Moscow gig was something!! Not only a exceptional well-professional-performed show (like St.Petersburg was) but a very emotional one (both sides, the band and the public) as well. It was obvious that last show meant more than one more show for our guys as they made the most of it, playing with such an enthusiasm and mood that set the whole place on fire right from the beginning. You wouldn’t believe what a lucky person I am as I stood again in the same perfect place, right in front Joe’s mic. But this time the stage wasn’t that close and it was higher, yet between me and the stage it was nothing (except the regular iron fence). As a security guy was posted there, I couldn’t take pics with the same freedom like in St.Petersburg so I didn’t even try to, but one of my friend there did from the second row. Unfortunately I was right, the lights on stage and the inappropriate angle (the dancing pit from both venues was lower from the stage) and all pics are dark enough but I will share them with you.
Joe was raspy at the beginning but somehow his voice improved during the show song after song (shouldn’t it supposed to be the other way around?). I have to say this man has such a charismatic personality, he put a spell on us since the very first moment he hit the stage and kept us witched till the end of the show and even further. Everybody was roaring, dancing, singing, jumping, clapping on his command. This time he decided to talk to us (even than 90% of the public didn’t understand his saying) which made the show longer with half an hour. He was so fiery (even executed some funny dancing steps behind Viv and Phil while they played a solo and made us laughin’...I’m sure the guys were wondering what is so funny about their solo!Well, Joe's sense of humor is well known by now..) and obvious in such a great mood that he simply cannot stayed put!
Phil...well what more to say about him? He did looked tired (this time only he looked like that) and smiled just a bit less than usual (if I may use this word considering I attended only 2 shows) but foolin’ around a lot with Joe and Viv , and I can swear his guitar was talking to us!
Viv was again such a surprise. I’m not part of the people saying he’s not the right replacement for Steve, and I do believe he’s a great guitar player, but I never realize he can be so sweet. He laugh a lot (from my place I couldn’t saw why), but when he was smiling he was totally blooming and looked like a 18 year old guy. This was such a gift as I never saw this face of his in any picture or video before!
Rick played a hell of the Rocket and everybody heavily applauded thru his whole solo. And Joe used his warmest voice when introduced him and a lot of love and emotion came from his words about Rick that for some of us (me included) tears came very easily thinking what a living miracle this guy is. He certainly IS the best drummer in the world!
I left Sav especially the last one (well, saccharine come at the end of the menu, doesn’t it?)
This time Sav was so alive, looking happy and enjoying every second of the show. He smiled all the time, moved a lot, joking with the guys. He really looked younger since he was so full of (contagious) energy. I was (partially) lucky, as he bended over the stage to me trying to give me his pick, and cause I didn’t catch it first time he stood there and tried again...unsuccessfully (stupid me, I don’t know why I have 2 hands with 5 fingers each for!!), but the intention remained and I’m so thankful for it.
The set list was the same and when Let’s Get Rocked finished the whole venue (stage included) was so full of emotions that it could be felt in every single cell! Words are not enough to describe that feeling, we were all there so connected to each other, there was no age, culture, education difference, just a big crowd acting, thinking and feeling like a single unit and this is something I never experienced in my whole life! Yes, Def Leppard had the power to bring as all together and spread its golden magic over us, and long time after the band left the stage, people were still standing there, refusing to go back to their (maybe average and surely not so sparkling) lives, trying not to break that incredible vibe they made every single one of us felt! There were lots of people in tears, nothing hysterical, only because the band managed to make us completely opening our hearts. I can swear Joe’s final words “there will be a next time!” still resonated there as a bit of a console for our already melancholic souls.
All I can say now is thank you Def Leppard, you’ll be part of my heart for ever!
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