DEF LEPPARD Guitarist Phil Collen

DEF LEPPARD Guitarist Phil Collen - "Our Integrity Is Very Much Intact Here Because We Have Never Gone Away And Reformed, Which Is Always A Rubbish Thing To Do"


The following story is courtesy of Gavin Allen from Walesonline.co.uk:

Can a DEF LEPPARD ever change its spots? The old-school British metal band who shot to fame in the ’80s are back with a new album called Songs From The Sparkle Lounge and arrive in Cardiff on tour this week with WHITESNAKE and THUNDER.

But while contemporaries such as IRON MAIDEN have enjoyed a huge resurgence in popularity and credibility, Def Leppard have remained a nostalgic side show in Britain, maligned for their ability to write slick US-friendly radio rock.

In recent years the band has enjoyed a change in management that has brought about a profile resurgence in America, but guitarist Phil Collen admits the band would like to be more respected in their home country.

“(We would like) to get more acceptance in Britain,” says Collen, whose father is Welsh and has an auntie from Trehafod.
“We want to get to the next stage here.

“I think if you stick at it long enough and are valid musically, you can do anything.

“So our aim is to just keep going and hopefully in the UK it will change this time.”

Collen knows the sniffiness they face in the UK comes from the fact that Def Leppard are perceived to target the US dollar instead of the British charts but he says that was as much accidental as intentional.

“We sound like an American band and I think that is down to our influences,” he says.

“So our sound was totally geared towards American radio and they really got that here.

“But what I have learned is that our integrity is very much intact here because we have never gone away and reformed, which is always a rubbish thing to do.

“And what we have been through with Rick (Allen) and Steve (Clark), people recognise us as a real band.”

Read more here.

DEF LEPPARD Guitarist Phil Collen - "Joe Elliot Said That He Thought That We Have More Substance Than Bands Like POISON And MÖTLEY CRÜE And I Agree With Him"

BW&BK photographer Patryk Pigeon spoke with DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen recently about a number of topics including the band's new album, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge, and MAN RAZE, the recently formed rock outfit which also features Simon Laffy from GIRL and Paul Cook of THE SEX PISTOLS. The chat reads as follows:

BW&BK: You have a new side project called Man Raze. Can you tell the Def Leppard fans what they can expect from your new band?

Collen: "It is more hard edge, it's kinda more alternative. By just reading the reviews, you get anything from THE CLASH, the Sex Pistols, THE POLICE to the FOO FIGHTERS. It's a three-piece, so it's just a lot of energy, and even lyrically it's a lot different from what Def Leppard has done so far."

BW&BK: But will Def Leppard fans connect with your music?

Collen: "I don't know. I guess so. I mean, the energy and me playing guitar and me singing. If you like that, you will hear that all over the place."

BW&BK: The fact that you do a lot of backing vocals in Def Leppard means it will probably be familiar to the fans.

Collen: "Yeah, that's interesting."

BW&BK: Do you have distribution in Canada?

Collen: "It's VH1 in North America and we will actually release it in the UK in November/December, so we want to come back and do some TV stuff and tour."

BW&BK: So we can expect a tour of Man Raze in Canada?

Collen: "Yeah, absolutely. We have a member from the Sex Pistols in the band and the Pistols are on tour right now. So we are waiting for a break to tour."

BW&BK: So what is the future of Def Leppard after this tour?

Collen: "I think we are gonna be touring again next year as well."

BW&BK: You guys are planning a DVD for that tour?

Collen: "Yeah maybe, we are recording a lot of cool stuff from this tour."

BW&BK: I would like to hear your side of the story about the feud between Def Leppard and POISON that we can read in the media these days. Do you agree with what Joe Elliot said and the reaction of the Poison guys?

Collen: "Well, I was sitting next to him when this supposed feud happened and… nothing happened. Joe said that he thought that Def Leppard has more substance than bands like Poison and MÖTLEY CRÜE, and that's all he said and I agree with him. You know, it's not a feud. I think if you ask the other guys in Poison and you say, ok do you think that Def Leppard has more substance than you do as a band? They would probably say yes. So none of this is a feud, it's just headlines by the media. I was sitting next to him and he didn't say anything wrong."

BW&BK: So you would say that this feud was fuelled by the media?

Collen: "Yeah, 'cause I don't see a feud at all. I read some silly things from the drummer…"

BW&BK: Poison seem to take it really personal. Even Bret, the singer, did an interview saying he was pissed off.

Collen: "Okay, but if Joe had said something nasty…great! But he didn't. He didn't say anything nasty at all."

BW&BK: So you must think that Poison is doing this to get media attention?

Collen: "No, I think someone got it wrong somewhere. We just have more substance, so if it's that insulting, I don't know what to say."