Old guys still rock

Last Friday I went to Members Equity Stadium in East Perth to see Def Leppard with special guests Cheap Trick and support act The Galvatrons (a young Melbourne band playing their first stadium gig but if you like your 80s sounds, check them out).

While not surprising, it's worth noting that I was probably one of the youngest people there of their own accord. Robin Zander from Cheap Trick joked about how they didn't have any top 40 songs but were featured in every music video game the world, plus the opening credits to That 70s Show. Def Leppard's Joe Elliott reminded everyone that they were in fact touring a new album. But the sad fact is, despite surviving the 80s better than most of their contemporaries, they are more or less "nostalgia bands". It's a shame because Cheap Trick and Def Leppard both proved they can still put on a spectacular rock show.

How is it Bon Jovi have triumphed where the likes of Def Leppard have merely "survived"? Some Jovi fans call Lepp hasbeens. Some Lepp fans accuse Jovi of being soft and selling out. But at the end of the day, all that happened is that Def Leppard never had an "It's My Life". That song introduced Bon Jovi to a whole new generation that Def Leppard can only dream about. FWIW I don't think "It's My Life" is even that great a song (it's not terrible but it's no masterpiece). But you can't deny the impact it's had on their careers. Jon has said they would walk away if it ever became the "nostalgia tour". If Crush had bombed (bearing in mind that "It's My Life" was the ONLY single from it to reach #1 in any market), would Bon Jovi even be making records?

Something to ponder while you're waiting for LH Magic Memory #20 in the coming days. ;)