Def Leppard: Two Punk Rock Fanzine Journalists Meet The Guitarist & Get A Peek At Joe Elliott's Naked Bottom!

Originally published in Idol Worship (September 1980)
Interview by: Devorah Ostrov

Def Leppard around the time of this interview - Pete Willis in the center

(publicity photo)

A picture of Def Leppard in an English music magazine caught my attention. They were wearing black leather jackets and sporting eyeliner; I thought they were kind of cute. And somehow, I convinced not only myself but Idol Worship photographer Vicki Berndt that we should give this "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" thing a try.

Friends reacted with disdain, and in-the-know record salespeople refused to play me their album. Undeterred, Vicki and I attended the Pat Travers/Def Leppard concert at the Oakland Civic Auditorium — where we instantly encountered a solid wall of 6,000 HM diehards, all dressed in jeans and Pat Travers t-shirts.

Me interviewing Pete Willis

Photo: Vicki Berndt (you can see her

in the mirror!)

As if that weren't enough, when we stumbled into the group's dressing room in search of a manager (the nice lady at the box office just handed us backstage passes with our tickets — probably because we looked like aliens from outer space; of course, we took it as a sign from God that an interview was preordained), we found Def Leppard's perfectly permed lead singer Joe Elliott with his spandex pants around his ankles.

With our hands over our eyes, we hurried back out to taunting yet fetchingly British-accented shouts of "I haven't got me trousers on! She saw me bare ass!"

Deciding to wait until after the show to inquire about interview possibilities, we spent a rather distressing few minutes mingling with the crowd while Def Leppard pounded out what sounded like the same song three times around. Then we hid in the bathroom until it was over.

Afterwards, I'm happy to report that we found the manager without seeing any other band member's naked bottoms. And after he made sure to tell us that Def Leppard is "hard rock" and NOT "heavy metal" (apparently, they're quite keen about that distinction, although I don't imagine anyone actually cares), he introduced us to the group's adorable and polite (and most importantly, pants-wearing) guitarist Pete Willis — who looked to be about 15 years old.

* * *

Q: How would you compare the "hard rock" [notice Idol Worship staffers are quick to catch on] scene in England to that of America?

Pete: It's pretty much the same. All the same bands draw the audiences. You have your trend music, like punk rock [quick glances at me and Vicki], but what draws the crowds is AC/DC and Van Halen, like that.

Twenty-five years later, I ran into Def Leppard's
pantless lead singer again. This time, I was with my hubby Mike,
and thankfully, I don't think Joe Elliott remembered me!
Photo: Diane Wade

Q: Could you describe the kind of image you're trying to put across?

Pete: I don't think we're trying to put across a different image. We just try to look good to the audience.

Q: Does the audience give you any trouble because of the way you dress? Most of the bands they like just wear jeans.

Pete: What's the point of wearing jeans when you can dress nice and come off well onstage?

Q: How are you being received in America?

Pete: It's alright. We've had really good audiences. You saw it tonight?  [I nod to indicate "sort of."] That's the way it's been on the tour.

Q: What was that wine you guys were gulping between songs?

Promo poster for On Through the Night,

the debut Def Leppard album we didn't bother

to mention during this interview.

Pete: It's only Joe who drinks it. I don't drink till I'm offstage. It messes me up. I just drink Coke. [He smiles innocently and holds up an empty bottle of Blue Nun.]

Q: What do you listen to at home?

Pete: UFO, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC... I also like jazz-rock, like Stanley Clark and Styx. It's really involved, not just party-time music.

The guys gathered up their stuff and wandered off to see Eddie Money, who was playing elsewhere. Meanwhile, we raided the dressing room for remnants of cold cuts, stale bread and cheese. Fun fact: Hard rock groups eat lots more than punk bands, leaving less food for hungry fanzine journalists!