Joe Elliott came up with the name for the band two years before they actually formed. He explained how the moniker first came to him while he was studying at King Edward VII School. Fed up with drawing fruit and flowers in art class, he asked to design posters for rock shows. He started making posters for real bands, like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, before inventing his own band, Deaf Leopard. He even reviewed the made-up band for a creative writing assignment at school. The spelling was changed later, after the band formed.Joe Elliott came up with the name for the band two years before they actually formed. He explained how the moniker first came to him while he was studying at King Edward VII School. Fed up with drawing fruit and flowers in art class, he asked to design posters for rock shows. He started making posters for real bands, like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, before inventing his own band, Deaf Leopard. He even reviewed the made-up band for a creative writing assignment at school. The spelling was changed later, after the band formed.
Joe Elliott came up with the name for the band two years before they actually formed. He explained how the moniker first came to him while he was studying at King Edward VII School. Fed up with drawing fruit and flowers in art class, he asked to design posters for rock shows. He started making posters for real bands, like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, before inventing his own band, Deaf Leopard. He even reviewed the made-up band for a creative writing assignment at school. The spelling was changed later, after the band formed. | Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Def Leppard: 9 remarkable facts about record-breaking Sheffield rock band

Robert Cumber
By Robert Cumber
Published 16th Jun 2024, 06:00 BST

The band, who formed in the city in 1977, have sold more than 100 million records worldwide

They are perhaps Sheffield’s most famous musical export, certainly when it comes to the number of records shifted.

Def Leppard, who formed in the city in 1977, have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

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They are one of just five rock bands with two original studio albums, Pyromania and Hysteria, which have sold more than 10 million copies in the US.

In 2019, the band, whose biggest hits include Pour Some Sugar on Me and Love Bites, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Last year, Def Leppard were given a heroes’ welcome when they performed to a pack out crowd at Bramall Lane, just days after a much more intimate homecoming gig at Sheffield’s iconic Leadmill nightclub.

How much do you know about the Def Leppard and their Sheffield roots?

Here are nine fascinating facts about the band’s early days, including their first ever gig and one of their most seminal performances.

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Def Leppard's first ever gig was at Westfield School in Mosborough, Sheffield, on July 18, 1978. The school building has long since been demolished and the site is now a housing estate. There is a plaque at Crookes Social Club, on Mulehouse Road, where the band played some of their earliest gigs.

9. Band's first gig was at a school in Sheffield

Def Leppard's first ever gig was at Westfield School in Mosborough, Sheffield, on July 18, 1978. The school building has long since been demolished and the site is now a housing estate. There is a plaque at Crookes Social Club, on Mulehouse Road, where the band played some of their earliest gigs. | Sheffield NewspapersPhoto: Sheffield Newspapers

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