Def Leppard’s ‘The World Tour’ appears to have clashed with the tours of two of pop’s greatest names, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Phil Collen told Igor Miranda that they are staying firm as a rock band, saying: “I believe you have a competitor. There’s a lot of pop, hip-hop, and country music. They also sing to music. They use samples and sing over top of what’s already there. No, we don’t. We definitely have some loops for songs like ‘Rocket’ and ‘Love Bites,’ like keyboard parts. However, all of the vocals are genuine. Everything else is completely true. It also sounds different. You obviously hear the odd error, as your voice cracks, which is cool. However, for the most part, it is quite spectacular. “I enjoy that sensation.”
Collen did not dismiss the obvious rivalry from such huge names, but instead stated that they are doing their best as a live rock band. He went on to say: “As I already stated, we are competing with [large brands.] When you’re on tour, Beyonce and Taylor Swift will be there. This is what they’re doing. But we’re ‘live’ right now. We are a rock band, and I know it sounds cheesy, but Mötley Crüe and we are keeping music alive because it is being disregarded. Because everyone is like different types of music.” The band’s five gigs in South America with Mötley Crüe served as a reminder that they were keeping rock alive for their fans, as Phil recently told Loudwire Nights’ Chuck Armstrong:
“We just returned from South America with Motley Crue. It was completely ridiculous. Simply insane. People were crying, and we were the best we’d ever been. I keep saying that the previous nine months have seen us perform the best five shows we’ve ever done.” The interview is available to view below.