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steveinscarlet · 1 year

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I don't think I've ever seen this interview before? It's from a free paper called Soundcheck! in Nov 1983. Transcribed below because the layout is hard to read and the spelling is bad! Like misspelling both parts of Steve's name bad 🙄

Talk about keen. After a gruelling ten-month trek of the States, followed by a short tour of Europe which precedes a pre- Christmas mini-tour of Britain (sheesh, it's tiring enough just typing about it!), Def Leppard guitarists Phil Collen and Steve 'Steamin' Clark have filled their precious few days of rest in between by doing a whole pile of interviews.

This includes yours truly, SOUNDCHECK! staff reporter Pete Makowski. This year saw the massive US success of the group's third and greatest album Pyromania, which has established them as Superstars in America, where audiences scream and general hysteria is the norm at one of the group's stadium-size performances.

Phil Collen is the band's newest member and fits in comfortably with the Leppard sound. He also works very well with Clark. In fact, their musical tie has developed into a solid bond of friendship and they seem to spend all their working hours together.

Both firmly believe in maintaining the axe image and hopefully after the release of their next album will show audiences all over the world that solos do not have to be long, boring and monotonous. They have an idea they feel will revolutionise the concept of guitar playing.

As expected, they were tight-lipped about this new baby but otherwise proved very open and entertaining as a team in the interview that follows......

PM: The tour has been promoted partly by Why Bother Ltd, which is your company (one of them, that is). Has that moniker got anything to do with your feelings about touring this country?

PC: Yes. 'Cause when we tour over here, we always lose money.

SC: Yeah, the title of the company speaks for itself.

PC: If you're touring somewhere, and you're losing money, why bother doing it?

PM: Will you ever concentrate your energies on crackin' it over here?

SC: We obviously are! We wouldn't be doing a tour here after 10 months of playing America, would we? It's still a bit steep though, because now it's not Phonogram anymore who are backing us for these ventures; we're actually forking out our own money, as we've cleared our debt with Phonogram.

PM: What could you credit for the mammoth success of the last US tour?

SC: Lots of different things, you know we don't look like we're one of the Metallica bands. In fact, we made a conscious effort of not trying to look like that. We just tried to look normal and it seemed to work. Mums ain't scared to send their kids to our shows, where they'd probably have second thoughts about an Iron Maiden tour or Judas Priest, something like that, thinking their daughters would get raped or something.

PM: Why do you think groups like Quiet Riot have recently enjoyed mega mammoth success?

SC: Because we opened it up a bit; I don’t think it's just because of that. We've definitely opened the gate for other rock bands and they all seem to be doing quite well again. You know how it goes.

PM: Do you still enjoy touring the States?

SC: Yeah, when we come back and toured Europe, mainly because of the weather. Everyone immediately got 'flu. America was good and we had a good summer on our side. The tour got bigger and bigger, we started off thinking 'are we big enough to headline?' We have a top ten album and we were supporting Billy Squier. Then we got bigger and bigger and half-way through the tour we had to play two nights in some places; the further we went on the bigger the band became.

PM: Did you make a conscious effort to pace yourself on this, because I recall the last two times you played there everyone got worn out halfway through?

PC: We done alright. Actually, I was surprised.

SC: The big difference was that we headlined everywhere. This was the first time we'd headlined everywhere.

PM: Has it made that much difference? On your previous marathon treks it seems it really took its toll, physically speaking?

SC: It's probably because you weren't there (laughs). Keep Makowski out the way and you'll be alright!

PC: I remember our manager, Peter Mensch, saying: 'I realise Phil that this is your first American tour but Makowski won't be here so you'll be alright'.

PM: Was Pete Willis (Leppard's former guitarist) missed? I mean, what difference has his absence made to the group?

PC: Well it's the difference between half a million and six million.

SC: Pete had more of a cult following.

PC: I got some iffy fan mail, didn't I. Things like, 'you should be dead'. I got some fierce ones.

SC: When people saw the videos it helped to advertise the fact that Pete had gone and now Phil is with us. So kids, when they think of Def Leppard now, they think of Phil Collen as being an established part of the band.

PM: Your last album Pyromania was a mega mammoth success; have you started thinking about having to follow this up?

