Joe Elliott

Brian's off to Dublin to have a beakfast with his old chum Joe Elliott; they get together in the Temple Bar District and Joe escorts Brian down the pub, The Porterhouse (his favorite). We hear about Def Leppard‘s backstory and the ascent of a bunch of lads from Sheffield who were huge fans of T. Rex, Mott The Hoople, Thin Lizzy and Queen, and helped lead the New Wave Of British Metal. There's rich history here — some of it tragic, such as what befell Rick Allen — and talk of the Pyromania and Hysteria tours. Were they actually smuggled into their in-the-round shows in laundry baskets (including once by Robert Plant)? Of course they were, and other hijinks included opening for themselves in disguise, as U2 have done from time to time. Wrapping up, Joe discusses aspects of his career following the band's years at the top of the charts.