Def Leppard Rocks Ottawa With Surprise Tom Morello Appearance at Bluesfest

At Ottawa Bluesfest on Wednesday, July 16, Def Leppard and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine joined forces. The musicians stunned fans with their first-ever live take on "Just Like 73". "It was an absolute honor to welcome Tom Morello to the stage for 'Just Like 73,'" the band posted on Instagram. "Thanks for rockin' with us!" Along with live performances, Def Leppard recently made some notable media appearances, including Bank Of Dave and its sequel, top films in the UK.

This marked the first time these music giants played "Just Like 73" together since its release. According to AntiMusic, the song reached No. 1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock charts this year.

At LeBreton Flats Park, vocalist Joe Elliott led his British bandmates through their hits. "Thank you, Ottawa. Thank you very much," he told the crowd, according to the Ottawa Citizen. Elliott stood with Rick Savage on bass, Rick Allen playing drums, and Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell handling guitar duties. The set list packed a punch with "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)," "Rocket," and "Rock of Ages." Earlier that night, Morello mixed sharp political statements into his blues-rock set, urging fans to resist injustices while enjoying the music.

Phil Collen told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Tom heard my original demo of the song with just me on it, and maybe Joe doing a vocal. And he's, like, 'Oh my God, this is great.'" The musicians collaborated on the studio version of the song as well.

The band's summer shows, produced by Live Nation, run through August 31. You can see the schedule and get tickets on Def Leppard's website. Additional acts include Bret Michaels, The Struts, and Extreme. Success keeps coming for Def Leppard. Their 2022 release, Diamond Star Halos, cracked Billboard's Top 10, according to uDiscoverMusic.