Musical Memories, A True Story Featuring Def Leppard
How life has changed. Once upon a time there is little I would have done short of selling my soul to see a rock concert. I recall my first opportunity to see my beloved Def Leppard. All of 20 years old at the time I had just spend virtually all of my teenage years growing up to the sounds of Pyromania, Hysteria as well as their earlier two efforts High n’ Dry and On Through the Night.
When I heard this concert was rolling into town excitement and stress overwhelmed me at once. The concert was to take place in August and I had a bit of a drive from my hometown to get to the city where the concert was to be held. In the spring and fall I lived in the city while attending university but during the summer months I returned home, found a job and tried to save a few pennies to assist in furthering my education.
This particular summer I was doing quite well. My boss had taken quite a liking to me and I logged many hours and as a result was banking more than I was used to. My boss was as good man with a good sense of humour but he appreciated young men with a strong work ethic. The type who were up early and worked late and not concerned with foolishness such as attending rock concerts. I suppose at the time he viewed me as one of them. I did appreciate the hours and the money, but now I knew to attend this concert, this monumental life event, I had to request time off. I didn’t think he would appreciate it, he had counted on me so much through that summer and there were others who could have used the time, but he chose me again and again. What was I to do?
I reasoned it out over and over again in my own mind and really there was no choice. I could not miss this concert. The concert was to take place in mid August and I would have worked for about two more weeks after that before returning to college. I decided that if necessary I would simply quit my summer job and sacrifice my last two weeks pay in order to guarantee my time off to see Def Leppard. It was a sad but true decision I had come to. I really could have used that last two weeks pay. But then again…Def Leppard. I would have let a man down who had come to respect me and helped me out so much. But then again…Def Leppard. And worst of all, my parents helped me out as much as they could financially and this extra money would also take some of the burden off of them. But then again…….it was Def Leppard!!
With the decision made late one Saturday evening I was at the local bar when who should stroll in but my boss. I had spent many a Saturday evening there that summer, but never seen him there once. Little did I know that the rock gods were intervening that night. He was apparently attending the bachelor party of a friend and he was also more obviously feeling the effects of many consumed beverages. When he saw me his drunken face lit up. He began to buy me many beers and tell me how awesome I was. There was a lot of work that needed to be done that summer and not everyone could be counted on and apparently I had answered the call. Little did he know I was about to leave him high n’dry (lame Def Leppard pun).
In the drunken conversation he made reference if there anything I needed just let him know. Well…..thanks to a bit of “liquid courage” I went on to explain that I knew it would be an inconvenience but I could use a day or two off. He wanted to know what was up….attending a wedding?….family reunion? Well I was smart enough not to lie and explained to him that there was this band I always liked and it would be neat to see them in concert. And yes, I can actually remember using the word “neat”. With a pat on the back and as a reward for all my hard work I had his blessing.
I probably didn’t handle the days leading up to the concert very well because I never spoke of this promise until the day before my time off and neither did he. I was getting ready to check out for the day and wouldn’t you know it he says he needs me earlier the next morning and we would probably punch a late one. “Good chance to get a bit more overtime pay” was the exclamation point on his sentence. Well I had no choice but to lay my trump card. “Don’t you remember? You gave me a couple days off.” He looked confused, hesitated, then said that he did. But I really don’t think he had any recollection.
Off I went and enjoyed the concert to the fullest. It seemed like a bit of a pilgrimage. Seeing my heroes up close and personal playing all the songs that were the soundtrack my teenage years was a bit of a religious experience. I was back to work two days later and the relationship with my boss was not damaged in the least. In fact, he called looking for me the following summer.
I got to see them perform again 16 years later when I flew half way across the country to check them out. The second experience was just as enjoyable as the first and again was a sort of pilgrimage like experience. I didn’t however, risk or jeopardize my now well established teaching career to get there, nor could I.
But there was a day that I would have dropped everything that was important to me just to rock out for a couple of hours. That’s the power of music! That’s the power of rock and roll!! And although I could never sell out my family or colleagues for it anymore, it is still the reason why I remain an avid fan (bit of a nut actually). It is still why I get excited about putting on a pair of headphones and getting lost in a new album or cranking up the stereo so loud in the car that I can hear nothing else but the music.
I still attend the occasional rock concert, if it doesn’t conflict with work or my kids’ hockey practices or music lessons. But perhaps because I am a grounded career and family man, the escape is even more important to me now than when I was in my youth. I need still rock and roll like I hope it needs me.
See you next time....as Def Leppard would say...Rock Rock Til You Drop!
