Who would you change places with for a day?

"The richest man in the world, then I'd transfer all his money into my bank account."

What was the biggest mistake you ever made?

"The thing in Mexico in 1983. I don't want to get into it again because it will open up a whole can of worms, but I apologized profusely and it made me a better person. It was a mistake but it's something I learned from. The other biggest mistake I made was supporting Sheffield United because they're fucking useless."

What's the best concert you ever attended?

"The first one I ever went to which was T-Rex in 1971, and the Hunter-Ronson show in 1975."

What musicians, living or dead, would you put together in a supergroup?

"John Bonham, Phil Lynott, Mick Ronson, and Steve Clark."

What's your specialty in the kitchen?

"I can pull the ring on a can of Coke like no one else. I'm not a kitchen kind of guy."

On What TV Show would you like to be a guest?

"Married ... with Children or The Simpsons."

Where's the most unusual place you had sex?

"Back of a car, bathroom in an airport."

What's always in your refrigerator?

"A shitload of Diet Coke."

What was the worst thing that ever happened to you on stage?

"In 1979 in Wolverhampton at a club I forgot the name of, my trousers split, luckily up the back. I duct-taped them together just before we went on. I didn't have any spare ones. I've had a few stupid incidents where things have been thrown on stage, but nothing that would put me off going on stage."

Can you tell us about your first car?

"A 1976 blue Morris Marina that I bought in '81. It was £595, about $900. It lasted me until 1983."

If you won the million dollar lottery, what would you do with the money?

"Keep it. What am I, stupid?"

Who do you look up to most, and why?

"Robbin Crosby because he's about 6'8"!"

What's the best thing you ever did for a fan ... and the best thing a fan ever did for you?

"Probably something as simple as an autograph ... None of your business."

People who knew me in high school thought I was ...

"A prick!"

What's your favorite childhood memory?

"Singing Beatles songs."

I'm better than anyone else when it comes to ...

"Bullshit."

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you want the most?

"Music, skin, a way off."

What three words describe you best?

"Optimistic, happy, loud!"

What was the strangest gift you ever received?

"I haven't had one yet but when I do you'll be the first to know."

What do you look for in a friend?

"Loyalty."

What was the worst time in your life?

"When Steve died."

What was the worst advice you ever got?

"'Get yourself a proper job'."

What was the wildest party you gave or went to?

"Steve Harris' (Iron Maiden) wedding reception. He had a human jukebox, 14 foot clowns, mime artists, and a shitload of free booze."

Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

"I already do - Dublin. It's a cool place."

The Name Game: Rockers' Best Aliases

"Albert Hall."

What's your favorite holiday?

"Any time I can get off is my favorite holiday. I don't pay too much attention to traditional times because we're often working on Christmas and have to celebrate in January. But I love Christmas. The old clichés are true. To watch someone's face when they're opening a present is mind-blowing really."

What famous people would you invite to a dinner party?

"Brian May - he's a very nice chap. Bono - he's a mate and a very funny bloke, and Robert Plant, to pick up the tab."

What was the worst thing you did in school?

"I poured custard into a girl's school bag."

What would you be doing if you weren't a musician?

"A drummer (apologies to Rick!)."

If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?

"Steve Clark was still alive."

What's the most embarrassing album in your collection?

"A Chippendales album. They did a cover of 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' and I had to hear it. Someone gave it to me, I didn't buy it. It sounds like shit. I think I made a tape of the one song and threw it away, but I briefly owned it."

What was your worst airplane experience?

"We took a plane from London to Newcastle in 1987 and it was the most turbulent flight I've ever been on. The most embarrassing flight was when I traveled on Robert Plant's plane in 1990 when he invited me up to Albany from New York. I threw up all over his plane."

What was your most memorable birthday?

"My last one - I don't remember anything before!"

What do you want your tombstone to read?

"He came, he went, he sang a bit."



Random Joe-isms:

Joe Elliott on "Pyromania": Goodbye Pete Willis, hello Phil Collen. We decided to try to do something that no other rock band had tried before - blueprint "Sgt. Pepper" (but a bit heavier). A period in time when we allowed our Pop sensibility to come to the fore ... and guess what? Our first major success...huge in the U.S. ... but nowhere else .... (the postcard from "Work It Out" single)


"We just wanted to put a smile on people's faces. That's all we ever wanted to do."

"Is there a curse? Jon Bon Jovi is convinced of it. He won't travel in a car with me!"

"People always ask me how we got the name Def Leppard. Actually, it came from a poster I had made which depicted a rather strange-looking jungle cat with a hearing horn at his ear. I called him the deaf leopard. The guys in the band loved the poster, and after a bit of work, we decided to call ourselves Def Leppard. The name is funny, but it has strength."

"They called us 'bludgeon riffola' - it was a complete slag off. So just to show that we didn't really care we picked up on the phrase and used to for the record label."

"Our producer, Mutt Lange, is perfect for us. He doesn't accept what we do and say, 'OK that's great.' He's always pushing us and challenging us. We like to think that we push ourselves, but having someone like Mutt, who you know is going to always give you an honest opinion, is an invaluable help. He's helped make Def Leppard the band it is today."

"Some of the demos we do are better than a lot of people's albums."

"There's room for everybody - it's not the Olympics. I'd like to be on top, but if the album's successful, that's good enough."

"There's a lot more to being a singer than singing. I don't come off stage thinking that I have a power over people 'cause I don't - it's not a power, it's an ability to be able to communicate with a vast amount of people, something I'm very lucky to be able to do."

"That's the great thing about the future - nobody knows what's going to happen. That's what makes it all exciting."

"Selling out to America? That pisses me off. We're not the first English rock band that went to the States."

"When we set out to replace Steve Clark, Vivian Campbell exceeded our wildest expectations."

"You'd be surprised how many records we've had to sell to pay our debts."

"My mum and dad were the first people to believe in us."

"I was tall and I had long hair and I didn't look wimpy."

"The key to longevity? Maybe putting an album out every four years - people don't get bored of you! No, just joking. I think, not taking yourself too seriously. You've got to have a sense of humor. You have to be strong-willed to put up with all the bullshit that goes with the job. You've got to consistently write good songs, and have the right rock-n-roll attitude. The Stones are a perfect example. If we could last that long, I'd be very happy."

"The band is a millionaire. We as individuals aren't."




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