Def Leppard explain Live Aid absence

Twenty years ago today (July 13, 1985), the Live Aid concerts were held in London and Philadelphia. The shows featured the biggest names in popular music at the time, but one band that wasn't on either bill was Def Leppard. They were certainly popular enough, since their Pyromania album was still riding high about two years after it was released. So where were they? Lead singer Joe Elliott told us that their absence was strictly a matter of bad luck and timing:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "We were initially asked to do the original one 20 years ago. Unfortunately, it fell about four months after (drummer) Rick (Allen) lost his arm. So we, we - his recovery hadn't happened, and we weren't...no way were we gonna to do it with a, a different drummer, you know, so we had to pass on it."

The Sheffield band got to chance to make up for missing the original show when they performed at the recent Live 8 show in Philadelphia.

Def Leppard are on a break from their summer tour. Their next show is July 22nd at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
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