KISS AND DEF LEPPARD ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

defleppardgroupblue400 KISS and Def Leppard will team up this summer for a 42-city North American tour that will “deliver good news and excitement,” says KISS guitarist Paul Stanley.

The tour begins June 23rd in West Valley City, Utah, and wraps up August 31st in Woodlands, Texas. Tickets go on sale starting Friday.

The groups announced the tour Monday at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.The press conference was streamed live via the Live Nation website.

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott says he and Gene Simmons first discussed the idea of the two bands touring together when he and the Kiss bassist played some South American dates two years ago as part of a rock-and-roll all-stars tour. “It’s finally happened, which is fantastic,” Elliott says.

It’ll be the first time the two bands have shared a bill, though Stanley says, “We’ve run into each other at festivals. It just seemed to be a natural fit.” Stanley also noted that one of guitarist Phil Collen’s pre-Def Leppard bands, Girl, opened for KISS in the U.K. during the early ’80s.

KISS did a similar co-headlining tour with Motley Crue in 2012.

KISS released its first albums, 40 years ago, and the band will commemorate the anniversary with a slew of archival releases, including a 34-LP vinyl box set and a two-CD compilation called KISS 40. The group will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 10th.

Def Leppard has been writing music for the group’s next album. “We all camped out at my house last month and wrote songs, which you will hear none of this summer,” Elliott says. Collen says he expects that album to come out in 2015.

Simmons says a dollar from each ticket sold on the tour will go to to the Wounded Warrior Project and other military non-profits. Those charitable partners include the USO, Hire a Hero, Project Resiliency/The Raven Drum Foundatio, and The Augusta Warrior Project. “Politicians fart through their mouth,” Simmons says. “Only the military makes freedom possible.”

Stanley adds that the group also plans to hire vets for its crew. “We try to find a couple of vets who want to go out and be part of the team,” he says. “This is a chance for somebody to travel and be part of the KISS Army.”

Elliot says he doesn’t see any rivalry developing between the groups while they’re on tour. “It’s two great bands that are going to be playing for the same amount of time,” he says. “It’s joint forces. I don’t see it as competitive at all.”

KISS/Def Leppard tour dates:

June:

23 – USANA Amphitheater, West Valley City, Utah
25 – Pepsi Center, Denver, Colo.
27 – Sleep Country Amphitheater, Ridgefield, Wash.
29 – White River Amphitheatre, Auburn, Wash.

July:

2 – Concord Pavilion, Concord, Calif.
3 – Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Wheatland, Calif.
5 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine, Calif.
6 – Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, Calif.
8 – The Forum, Los Angeles, Calif.
9 – Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, Ariz.
12 – Austin360 Amphitheater, Austin, Texas (on sale March 22nd)
13 – Gexa Energy Pavilion, Dallas, Texas
15 – Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
16 – Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
18 – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, Ga. (on sale March 22nd)
19 – PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, N.C.
20 – Walnut Creek Amphitheatre, Raleigh, N.C.
22 – Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Fla.
23 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, Fla.
25 – Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, Va.
26 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, N.J. (on sale March 22nd)

August:

1 – Xfinity Center, Mansfield, Mass.
2 – Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J.
3 – Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, N.J.
5 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (on sale March 22nd)
6 – Nikon At Jones Beach Theatre, Wantagh, N.Y. (on sale March 22nd)
8 – Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, Va. (on sale March 22nd)
9 – Pavilion at Montage Mountain, Scranton, Penn.
10 – Xfinity Theatre, Hartford, Conn.
12 – Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Toronto, On.
13 – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien, N.Y. (on sale March 22nd)
15 – Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisc.
16 – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, Ill.
17 – Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
20 – Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
22 – Klipsch Music Center, Noblesville, Ind.
23 – DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, Mich. (on sale March 22nd)
24 – First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown, Penn. (on sale March 22nd)
26 – Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
28 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, Mo. (on sale March 22nd)
29 – BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
31 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Woodlands, Texas

additional source: usatoday.com

77 Responses

  2. I find it quite interesting since Tommy/Eric have joined KISS and impersonated Ace/Peter that “You wanted the best You got the best” tag line has consisted of mainly co-headlining tours with Poison, Aerosmith, Motley Crue and now Def Leppard in amphitheaters/fairs/casinos. Furthermore, KISS has released two average records and Def Leppard hasn’t had a hit since 199???? So as much as I understand how hard KISS has worked in rebranding itself over the last ten years, it ultimately comes down to product on stage…the same old act only now the once proud prize fighter has turned into the guy who doesn’t know when to say enough is enough. Charging $150 when the evidence is all over YouTube that neither Paul Stanley or Joe Elliott can sing anymore has me saying no thanks!

