band won’t come forth with specifics if they wish to keep their jobs. If the band does not want to be specific about what the issue surrounding the cancellation happens to be, then that’s their perrogative. You bought a ticket to their concert; not their private lives. Some fans are going a bit overboard with their concern as well. OK, I am sorry to see the leg of the tour was cancelled and to read that something might be wrong with a band member and I wish them and theirs well from one human being to another, but I’m not in tears or losing sleep. Would they care if I fell ill, lost my job or had a family problem? NO! Reason for that? They don’t know me and don’t have to care about me or any of their fans directly. Not saying they don’t care about fans as a collective. I’m sure they do…we help pay their bills and if they don’t have supporters, they don’t have a job! Same is true for anyone who provides a service to the public. The decision has been made and more information may or may not come out at a later date. I do think the band needs a serious break. How many tours have they done in a row in the last couple of years? I do realize a band makes the bulk of its money from touring in this day and age, but it’s an exhausting thing to keep doing. Add to that the strain of getting older (they all look good, but they’re human beings like the rest of us who may find it harder to do at 45-50 what was a breeze to do when they were all 25-30), having wives and kids to also care for and that’s a tough thing to fill your plate with for several years in a row. Let them deal with what they must, have a break and come back refreshed when they decide the time is right!
I have loved the band since I was seven, that was a long time ago, and I still love them. They have something in common with all of us, regardless of the fame and fortune and the fact that they made it all in front of millions of screaming fans…they are human. Why don’t we retract our claws and let them have their humanity folks? ust think about how much fun it would be for you if everyone you knew threw this big of a fit everytime you let them down, blew something off, or just didn’t show up for work even with a valid excuse? What a pain fans can be. If there is something wrong, I pray that it all ends well. I know we will see them out on tour again, how do I know this you ask? Because they love what they do, and besides, I still have to get a kiss on the cheek from my favorite lead singer in the world so they can’t not tour again.
REALLY Disappointed… I was flying into Vancouver BC to catch the U2 Concert on 10/28 and thought get a chance to see them on 10/27 as I’ve always wanted to see them Live…but never got to..
is Def Leppard going to refund me for the Airline & hotel change fees? probably not, we as Fans need a better reason then “I got sick of touring”
Bummed! We were really looking forward to the concert in November.
I am very disappointed! I have followed this band for 39 years of my life! This was the first concert I was really looking forward too! What a lame blow to cancel a tour! Pathetic realy, not sure I will feel the same about the music and the band..that really sucks! What a cop out!! Thought they were better then that!! Oh well..guess not.
There’s only one reason for this: sagging sales. A lot of fans will be there disguised as empty seats, and it’s too expensive to take a band like this on the road unless you have venues at least 75% full. They know this won’t happen.
To the schlub who says he’s on the crew: I hear that New Kids On The Block is hiring. Go get a job.
I have been dissappointed with many decisions from bands to cancel on shows, for various reasons, over many years. I have also not attended shows (that I could have) for “personal reasons”. Rock icons are people too, and do not have any obligation to perform, ever. We should consider ourselves privelaged to see them when we do! I have seen Def Leppard eight times in my life, and am sure I will have a chance to see them nine….
Bob, Jimi, Jerry and Elvis also have good personal reasons not to continue their tours…..lets be happy that Def Leppard won’t be citing those….
Suk it up, and rock on………
I AM GLAD THEY CANCELLED THEIR TOUR!!! THEY SUCK!! ALL THEIR SONGS SUCK!!!I TRULY HATE THEM AND AEROSMITH, METTALLICA, THEY ALL SOLD OUT!!!
you guys across the pond have it so good. Da Leps hardly ever play in the UK, so give them a break!! I’m sure they wouldn’t cancel dates without good reason. They are a band that actuallly really do care what the fans think , so let them get over whatever is going on right now and I’m sure they’ll re-schedule!
You know, I get kind of sick of people from England whinging on about “The band never plays in the UK.” I mean no disrespect. The band, I know, of course, is English (so is my husband, for that matter) so the UK feels as though it’s “their” band and feels slighted. I understand all that. But think for a moment why the band tour the US as frequently as they do? The UK basically tossed these guys out on their bums early in their career and gave them horrific press, we accepted them here, they made the bulk of their money and their career here. I know the band members are loyal to their home country, but really, can you blame them for touring the US more? Kind of more cost effective, it seems. Mind you, we’ve done the same thing with our own musicians too. We did it with Hendrix. Didn’t want him here when he was trying to catch a break, he went to England and became a star and then the US got interested in him! In any case, sorry the Leps had to cancel the leg of the tour. I am sure, with all the money which will be lost, the band didn’t do so because “their wine wasn’t properly chilled.” As I have read here, the band does need a break. I saw them last year and to be honest, the set and what I’d seen hadn’t changed much from seeing them a year or two before that. Even die hard fans who’d pay to see them read the phone book on stage will stop doing that after a while. They need to give it a rest for a while.
