The Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe concerts certainly ticked off the rock lovers who attended. The light show, the staging and the force with which the two bands interpreted their songs were the aspects that stood out during the event.
The ‘world tour’, which began on February 18 in Mexico City, will have a total of 35 dates in Latin America, the US and Europe. Bogotá was the third date of the ‘world tour’ and with the classics, the band brought the capital to life in the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park.
Related topics
titan of rock
The Colombian heavy metal band, Kraken, was in charge of heating up the atmosphere with the sounds of Roxana Restrepo, Andres Leiva’s guitar and Luis Ramirez’s bass. Prior to the debut, he honored with images the group’s founder, Elkin Ramirez, who died in 2017.
“Tonight is a night painted with gratitude. Let us give you the path that has been forged as the legacy of Colombian rock”, said the singer.
(You might also be interested in: ‘Stereo Picnic: It’s Every Day Celebration Poster’)
The band inspired fans to jump and sing along to classics like ‘Escudo y Espada’, ‘Lenguaje de mi Pile’ and ‘Vestido de Cristal’. After this opening, the public was already ready to welcome Def Leppard to the stage.
def leppard returns
With 15 minutes to go at 8 p.m., the screens were showing a countdown. The eager fans started applauding with 10 seconds left. For a moment the lights went out and Def Leppard finally rocked Colombia again after 26 years. Amid whistles and chants from the crowd, the British band opened the concert with ‘Take What You Want’.
guitar solos; singer Joe Elliott’s interaction with the public; And the attitude of the fans, who jumped and sang at the top of their lungs every song the band performed, made the night one to remember.
Undoubtedly, the star of the show was the drummer: Rick Allen. Despite having lost his left arm in a car accident more than 20 years ago, it was no deterrent for the sound of the drums to stand out throughout the concert. “It’s a beast”, “What a man so tight”, some fans said during the show.
(Keep reading: ‘Guns N’ Roses Pay Off Their Debt With Bogota: This Was Their Concert’)
They not only played classic songs like ‘Hysteria’, ‘Pour Sugar On Me’, ‘Love Bites’ but also songs from their latest album ‘Diamond Star Halos’. “We haven’t been able to play concerts during the pandemic, but we were able to write new songs,” Elliott said before playing “Kick”.
The singer took advantage of the evening to thank medical staff while he was hospitalized at the Marley Clinic for respiratory problems on the morning of February 25.
At the end of the show, Elliot thanked the Bogotá public and assured them that this would not be the last time he would come to Colombia. “Do us a favor: don’t forget us and we won’t forget you,” he concluded.
Home Sweet Home: Mötley Crüe play in Colombia for the first time
At 10 pm, the public was waiting for the concert that Mötley Crüe was going to give. At first, classical music with an apocalyptic touch began to play; Then a late-breaking broadcast appeared on the screen.
“For the next two hours, music will be the only way to communicate. Good luck everyone”, said the presenter before the band opened their concert with ‘Wild Side’ from their album ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’.
(You may be interested: ‘Def Leppard, in addition to concerts, brings a new album’)
‘Shout at the Devil’ was the second song performed by Mötley Crüe. The fans raised their fists in chorus and shouted ‘shout out’ over and over again. He was accompanied on stage by two dancers apart from the band members.
While Nikki Sixx, the group’s bassist, waved the Colombian flag, the audience chanted her name. “We are very happy to be here. The reason we are in Bogotá is because we want to meet beautiful people. We love them,” said Sixx.
She sang songs from her debut album such as ‘Too Fast for Love’, along with other classics such as ‘Home Sweet Home’, a piano ballad. They also paid tribute to the Sex Pistols with ‘Anarchy in the UK’ and The Ramones with ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’.
At this concert, it was the guitarist who stood out. John 5, or “The Wizard”, has always amazed the public with the distinctive sound of his guitar. The speed, creativity and agility with which he improvised attracted attention. In fact, at the end of the event he played the instrument with a violin bow.
The American band closed the concert with ‘Primal Scream’ and ‘Kickstart My Heart’. In the end, the singer, Vince Neil thanked the audience who enjoyed and sang all the songs. For his part, drummer Tommy Lee kicked his drumsticks towards the crowd as a symbolic act. “We love them very much,” Lee said.
Angie Tatiana Rodriguez Bernal
School of Multimedia Journalism EL Tiempo