Def Leppard to `Adrenalize’ Portland

Def Leppard, featuring new guitarist Vivian Campbell, brings its “rock-in-the-round” show to Portland tonight, for a 7:30 p.m. concert at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Many musicians would have some trepidation about replacing rock guitar legend Steve Clark, but not Campbell.

Campbell, a veteran of the bands Whitesnake and Dio, joined Def Leppard in early 1992, replacing the late Steve Clark. Clark had been found dead in his Chelsea flat Jan. 8, 1991. A coroner’s report gave the cause of Clark’s death as “respiratory failure” due to consumption of an “excess of alcohol mixed with anti-depressants and pain killers.”

Campbell said the band’s members were ready for him.

“They accepted that Steve was dead, and had waited over a year before playing with someone else,” said Campbell by phone from Kentucky. “I would have been more scared if I hadn’t played with other bands before.”

Campbell, the group’s second guitarist, has been on tour with Def Leppard since last May. The “Adrenalize” tour continues through October.

The band has no opening act, but instead plays two hours and 20 minutes, with a mix of new material and songs from the “Hysteria” and “Pyromania” albums.

Def Leppard’s audience is made up of more females than males, Campbell said, with ages ranging from 13 to 39.

“Most of our audience looks pretty respectable, not too messy,” he joked.

Campbell enjoys being with Def Leppard.

“It’s a lot more pleasant being a part of something rather than a hired gun,” he said. “There’s a great family feeling, a really strong kinship. We care about each other, and there’s good communications with no bull.”

Vocalist Joe Elliott and bassist Rick Savage are founding members of Def Leppard, which came into being in 1977. Drummer Rick Allen joined in 1978, then lead guitarist Phil Collen was added in 1982, during the recording of “Pyromania.”

It was Campbell’s friendship with Elliott that got him an audition to fill the open guitar slot.

“I had seen Joe back home in Ireland, and he told me they would find a replacement guitar player, and he hoped it would be me,” Campbell recalled. “It’s been very, very easy. It was only difficult when I was auditioning. I played for four minutes, then we talked for four hours.”

Def Leppard has produced only three albums over the past 10 years, and the group’s members are known are musical perfectionists. Also, they’ve had to overcome events such as Allen losing an arm in a 1984 car crash and Clark’s death.

Still the band has made its records count. “Pyromania” (1982) sold 7 million copies and produced the singles “Photograph,” “Action! Not Words,” “Rock of Ages,” “Foolin,’ ” and “Bringin’ on the Heartache.” “Hysteria” (1987) sold 15 million copies and yielded the singles “Women,” “Animal,” “Hysteria,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Love Bites,” “Armageddon It” and “Rocket.” “Adrenalize” (1992) has also sold briskly, with singles including “Let’s Get Rocked.”

Campbell, who didn’t play on “Adrenalize,” is eagerly anticipates recording with the band, although he hopes that an album can be produced faster next time.

“I’m looking forward to working creatively with them, although I hope we don’t spend four years recording it,” Campbell said. “I think there’s a happy medium between serviceable and musically perfect songs.”

Tickets for the Def Leppard concert are available at the Cumberland County Civic Center box office or by calling 775-3458.