706. Def Leppard / Viva! Hysteria. 2013. 4.5/5

Earlier in 2013, Def Leppard took up a short term residency in Las Vegas. The highlight of this was that for the first time the band was going to play their biggest selling album, Hysteria, in full every night. Obviously this created quite a surge of interest, and given that it was going to be a limited season, and that it would only occur in the one city, there was little doubt that it would be released both audibly and visually so that fans from all around the world could enjoy the occasion. Thus we are presented with Viva! Hysteria.

Playing the entire album live more than 25 years after its release must have been a gamble, but it the end it is a triumph. Joe Elliott's voice, which I always felt was perhaps going to be the major issue in attempting most of these songs, covers all steps wonderfully. Of course, given that the majority of the songs on this album have still remained in the band's setlist over the years certainly helped. But the first time I put on Viva! Hysteria was a trip down memory lane. It took me all the way back to 1987, the year I finished high school, and played the original Hysteria over and over. The band here is terrific, not only instrumentally but vocally. Everything comes together in a great performance of a terrific album. My favourite songs from the album were always "Animal", "Gods of War" and "Run Riot", and they are still the best songs here. The performance is completed by the addition of two of the band's biggest songs from the Pyromania album, "Rock of Ages' and "Photograph". Terrific stuff.

But wait - there's more! And what's more, the extras are even better! In support to themselves each night, the band came on under the assumed name of Ded Flatbird, which apparently was one of the misheard names the band was called in their early days. On separate nights, the band would play a different setlist as the support band, containing songs that they hadn't performed live for years. For me, the great part was that the majority of these songs were from their first two albums which have been buried in the mists of time. And it is a real buzz to hear the band play songs like "Good Morning Freedom", which was only ever released on the single for "Hello America" off their debut album On Through the Night. Brilliant. Then add other songs from that album such as "Wasted" and "Rock Brigade" - how is a song like "Rock Brigade" not in their setlists more often? I love it. Then there is the brilliant "Mirror Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)" from High 'n' Dry. But it is the second support gig that really smokes, headed up by "On Through the Night" and "Slang", before playing the entire Side A (for those that remember the vinyl release) of the brilliant High 'n' Dry album - "Let it Go", "Another Hit and Run", "Saturday Night (High 'n' Dry)", "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" and "Switch 625". Just fantastic! What an awesome spectacle for those that got to attend this gig on that night.

Fans of Def Leppard - certainly those that have been fans since the 1980's - will love this. Not only is it a homage to their most popular and biggest selling album, it pays respect to many of the songs that paved the way for that album, and ones that haven't been performed in a long, long time, as well as the sprinkling of other songs from the era since that found their foundation in Hysteria. This CD/DVD set is a wonderful moment in time, one that all Def Leppard fans will love.