    1. I’ve seen Def Leppard live a lot over the last few years; I even attended the Hysteria residency in Vegas last spring. Joe is still very good at what he does. It’s hard to hit those high notes from those famous Def Leppard songs, but Joe still does an admirable job.

    2. Finally! Someone who realizes that age has an effect on the human body and vocal cords. There are so many peopole who think that, 30 and 40 years after beginning concerts, every singer should sound the same. Let me ask all of you 50+ year old idiots out there one question? Is your body still in the same shape it was 40 years ago. No! I didn’t think so! Get over it and accept the cycle of life for what it is and what it does………..MAKES YOU OLDER!!!!!

  3. Father time has slowed these bands down tremendously (esp kiss who’s show is physically demanding anyways)…its fair to say these bands are past their prime but find me a new/up and coming band that can push them aside? The fact these bands are still relevant speaks volumes that todays music just sucks…case in point….take 20 of the shittiest new bands..put them on one bill and you have ozzfest…

    1. That’s a good point. Where are the new bands?
      I’ve seen Def Leppard 3 times and Kiss just again last year.
      The last time I saw Def Leppard was with Styx which was probably 3-4 years ago. Styx pretty much blew them off the stage that night.
      Not saying I wouldn’t go see theses bands again but it seems like the only bands touring anymore are from 30 to 40 years ago.

    2. The new bands are busy using protools to write the soundtracks to shows about prego teens bcuz they cant get any airtime..lol

    3. Agreed. Funny how nobody is slamming NIN and Soundgarden for touring together this summer. Funny how nobody gave Billy Joel and Elton John any grief. Bitch all you want rock fans. 10 years from now all these bands will be gone and we’ll be left with Nickelback touring with the Biebs. Enjoy or get lost, cause its going to get a lot worse.

    4. Ain’t it the truth. BLACK LABEL will be the only show in town. Sebastion Bach is also young. Look at what the fuck happened to MOLLY HATCHETT and that may be the future for these other bands.

    5. Also this LAST IN LINE/ DIO DISCIPLES band though credible may open up doors that shouldn’t be opened.

    7. Father time and the next generation is pushing us all aside. Naturally the popular rock of 20 to 30 years ago will have diminishing popularity.

    8. ERIC!!! Wow! Your way off dude IMO. There are plenty of great new bands out there. Me personally I get sick of radio stations playing the same old shit over and over. We all like to hear stuff we grew up with but jeez man it’s like way past boring for me at this point. How many times can you listen to Sweet Home Alabama and get your rocks off? Listen to some new shit bro. Really the only band from back in the day that still puts out new music and that isn’t stuck in the classic rock catogory is U2.. Rey have stayed valid. They grew and didn’t keep playing the same shit. THIER music never sounded dated. A lot if these bands sound the same from back in the day. I think it would be really cool for Trunk or somebody to push new bands and solo artists. Why keep rehashing the same old bands and material over and over? There is great new music out there. We just need to give these new bands a chance and have an open mind. It’s not all about ” Oh jeez I screwed this chick to this song” and always living in the past, in your younger years. Eddie bring some new blood to the table bro!!!

  4. Funny watching Eric Singer tell Tommy Thayer “Thanks” with a sarcastic tone when Tommy took it upon himself to speak on ‘behalf’ of Eric at the press conference. Similar to the Kiss convention in Indianapolis when Tommy outright took the microphone from Eric during a Q&A session and Eric let Tommy know he didn’t appreciate that either. What’s amazing is that Tommy definitely has a superiority complex over Eric, yet Eric has 20x the talent.

  5. Def Leppard will co-headline with anybody even a nobody onstage Foreigner, Elliot’s voice is so juiced by Pro-Tools he could be like Britney soon, lipsyncing which may happen 20 gigs in. Vets get a dollar, christ the ticket agencies get more by 25 fold. “Same amount of time as DL?”. Looks like the shorter sets now. “No new material” I hope so Phil, $170 to see some b.s. ’14 garbage over a High & Dry cut would be hilarious, beer walk time. Peter & Ace at 25% engines with P&G would get 20,000 a night worldwide and they come cheaper than DL. This thing will tank, 5,432 in Utah, 8,658 in Denver, the $ guys get worried 5 shows in.

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