The Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen (65) is vegan and exercises every day, what makes him look much younger for his age nowadays. But for decades already, he decided to stop using a shirt on stage most of the time, but that didn’t start to show how he was in shape. He recalled in the new book “Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard” that it all happened after a “motel burglary “.
Phil Collen recalls what made him stop using a shirt on stage
“It was in Ft. Myers, Florida. I was in a motel-type thing on the beach. Someone just walked up, knocked the door down and took all of my shit. I had no clothes, nothing. I borrowed things – I had a pair of flip-flops and Union Jack shorts, and that was it.”
“These kids at the next show said, ‘We’ll take you to the mall.’ So I went to an Army surplus store and got some camo pants. That was it. That was the kind of look, really, for a while. It just felt more comfortable. And you know, I’ve always stayed in shape, so that wasn’t a problem. Also, I used to sweat a lot. I don’t seem to sweat as much now. I’ve kind of got it down, but I’d be dripping (after the shows),” Phil Collen said.
Collen joined Def Leppard in 1982 after the guitarist Pete Willis left. He first appeared on their third album “Pyromania” (1983). The group is currently touring around the world with Mötley Crüe and has scheduled shows in Europe and Asia.
In 2021 they released “Diamond Star Halos” that is their twelfth studio album that was produced by the band alongside Ronan McHugh. The group is formed by Joe Elliott (Vocals), Phil Collen (Guitar), Rick Savage (Bass), Rick Allen (Drums) and Vivian Campbell (Guitar).