LONG before The Darkness were a twinkle in their mothers' eyes, Def Leppard were the original glam rockers.

Founded in Sheffield in 1977, the original band members held their first rehearsal in a spoon factory and performed their first live gig at a local school - a far cry from the stadiums they still fill today.

Lead singer, Joe Elliott, caught on to the music of the late 60s/early 70s, with glam bands such as TRex and Ziggy Stardust.

Joe's dream to be a member of the imaginary band Deaf Leopard came true when he joined Atomic Mass. Originally formed by Rick Savage and Pete Willis, the band was renamed Def Leppard partly becuase of the dream.

The band's live reputation began to steadily climb. When their debut EP was given airplay on Radio One by John Peel, they were signed by Phonogram, resulting in them supporting the likes of AC/DC on their US tour.

Their first two album releases were On Through the Night and High 'n' Dry in 1980 and 1981 respectively, but it was the 1983 release of Pyromania that really propelled Def Leppard into the big-time - resulting in sales of over seven million in the US alone.

The subsequent Hysteria album, released in 1987, spawned seven hit singles and sold 16 million copies worldwide.

One of the hardest-working rock bands around, Def Leppard have continued to tour and release music, overcoming many tragedies in the process - such as the car accident which severed the arm of drummer Rick Allen and the death of guitarist Steve Clark.

30th October, BIC, Bournemouth. Tickets: £26.00. Box office: 01202 456456.