Journey and Def Leppard come to Tampa
Eighties bands come together to put on a concert at Amalie Arena
Confetti falls as the band Journey closes the concert with their hit “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The band played at Amalie Arena Saturday, Aug. 18, for their 2018 Tour with Def Leppard, which includes 60 shows.
On Sat., Aug. 18, Journey and Def Leppard held a concert for their 2018 tour at Amalie Arena. These ‘80s rock bands collaborated to go on a 60-show tour around the United States and Canada.
Although some people listening to these songs were not even alive when they were released, movies and TV shows today have exposed them to new generations and they have become increasingly popular.
At the concert, the bands performed many of their classic and most well-known songs, including “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph” from Def Leppard, and “Any Way You Want It,” “Open Arms,” “Wheel in the Sky,” “Faithfully” and — arguably their most famous song — “Don’t Stop Believin’” from Journey.
Def Leppard is an English rock band that formed in 1977. Many of their members have come and gone over the years, but their current lineup is their longest standing one, including Joe Elliot, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell.
In 1984, Rick Allen, their drummer, was involved in a severe car crash which caused him to have his left arm amputated. However, the band refused to replace him, and Allen learned to play the drums with only one hand, using four foot pedals rather than one or two like a typical drummer.
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973. Although the members of the band were constantly changing, at the height of their popularity the band included Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Steve Perry, Steve Smith and Jonathan Cain. After lead singer Steve Perry permanently left the band, he was officially replaced by Arnel Pineda in 2007.
Overall, both bands were amazing and put on a great concert. However, Def Leppard’s performance quality was much better than that of Journey’s; although their songs were great, Journey used rather basic backgrounds and less interesting lighting compared to Def Leppard’s dynamic and exciting use of lasers, lights and fog that contemplated their high-energy showmanship.
Out of their whole tour, Tampa was their biggest concert, with Amalie Arena sold out for 20,500 people. The concert was amazing, and I would definitely recommend going to a show if you get the chance. They said this would not be their last time in Tampa, so hopefully they will be back soon.