PC: We haven't really thought about it. We've got some ideas. A lot of bands do that, they think right: 'the last album was successful, this is what we should do to follow’. We haven't done that.

I mean, we may even do a keyboard album, as an example. I very much doubt that that's gonna happen. It's all down to how we feel at the time, really.

PM: How have things worked out between you two, because after America you should know each other pretty well by now and ironed out any problems that needed to be dealt with.

SC:I think we were worried about things at first, but I think that Phil's better and all the numbers sound much better than they ever could have with Pete. We're best mates now.

PM: That was quite a crucial change in personnel for the band.

SC: Yeah, and we were worried regarding how it would work out, because you don't really know what you need until you experience the change. When you've worked with someone for three years, initially things will be a bit strange; but as it's happened, things have worked out better than we'd ever expected.

PM: Is it still necessary to keep touring the States?

PC: I just think it's important to play where people appreciate you; you know for a fact that you lose money in England and you have to draw the line somewhere. As it happens, we made a bit of money in the States and it becomes very apparent that in other places we lose money when we go on the road. Hand over fist you have to fork out cash from your own wages.

PM: You've been getting a lot of teenybop- type fan hysteria in the States. How do you feel about that?

PC: It's great fun. Just take it with a pinch of salt. When it first started happening we just looked at each other and burst into hysterics thinking 'are you sure?'. It is a bit weird and we didn't accept it as the norm. We just thought this is a fluke, take it with a pinch of salt; it just kept on getting worse or better, whichever way you look at it.

What helps though is the attitude of the band. There's no ego problems here, which is what always screws other groups up. People start getting really weird. We're in a good position in as much as we're a younger and newer band and you can see all that crap going on while bands like AC/DC are getting on.

SC: When we're their age we'll have seen all the bad sides and have experienced all the problems when we were a lot younger. So it's taught us a lesson. So when we're their age we'll know what to do and what not to do.

PM: You do have a very strong band image.

PC: Yeah, it's not run by one person. The only way that you're gonna make good is if you all stick together and you all pull together.

PM: Have any of you got individual aspirations?

PC: Only within the band really me and him. Personally, there's some guitar things that we wanna do, but we can do them within the band. It works out great.

PM: Will the next album take as long to put together as Pyromania, which was 14 months in the making?

PC: It may do.

SC: We're not jumping on the Pyromania bandwagon: ‘oh, we want a hit album, let's bung out another one quick'. We're not going for a formula and trying to make forthcoming products sound like Pyromania because after a couple of albums we'd be finished. We're gonna take our time, do another album, which will retain our quality, and if it doesn't sell as well then tough shit! At least we'd know that what we did we wanted. But we're confident that it will do well anyway.

PC: Pyromania will be a hard one to follow up, but we ain't even thinking about that at the moment. We've got our own ideas and we're just going to do them. If no one likes them then bollocks!

PM: How about recording a live album?

SC: We have no plans for a live album.

PC: That usually comes at the end of a band's career or record contract; when they peak. Live albums are basically bullshit time. We haven't really got enough material to do one.

PM: You seem to separate yourself from the whole Heavy Metal bandwagon. Is that a conscious move?

PC: Well, it doesn't really bother us if we're associated with it. I don't really think that we're like the rest of them. We don't wear all that stupid regalia; we don't get all the studs and leather on, 'cause that's really false isn't it? I mean, could you seriously look me in the face if we was to like stick all the gear on?

SC: We've never tried to dress like that and it used to worry us. But we don't care anymore.

PC: The way we look at things is that we fill a great big gaping gap between bands like Journey and Foreigner and bands like AC/DC and Iron Maiden; we're right in the middle.

SC: We're almost like a Zeppelin or Queen -right in the middle! Well, that's what the press in America compare us to. We never said anything. We'd like people to take us for what we are...

And the beat goes on.

#def leppard #interview #steve clark #phil collen

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pyroleppardmania · 2 years

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wherever he is, today is a party thank you for having existed I love you so much!

#steve's birthday #steve clark #steamin #theriffmaster #white lightning #def leppard #wish you where here

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hungercityhellhound · 3 years

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I saw this and didn't even read it.

