Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen recently addressed the ongoing lip syncing debate surrounding the band’s live performances. He offered reassurance to fans in an interview with 96.1 KLPX.
Collen spoke about the band’s commitment to live vocals and their continuously evolving stage production. He made clear that frontman Joe Elliott performs his vocals live at every show.
“Our new production is brand new,” Collen said. “It’s this company called Luz, who are from Montreal, and they’ve done a lot of the stuff in the Sphere in Vegas. The Sphere raised the bar — you’ve gotta actually kind of keep up to it. If you see — like a couple of years ago, a Taylor Swift show or Beyoncé, it kind of really elevated.”
Collen went on to explain the band’s philosophy of constantly pushing their live show forward to remain relevant in today’s concert landscape.
“So you have to keep doing that — you have to elevate if you wanna stay valid,” he continued. “So, we do. And this new thing is the most amazing set we’ve ever had. So, yeah, you constantly keep upgrading, updating, and getting better.”
On the subject of live vocals specifically, Collen was direct in distinguishing Def Leppard from artists who rely on pre-recorded tracks.
“We really sing our vocals live,” he said. “And, again, so many artists out there don’t do that. But to be able to pull that off, that means you’ve gotta rehearse and warm up and do all that stuff for hours and hours every day. It’s worth it, though. It’s real.”
The comments come amid a broader industry conversation about the use of backing tracks and lip syncing in major live productions. Def Leppard’s current tour continues as the band maintains their stance on delivering fully live performances.
Collen’s remarks carry added weight given the scale of activity surrounding the band in 2026. Def Leppard is currently in the middle of an extensive world tour that spans multiple continents.
The band has extended their 2026 World Tour with additional dates in October and November. The run covers the U.S., Mexico, and South America, with stops in Mexico City, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, and Santiago. It also includes a first-ever appearance in Costa Rica — a milestone that reflects the band’s growing reach in Latin America.
Before the fall leg kicks off, Def Leppard will headline the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany on July 30, 2026. Special guests Extreme will join them for the European summer shows, continuing a partnership that has carried through multiple legs of the tour.
The European run also includes a hometown show in Sheffield, England. The O2 Arena in London is also on the schedule, underscoring the band’s continued drawing power in their home country.
The breadth of the 2026 tour makes Collen’s comments about daily rehearsals and vocal preparation all the more relevant. Sustaining live vocal performances across a schedule of this magnitude requires a level of discipline that few touring acts maintain. It is precisely that commitment that Collen says sets Def Leppard apart from the growing number of artists who rely on pre-recorded elements in their shows.
