Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott recently spoke to Randall Roberts of The Los Angeles Times about a number of topics including: streaming services, music critics, and geography. An excerpt can be enjoyed below:

L.A. Times:  When your original albums did arrive on streaming platforms, they shot to the top of the rock charts. Were you heartened by the reception?

Elliott:  "I was flattered, humbled, heartened, excited — every positive emotion you can think of. And it's so instant. Back in the day, you'd put your record out and then it's like, 'What's happening?' You'd be waiting for these telexes to come out of the machine the size of ten washing machines. 'You sold this much ...’"

L.A. Times:  I went back and checked how The Times reviewed your early concerts. They weren't kind.

Elliott:  "Oh, yeah, we were never press darlings — never will be — and it's not really long-term damage, from a career point of view. If you weren't Lou Reed or Loudon Wainwright or Elvis Costello, you were just an idiot — just this brainless buffoon rock ’n’ roll nonsense. Those things, all they can do is make you bitter and twisted. Certain people will spend their lives seeking retribution on every journalist that gave you a bad review."

L.A. Times:  And at the time, punk was being praised by the critics.

Elliott:  "That was the ironic thing. We were being told of all these bad reviews, and all these critics were raving about punk. We're going, 'Dude, we're from England. We were there when punk happened. You're five years behind the... eight-ball here. You are missing the point."

To read the complete interview, click here.

Def Leppard and Journey have teamed up for a massive co-headlining North American tour. The trek is composed of both stadium and arena concerts, with half of the shows being closed by Journey and half by Def Leppard. The tour features complete sets and all-new production from both bands.

Remaining dates:

July
21 - Denver, CO - Coors Field
23 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena
25 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
27 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Field
28 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome

August
11 - Boston, MA - Fenway Park
13 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
15 - Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena
17 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - BB&T Center
18 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena
20 - Birmingham, AL - Legacy Arena @ The BJCC
22 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
24 - St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium
25 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
27 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
29 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
31 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center

September
1 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
5 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
7 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Arena
8 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
21 - San Francisco, CA - AT&T Park
23 - San Diego, CA - Petco Park
25 - Salt Lake City, UT - Vivint Smart Home Arena
26 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center Arena
28 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
29 - Seattle, WA - Gorge Amphitheatre

October
1 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
4 - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
6 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum

Earlier this week, Def Leppard unveiled their Spotify Singles. As part of the streaming platform’s coveted initiative, the multiplatinum rock legends performed the classic “Hysteria” in addition to a brand new cover of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.” Listen to and share the singles here.

Recorded live at the Spotify studio, the musicians preserve the provocative power of “Personal Jesus”, while imbuing their own signature style and spirit. A recording of the cover has preceded recent live shows. Meanwhile, they amplify the energy of “Hysteria” with this hyper-charged rendition. A live staple, it most notably serves as the title track of their 1987 best-selling album of the same name, which garnered a Diamond certification from the RIAA and housed seven smash singles. The original also stands out as a fan favorite on Spotify!