Almost a year ago to this day, Def Leppard announced a gig at the Leadmill Club in Sheffield with the proceeds from the ticket (and merch) sales going to the legendary club/venue’s financial rescue. This was one of the very rare occasions where Def Leppard would give their die-hard fans the chance to see them in such a small venue and especially in the city where they started their illustrious career! Although the press release for the event mentioned that 850 tickets would go on sale, from my experience I have to tell you that this particular venue could not hold more than 500 people.
As part of this year’s Record Store Day, Leppard released this unique concert on a double vinyl, giving those who weren’t there the chance to get their hands on a true gem in the Leppard discography. Maybe I’m biased, as I was lucky enough to be at this particular live show, but I dare say that of all the band’s live releases, this one stands out for two main reasons: the first one has to do with the pristine production that makes everything sound crystal clear while maintaining the feel of a live performance. The second reason has to do with the set list itself. We are talking about a set list consisting of songs that Leppard rarely play and which sent all their die-hard fans to the seventh heaven. “Action”, “Mirror Mirror”, “Wasted”, “Slang”, “Excitable”, “Let It Go” and even “Fire It Up” from the latest studio album “Diamond Star Halos” were just a few of the well-hidden gems in Leppard’s vault!
Needless to say, the band delivered a typical high level of performance and it’s easy to say that this is one of the concerts that will be forever remembered by the Leppard fan community. 3 days later Def Leppard performed at Bramall Lane, the big stadium of Sheffield United football club…
Highlight: 6.000 copies of “Live At The Leadmill” were pressed worldwide.