Nope... all I could think is CHEF LEPPARD!!! CHEF-FUCKING-LEPPARD

Steve is now an adorable kitten and you will never convince me otherwise.

#chef leppard #steamin' steve #steve clark #def leppard

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green-tinted-sixties-mind · 4 years

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A few of my favorite clips of Steve❤️

I love his smile so much🥺

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metalsongoftheday · 6 years

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Friday, February 9: Def Leppard, “Die Hard the Hunter”

“One” was many things besides Metallica’s commercial breakthrough, foremost among them a sequel to Def Leppard’s “Die Hard the Hunter”. Well... OK, not really. But the two did have very similar sound effects in their intros, so there’s that. In reality, the track was the metallic centerpiece of Pyromania, the epic flipside to the faster and more immediately rampaging “Stagefright”, and the last time Def Leppard really played up their guitarists’ chops. And it was the guitars that jumped out: Mutt Lange slathered on the harmonies and effects that broke Pyromania to the mainstream, but it was the heroics of Phil Collen and especially Steve “Steamin’” Clark that both defined the song and stole the show. Neither would solo quite like this ever again, and their leads were more compelling than most of the shredding permeating metal guitar in the mid ‘80s. As usual, Joe Elliott’s words were secondary, though not as hapless as when he and Lange would return to the subject matter on Hysteria’s “Gods of War”, but his vocals were committed and passionate, maintaining the working class spirit that originally made Def Leppard likeable upstarts. And indeed, “Die Hard the Hunter” was one of the last times Def Leppard showed that kind of moxie, rocking out for the fun of it and leaning on the strength of their performance and riffing instead of relying on nifty production tricks.

