Legendary English rock band Def Leppard are finally in India, a visit they have eagerly awaited for decades, especially after coming close to performing here nearly 20 years ago. Around the same time, this writer first heard ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and discovered it was the perfect track to pair with a popular Adidas football commercial for a video editing assignment. While the grade may be debatable, the song sparked a lifelong admiration for the band, which is now set to perform in Mumbai on March 27, after opening their India tour in Shillong and before concluding it in Bengaluru on March 29.

Arriving at a time when India is witnessing a surge in live music events, the timing could not be more fitting, especially given how audiences have evolved in their musical tastes. Speaking to Mid-Day, Phil Collen, the band’s lead guitarist and co-vocalist, shared, “I've been looking forward for so long. I've been to India; the first time I came was in 1987. I travelled to many places, you know, when Bangaluru was called Bangalore, Madras (Chennai) and all of that. So, this is the first time we'll actually perform a real concert and tour India.”