DEF LEPPARD BACK ON THE ROAD AS THEIR RECENTLY RELEASED ‘ROCK OF AGES: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION’ CD CLOSES IN ON PLATINUM

FROM:        MARCEE RONDAN/KRISTINE ASHTON-MAGNUSON/

                MITCH SCHNEIDER

 DEF LEPPARD–BRITAIN’S GREATEST ARENA ROCK BAND–
BACK ON THE ROAD AS THEIR RECENTLY RELEASED
 ‘ROCK OF AGES: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION’
CD CLOSES IN ON PLATINUM

DEF LEPPARD–Britain’s Greatest Arena Rock Band–are taking their enormously successful co-headlining “Double Shot Of Rock” with Bryan Adams indoors.  Having already teamed with Adams to perform at minor league baseball stadiums across the country this past spring and summer, DEF LEPPARD are rocking the masses this fall in major arenas from coast to coast.  The second leg of the “Double Shot Of Rock” kicked off October 11 at Boston’s Agganis Arena and wraps up November 13 in Las Vegas, NV at the The Joint.  In the midst of this tour, DEF LEPPARD–JOE ELLIOTT(vocals), RICK ALLEN (drums), RICK SAVAGE (bass), PHIL COLLEN (guitar) and VIVIAN CAMPBELL (guitar)–will also headline a handful of dates, supported by Cheap Trick. 

With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide, including two of the best-selling albums ever issued–the 10 times platinum Pyromania and 13 times platinum Hysteria–Def Leppard are celebrating their 25^th anniversary, not only by continuing to sell out arenas around the globe but by powerfully building on their genuine rock ‘n’ roll icon stature.  Only five rock groups can claim two original albums selling 10,000,000+ copies each in the U.S.: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Van Halen and DEF LEPPARD.  The British band’s blockbuster Pyromania hit #2 and Hysteriasoared even higher to #1–led by the #1 single “Love Bites.”  The retrospective Vault has sold 7,000,000+ copies worldwide.

     DEF LEPPARD’s ROCK OF AGES: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (Bludgeon Riffola/Island/UM^e) was released May 17, made a phenomenal debut on the charts at #10 and is now just shy of platinum.  The disc boasts 16 of Def Leppard’s Top 40 hits among the 35 selections spanning its 25-year album career to date.  ROCK OF AGES also highlights the group’s first new U.S.-issued song since 2002, “No Matter What,” their unique Def Leppard-ized version of the Badfinger classic. 

     The band’s biggest-ever “best of” album and the first two-CD set in the group’s legendary career will soon be joined by its companion DVD, ROCK OF AGES-THE DVD COLLECTION, set for release November 8.  The 2-DVD set features 19 of the band’s greatest videos including “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Photograph,” “Love Bites,” “Hysteria,” “Promises,” and many more, as well as the previously unreleased video “Now.”  The DVD set also features 5.1 Surround Sound and remastered stereo, track-by-track band audio commentary and a personal playlist which gives the viewer the opportunity to sequence the DVD.

            DEF LEPPARD’s current tour dates are below and stay tuned for additional tour dates in 2006.  Log on to www.defleppard.com for up-to-date information on the band.

Date                      City                                 Venue

With Bryan Adams:

Tue    10/11                    Boston, MA                     Agganis

Wed   10/12                    East Rutherford, NJ         Continental Airlines Arena

Fri      10/14                    Bristow, VA                     Nissan Pavilion

Sat     10/15                    Raleigh, NC                     Alltel Pavilion

Mon   10/17                    Uncasville, CT                  Mohegan Sun Arena

Tue    10/18                    Verona, NY                     Turning Stone Casino

Thu    10/20                    Virginia Beach, VA           Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Headlining Shows:

Fri      10/21                    Atlantic City, NJ               Borgata (w/Ricky Warwick)    

Sun    10/23                    Detroit, MI                      Palace of Auburn Hills (w/Cheap Trick)

Mon   10/24                    Grand Rapids, MI              Van Andel Arena (w/Cheap Trick)

Wed   10/26                    Louisville, KY                    Louisville Gardens (w/Cheap Trick)

Thu    10/27                    Columbus, OH                 Nationwide Arena (w/Cheap Trick)

Sat     10/29                    Dallas, TX                         Smirnoff Music Center (w/Ricky Warwick)

Sun    10/30                    Selma, TX                       Verizon Wireless (w/Ricky Warwick)

Tue    11/1               Denver, CO                               Magness Arena (w/Cheap Trick)

Wed   11/2            Albuquerque, NM                      Tingley Coliseum (w/Cheap Trick)

With Bryan Adams:

Fri      11/4            San Diego, CA                           ipayOne Center

Sat     11/5            Santa Barbara, CA                    Santa Barbara Bowl

Mon   11/7            Spokane, WA                            Spokane Arena

Tue    11/8            Everett, WA                     Everett Events Center

Thu    11/10                    Sacramento, CA             Arco Arena

Sat     11/12                    Irvine, CA                      Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Headlining Show:

Sun    11/13                    Las Vegas, NV              The Joint (w/Ricky Warwick)

MSO Press Contacts:               (818) 380-0400             

Marcee Rondan                            marcee@msopr.com                 ext. 248

Kristine Ashton-Magnuson          kashton@msopr.com               ext. 233

Mitch Schneider                         mschneider@msopr.com                   ext. 235

Shazila Mohammed (tour)          shazila@msopr.com                 ext. 238

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