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nomanismyequal · 3 years

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I DO NOT WANT TO FUCKING WASTE MY TIME AND SATAN FUCKING PICKED UP THE FIGHT. I BEAT SUICIDAL HEROIN ADDICTION AND MY NEEDING PROVING IS CERTIFIED AND MY STEEL CAME BY MY TRADE AS A CAREER IRON WORKER WHO CUT TEETH AT FOUGHT &CO BY 18 I WENT FROM BEING HOMELESS AT 7 TO SCHOOL AND BY THE TIME MY YEAR GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL I HAD MY GED, A WELDING CERTIFICATE AND AN ADDITIONAL CHILDHOOD WITHOUT A MOTHER, FOUR MEN MOLESTED ME AND MY MOM KILLED MY OLDER BROTHER BEFORE I WAS BORN AND MOTHER CHOSE A HIGHWAY PATROLMAN AND WASHED HER NEGLECTFUL HANDS OF ME, AND AT 18 I WAS RUNNING GLASS INDUSTRY PRODUCTION EDGING WINDOWS TO REPLACE THE BROKEN GLASS IN THE LATE 80’S SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE MAKING $4/ HOUR AND ONE DAY BREAKING EDGES ALL DAY I WENT AND CROSSED A PICKET LINE TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND TERRY WEIR TWO MONTHS LATER CALLED ME TO RUN SWINGSHIFT TOOLROOM FOR THE SERIAL KILLER/ OLD INDUSTRIAL IRONNWORKERS WHO LARRY PALMER/ “EVERY SWINGIN’ DICK” KILLED HIS WIFE ON TOP OF HER BOYFRIEND LIKE “CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE’S JASON” WITH A CROSSBOW AND WAS A 65 YEAR OLD FATHER I NEVER HAD, LIKE EVERY MAN THERE WHO TOOK MY “JEFFREY DAHMER/THEODORE BUNDY” PRE-TWENTIES CHILD AND TAUGHT HIM HOW TO BEND AND SHAPE STEEL WITH MY METALLICA/METALLURGICAL KISS/ MOTLEY CRUE “DRINK, FUCK, AND FIGHT” BAD ATTITUDE AND I HAD ONE TRUE LOVE SELF DESTRUCTIVE SUICIDAL DEATH WISH/HEROIN, METHAMPHETAMINE, COCAINE, LSD, MUSHROOMS, EXTASY, GASOLINE, CONCRETE AND STAINLESS STEEL “APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION WITH AN AXEL ROSE /LAYNE STALEY/KURT COBAIN/ANDREW WOOD/CHRIS CORNELL/CHESTER BENNINGTON/JIM MORRISON/JANIS JOPLIN/ELVIS PRESLEY/ JIMI HENDRIX/JOHN BONHAM/BUDDY HOLLY/BRADLEY NOWELL/STEVE”STEAMIN’” CLARK AND (insert any dead and never loved poet here) DESPERATE NEED TO “FEEL LOVED INSIDE” WHO WANTED FROM 4(years of age) TO DIE WITH A MISFITS/TOOL HATRED FOR THE WORLD WITH MY NIKKI SIXX/FRANKIE FERANNO HOLLYWOOD STREET KID NEED FOR PAINKILLERS AND MY MAYNARD JAMES KEENEN/COREY TAYLOR/PAUL GRAY/HENRY ROLLINS/GLENN DANZIG THIRST FOR EVIL BY EDUCATION OUTSIDE OF “NORMAL SPEED READER/OBEDIENCE SHEEP HERDS OF SOCIETY” AND MY “10% BRAIN USE” ROOM TO GROW AND MY GEORGE CARLIN/EDDIE MURPHY/STEVE MARTIN/JACKIE GLEASON/JERRY LEWIS/BILL COSBY MEL BLANC VOCATIONAL/DICTIONARY/ THESAURUS/COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF “MY EXTICT OLD SCHOOL ENGLISH/URBAN DICTIONARY/ALJAZEERA LANGUAGE” AND MY WORDS ARE BUILT FOR UNDERSTANDING NOT COMFUSION SO YOU NOW NOY UNDERSTANDING MAKES YOU THE STUPID TO ME AND YOU LIKE “SPEAKING A PIECE OF YOUR MIND/I AM SUPER TUFF FROM MY NAKED/MASTURBATION/CHEETO ORANGE/KY JELLY COVERED BEAN BAG “CATCHING A BREAK FROM YOUR BUSY DAY/CHASIN’ TOMORROW/RUNNING FROM YESTERDAY”SCROLL ON FACEBOOK/SNAPCHAT/ YOUTUBE/TWITTER “IM HAVING BASKETTI FOUR DINER” ILLUSION WORLD OF SHEER DUMBING DOWN AND ITS DUMBED BEYOND ANY REASON AND IS CLEARLY SHOWN BY YOU HOARDING MEAT AND EMPTYING WALMART/SAFEWAY/TARGET/HOSPITAL “TOILET PAPER/MEAT/RESPIRATORY/DYSENTERY ANAL BREECH/SQUIRREL TAIL BUTTPLUG HEADINH TO MARS/WHY NOT TRY DEATH VALLEY CALIFORNIA FIRST, BEFORE YOU HOT ASSHATS RIDE ‘FOREVER’ TO MARS” INSTANT VACCINATION POP CULTURE/RAPE CULTURE/ SHEEP RUNNING BLINDLY OBEDIENCE OF OXYMORONIC EMOJI DUMB ASSHATS AND I DONT WANT EWES LIKING MY JAMS!

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shhh-no-ones-home · 4 years

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for the road (1/2) steve clark x reader

b +++++++++

part 1 part 2

hey all! sorry ive been absent for a bit. school has been crazy with finals coming up but im hoping to get back in the swing of things soon. i start a new class term next week and my homework should be slower for a bit so ill actually have time to write and edit again. yay! anyways i hope you all like this two part-er for our fave “wing commander steve ‘steamin, dreamy, snikker, mayhem, p.t.w.’ clark”

(part two will be coming in a day or two)

Song: buzz by halestorm

tag list: @cynic-spirit @lifeisabitchandsoareyou

+++++++++

I looked up from the binder in front of me as the bell on the door rang through the shop. A group of five guys walked in, the lot of them taking the place in. I smiled as one of them looked to me.

"Welcome to the Juke Box, can I help you guys find anything?"

I asked. They all looked around at each other for a second.

"We're just kind of looking, thanks though."

The tallest one said with a nod. I nodded back.

"Alright, well if you need anything I'm y/n, don't hesitate to ask."

I watched as they all dispersed into the store before looking back down at the inventory list in front of me. I was halfway down the page when I heard one of the men clear their throats. I looked up to see the cute blonde one staring at me from across the counter with a smile on his face.

