Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell recently spoke to Total Guitar and said he feels much more comfortable playing in the band after all these years.
Vivian Campbell joined Def Leppard in April 1992 to replace the band’s late lead guitarist Steve Clark, who died from alcohol poisoning in 1991. He made his recording debut with the group on their 1993 compilation album, ‘Retro Active.’ Later, the guitarist contributed to the following seven Def Leppard studio albums. Although Campbell was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2013, he still performs with the band while continuing his cancer battle.
During his tenure in Def Leppard, Vivian Campbell has also pursued a solo career and become involved in other side projects. In 2012, the guitarist formed a new band named Last in Line with former Dio members Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice. The band has released two studio albums, ‘Heavy Crown’ in 2016 and ‘II’ in 2019. Vivian Campbell has been performing with Def Leppard and Last in Line.
In a recent interview, the guitarist revealed that he has less anxiety about playing in Def Leppard, especially since he formed Last in Line. He feels his playing is better than ever as he has a chance to do so much with both bands. He feels much more comfortable while playing in Def Leppard now. Campbell also talked about the advantages of recording their latest album remotely. He didn’t need to deal with the pressure of other people in the studio, which added to his passion for doing guitar solos.
Campbell’s words on playing in Def Leppard:
“I do feel that my playing is better than ever and certainly more comfortable. I have a lot less anxiety about it, probably because I’m doing it so much since I started Last In Line. The passion was reignited, and I’ve definitely built upon it. When it came time to do guitar solos, I didn’t have the pressure of other people in the room. You know, ‘Lunch is coming up. When is he going to do this?'”
The twelfth and latest studio album of Def Leppard, ‘Diamond Star Halos,‘ arrived on May 27, 2022. It marked the band’s first studio album, almost seven years since their self-titled eleventh studio album.
You can listen to the album through Spotify below.
