Courtesy of Live NationJourney and Def Leppard are gearing up for their expansive North American co-headlining tour, which gets underway May 21 in Hartford, Connecticut, and is scheduled through an October 6 concert in Inglewood, California. The two bands previously joined forces for a similarly lengthy trek in 2006, but Journey guitarist Neal Schon says this year’s outing will be even “bigger and better.”
“It was a blast…12 years ago, and it’s just gonna be…on a bigger scale this time,” Schon tells ABC Radio. “I [also] think we’re both gonna have like a lot of younger, new fans that are coming out for the first time to see…both bands play the hits and stuff. And so, it’s gonna be awesome.”
Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott recalls having a great time on the 2006 tour, and he’s looking forward to hitting the road with Journey again.
“The gigs were amazing. The crowds were huge,” Elliott tells ABC Radio. “And this is just going to be, when I say more of the same, that sounds like it’s stagnant, but it’s not…It’s gonna be much, much bigger, but the fact is that what we achieved back then in 2006 we are more than capable of achieving again, and taking it a stage further.”
Joe reports that on the forthcoming trek, both bands will be playing 90- or 100-minute sets, which will allow them “to throw in the odd B-side or deep track,” but the shows will focus on the groups’ expansive catalog of hits.
“I know for a fact that there are certain songs that we wouldn’t get out of the building alive if we didn’t play,” the singer declares. “And that’s the way it should be.”
Visit JourneyMusic.com and DefLeppard.com for a full list of tour dates.
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