Def Leppard Sheffield: Band to meet fans at HMV Meadowhall album signing ahead of Bramall Lane homecoming gig

The band will appear at the recently opened store for the exclusive event on Saturday, May 20, just two days before their huge homecoming concert at Bramall Lane on May 22 with Mötley Crüe.

Def Leppard will be signing copies of their new album Drastic Symphonies only, with fans advised that previous albums or items of memorabilia will not be signed by the band. To secure a place at the signing, fans were told to pre-order the album and the event entry bundle. They will get a wristband giving them access, which will be available at the store on the day of the event.

The event was only announced yesterday but has sold out within 24 hours. A spokesperson for the store said: “HMV are delighted and look forward to seeing everybody in May when the local heroes return home to meet their fans.”

Drastic Symphonies, which gives some of Def Leppard's biggest hits and a few hidden gems a classical reworking, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The 15-track LP, which intertwines audio from the original tapes with them performing alongside the orchestra, is due to be released on May 19.

Def Leppard are from Sheffield, where they played their first gig at Westfield School on July 18, 1978. The band, consisting of lead vocalist Joe Elliott, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell on guitar, bassist Rick Savage, and Rick Allen on drums, have sold more than 110 million albums worldwide. Their biggest hits include Hysteria, Love Bites and Pour Some Sugar on Me. Mötley Crüe, who are joining them on The World Tour, have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.

Def Leppard have had an eventful tour so far. In February, frontman Joe Elliott was taken to hospital in Colombia with altitude sickness, while earlier this week drummer Rick Allen was attacked outside a hotel in Florida.

HMV Meadowhall is also hosting an exclusive event with pop star Ellie Goulding, who will be signing copies of her new album, Higher Than Heaven, at the store on Wednesday, April 26, at 5pm. To book a place, visit: https://hmv.com/Live/Ellie-Goulding.