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And Finally Artist News
Def Leppard launch “first ever digital rock n roll museum”
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 14 January 2021
Def Leppard have launched what they are calling the “first ever digital rock n roll museum”, but which you might call “a website”. Hey, maybe both can be right. It is, after all, a meticulous online archive of personal artefacts from the band’s history.
The site allows you to peruse items including photographs, Def Leppard t-shirts from across the years, and jackets worn on stage and elsewhere by members of the band. There’s also a section devoted to miscellaneous items from the band’s tours, from stagewear to backstage passes, and tour itineraries to slippers worn backstage by band members. Many items also include audio clips of said band members discussing what is on display. Yes, even the slippers.
“After months of digging through our personal rock and roll closets – and warehouses, no less! – we present you our history”, says vocalist Joe Elliott. “Our historic vault will continually be updated with instalments you may have seen [and] some gems I promise you’ve never heard or seen. It’s a true backstage pass for any Def Leppard or rock n roll fan”.
The project has been put together by US archival company Inveniem. CEO Brad Mindich says: “We are extremely honoured to be trusted by the band to help them find, curate, and present their expansive history to fans in this new, digital environment”.
“Def Leppard’s stories and artefacts are extraordinary, and their desire to want to create the Def Leppard Vault so they can share their legacy directly with fans reinforces why they have been so impactful on music and culture for more than four decades”.
“The exciting part is that what fans will see starting today is just the beginning”, he adds. “There is so much more being discovered from the band and fans alike that will be added to the Def Leppard Vault for months and years to come”.
Not sure if they’re taking wishlists, but I’ve browsed quite a lot of the Vault already and have only actually found two sets of slippers – those of Elliott and those of guitarist Phil Collen. Here’s hoping many more can be discovered and added as the years go by.
I’m still not entirely convinced that this can really be the first time a band has put together an online archive like this. That said, I haven’t found any other examples as yet. Many artists have massive archives of stuff they’ve used and acquired in the course of their careers, so it would make sense to do something with them like this, I guess.
You can check out the Def Leppard Vault here.