You guys should be ashamed all of the ones that are saying nothing but negative things about Def Leppard cancelling their tour, yeah I was disappointed when I found out too. I am 38 and have loved Def Leppard since I was 13 this was going to be the first time that I got to see them but this sure as the heck isn’t going to change the way I feel about them nor their music. Seems to me like most of the negative talkers are just thinking about themselves not about what the band is going through or how they are feeling about having to disappoint all of their fans. To the people that are wanting to know if Def Leppard is going to refund your airline tickets and hotel fees just means that you are being selfish if you are a true concert person then you should know that shows DO get cancelled or rescheduled and should be prepared for such. Just let Def Leppard deal with what they need to deal with and for God’s sake let them have their break and wait until they come back (Yes they will be back) and I will be one of the many to welcome them back. EVERYBODY DESERVES A BREAK!!
Erm …. DL played download 2009 and did a 2008 tour what more do you want – crew are allowed to pass on ltd info, though there was talk from HQ that the US may not get a 2010 tour to give other fans a chance. Now if I told you all the details behind the cancellation then I would be breeching my contract
The crew are as gutted as we have normal lives away from the band as well as families and kids so as it has been said before if there wasn’t a crew there would be no shows
When the guys are ready to spill they will but the sicko who started the rumour Joe has throat cancer needs to get a life
I wish people would stop whining and complaining about this because it’s not going to change! Alright, Def Leppard had to cancel a leg of their tour! Life goes on! You fans complaining about your lost airfare and hotel reservations make me sick! What, do you think the band should reimburse everyone for those things? They’d go bankrupt if they did and besides, in this economy, the mere fact that someone could afford to buy a plane ticket and make hotel reservations to go see a rock concert tells me they aren’t doing too badly. I saw the band last spring when Sparkle Lounge first came out and later in the year, my job went into the toilet, like a lot of of people have experienced and I could not even afford the extras of a concert ticket this year, much less afford to book plane fare and a hotel! Tigz, I feel for you and the other people involved. Like you said, the crew, the lighting people, the transportation people and so many others involved behind the scenes working on the tour are also out of work. If the band cannot perform for whatever reason, then it puts a lot of people behind the scenes out of work. It’s like being laid off from a job. So, the fans aren’t the only ones at a loss here!
Well, they cancelled. I really wanted to see them as well here in idaho. The bank totally rocks!!! They have been around for a long time despite all that has happened to them. They still think of their fans. Some bands dont even do that. I’ve seen them 3 times and will see them again as soon as they come back…AND THEY WILL!!!!
Been 10 years since I last saw them and they played the exact same songs. I’d rather hear a Joe Elliot solo project. Stop trying to make Leppard big again and maybe you will.
I know this may seem a little far fetched because no one believes rock stars are human beings. However… isn’t it at all possible that something personal came up and it’s simply no one’s business? Certainly if there was a death in the family there isn’t a single forum online that would know a single band members extended family member’s names. This article is just regurgitation of what is posted on the official website with a rather negative tone… perhaps written by a bitter fan who feels robbed by his idols instead of understanding that everyone, no matter how big, has lives outside of work. For lack of a better word, this article is crap.
Niko, you’re great!
Guys, just let the Def Leps dig into their troubles (hope, really hope they are not so serious), and just wait – I’m sure that they’ll let us fans know, at least if it’s worth us being informed.
Real DL fans would not be complaining, they would be hoping everything is ok and understand we all have personel issues that come first. Even rock bands that are human. They will be back, how many bands do you know that still tour after 30 years and still sell out? They in my eyes will always be the greatest rock band, not just for their music but also for their loyality to their fans.
Good Luck Guys.. See you soon!
My guess is that a band making a tough decision like this, would not do so without good cause. And the fact that the band stated the reason as a personal matter means that they prefer it be kept private. We can guess that this could fall into the category of a serious health issue, but even if it is not do we really need to know. Wouldn’t full disclosure to the public if a member is sick or having a life tragedy be a complete lack of disrespect. They are acting with integrity and the public needs to get off their backs for being human and putting other things in life first. They are not exactly young men in their 20’s anymore and what they do is demanding and exhausting. If you are that ruthless and disconnected that you feel the band owes you an explanation, you might examine your own life and priorities.
Point being, Lynn, all we can do is guess.
Birth of a child is more importent. I would not want to tour either.