DEF LEPPARD Guitarist PHIL COLLEN - “I Have Very Strong Political Views And I Could Easily Write Politically Motivated Songs, But That's Not What The Band Is About”

June 27, 2016, 7 years ago

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DEF LEPPARD Guitarist PHIL COLLEN - “I Have Very Strong Political Views And I Could Easily Write Politically Motivated Songs, But That's Not What The Band Is About”

Prior to tonight’s (June 27th) show in Syracuse, NY at Lakeview Amphitheater, Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen spoke with Katrina Tullock for Syracuse.com.

Last year, Collen published his memoir, titled Adrenalized: Life, Def Leppard, And Beyond. In it, he shares personal views on vegan lifestyles, politics and religion. He said no one has attacked him over what he wrote in his book, but he deleted his Facebook account because people were contacting him too often, even threatening his family.

"I have very strong political views and I could easily write politically motivated songs, but that's not what the band is about," Collen said. "Music isn't about politics. We're in the escapism business."

While other musicians, like Dave Matthews, have been playing at campaign rallies this election cycle, Collen said he would never involved Def Leppard in any political situation.

"I think it's really important in this day and age to be positive during an election season," he said. "It's important to have music be an escape from TV and hate-spewing rhetoric. Music is a chance to get away from all that."

Read the full interview at Syracuse.com.

Def Leppard have released a video for their new single, “Dangerous”, a track from last year's self-titled studio album. Watch the new clip, directed by Frank Gryner, below:

The band recently released another video, this one for “Man Enough”. Watch below:

Def Leppard's US Summer Tour is underway, storming across all parts of the US and Canada (tour routing below). A new tour trailer video can be seen below:

Def Leppard - Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) - continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, the group's spectacular concerts, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, continue to sell out venues worldwide. For the past thirty years the band's epic live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry.

Def Leppard's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum release's-including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria. The band's 2015 US tour was one of the year's highest grossing, hitting 70+ cities nationwide. In addition to the tour, Def Leppard debuted their self titled new album in October 2015. The album secured the #1 slot on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart. It features the #1 Classic Rock chart single "Let's Go" and their new single "Dangerous" out now.

Tour dates:

June
27 - Syracuse, NY - Lakeview Amphitheater
29 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Park Stadium

July
1 - Indianapolis, IN - Klipsch Music Center
2 - Chicago, IL - Hollywood Casino
5 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
6 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
8 - Pittsburgh, PA - First Niagara Pavillion
9 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
11 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach
13 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
15 - Detroit, MI - DTE Music Theatre
16 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheater

August
6 - Madison, WI - Alliant Energy Center
8 - Evansille, IN - Ford Center
10 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Center
12 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheater
13 - Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheater
15 - Tampa, FL - MidFlorida Credit Amphitheater
17 - Birmingham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheater
19 - Austin, TX - Austin 360
20 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
22 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Pavilion
24 - Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion
26 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
27 - ST. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
29 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
31 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake PAC

September
14 - Billings, MT - Metra Park
16 - Salk Lake City, UT - USANA Ampitheater
17 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
22 - Irvine, CA - Irvine Meadows Amphitheater
24 - Sacramento, CA - Toyota Amphitheater (no Tesla)
25 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheater
28 - Boise, ID - Taco Bell Arena
30 - Eugene, OR - Matthew Knight Arena

October
1 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
4 - Omaha,NE - CenturyLink Center
5 - Minneapolis, MN - Xcel Center
7 - La Crosse, WI - La Crosse Center Arena
8 - Toledo, OH - Huntington Center
10 - Cedar Rapids, IA - U.S. Cellular Center



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