"Uh, hi, I was wondering if maybe you had a new record in."

He said and I raised a brow.

"What exactly are you looking for?"

He let out a nervous Laugh.

"The new def Leppard album?"

He asked, hope lacing his voice. I smiled at him, I had just stocked them earlier.

"Yeah, I think so. They'll be on the far wall, I can show you."

I said, lifting the hinged counter in front of me, stepping under it and out next to him.

"Right this way."

I said, escorting him to the far side of the store.

"So, you into the band?"

I asked, trying to make light conversation. He nodded.

"Yeah, you could say that. Are you?"

He asked and I sent him a knowing look.

"Not enough to be a big fan but one of my friends is absolutely in love with their music so we listen to it together."

i mentioned.

"That's sweet, sharing music is important."

He noted as we turned the corner around one of cassette stands.

"Have you gotten a chance to listen to the new record yet?"

I asked, stopping in front of the 'D' rack and skimming over it.

"Yeah, yeah I have."

He said with a mischievous grin. I sent him a look before picking it up and handing it to him.

"You must be one of the lucky ones then, cause we just got it in yesterday."

I said, looking over at him as he stared down at it with a proud smile. He looked back up at me.

"Well I don't know about lucky."

I laughed a little bit, picking up another record off the shelf.

"Ya know, I've been looking for an excuse to get into new music. Do you think it's a good album?"

I asked as we turned to walk back to the counter.

"Definitely, but I may be a little biased."

I drew my brows as I stepped back under the counter top, clicking it into place behind me.

"Why's that?"

I asked, scanning his records bar code. He let out a nervous Laugh.

"I helped make it."

He said slyly and I sent him a look.

"Sure you did."

I said skeptically as he handed me a twenty dollar bill for the record.

"No really, I know you said you weren't a fan but I'm Steve clark and that's the rest of the band."

He pointed to the other guys as they browsed the music stands. I handed him his change and leaned into the counter. I raised a brow.

"How do I know your not just trying to impress me? I couldn't tell you the amount of Angus Young's and Joe Perry's I get in here on a given day."

He laughed and shook his head, pulling the plastic off the record.

"Look, it's me."

He pointed out, holding the sleeve up next to his face. I laughed a little bit as he smiled at me.

"Okay, okay, I believe you."

He laughed a little too, shaking his head.

"Forgive me for not freaking out."

I joked.

"No, no, I'm glad you aren't. It's a nice change of pace."

"Steve, you ready?"

One of them asked, drawing both of our attention.

"Yeah just give me a second."

He looked back to me.

"Hey I know we just met and you only listen to our band with your friend but how would you feel about comming to the show?"

My eyes went wide.

"Like your show? when?"

I asked.

"Tonight."

He said flatly. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Uh, i dont really know what to say."

He smiled widely at me before digging into his pocket.

"When do you get off work?"

He asked.

"I close up at 6."

He nodded once before handing me a plastic coated card.

"here, I'll have someone come get you, just show them this when you get to the venue."

He said. I looked down at it a little starstruck.

"Wait, this says crew."

He laughed.

"Well yeah, how else are you supposed to get back stage?"

I opened and closed my mouth a few times.

"I didn't know I was."

I said a little bewildered.

"Think o it as a date."

He winked at me and I could feel the heat rising to my face.

"Alright."

I said a little breathless.

"Oh and before we go, I could sign one of those. only If you want of course, maybe for your friend?"

I stared at him for a second before realizing what he was saying.

"Right, yeah. Sure if you wouldn't mind."

I said sliding the plastic off the other album that I had brought up, sliding it across the counter. He snatched the sharpie out of the cup next to the register and signed the back cover.

"Hey guys, come sign this."

He called to the rest of the band, gaining their attention.

"You a fan?"

The tall one asked with a smirk as be took the pen from steve.

"Actually theyre a friend and we have a date tonight."

He said matter-of-factly. We both looked at him before looking back at each other. He nodded.

"I'm Joe by the way. But also how are you gonna have a date if we have a show tonight?"

He asked, turning back to Steve.

"Their coming, as my guest."

He said as Joe passed the pen to one of the others.

"Well then, I guess we'll see you tonight, friend not fan."

He said with a laugh, earning a smile from me.