Def Leppard // Extreme // Sweet Savage // Live Review // Belsonic // Belfast
Summer has arrived, the weather is glorious, and Belsonic 2026 is upon us, but not just Belsonic, but Belsonic’s first rock night with one hell of a line-up!
Two of my favourite bands take to the stage, and a third, one local band of heroes, who lead the way for guitarists like Vivian Campbell to shine and get himself noticed on a global stage. I am, of course, talking about the one and only Sweet Savage, Northern Ireland’s legends of rock, who recently celebrated an important anniversary. Tonight, they open up for two of the biggest bands in rock as Belfast dares to take on the blistering heat of the last few days and rock into the wee hours at Belsonic 2026.
This festival is a tough one to manage, in Belfast’s Ormeau Road area, which is a pretty busy area of the city at the best of times, they need to shut down access at the front of the road to allow for the sizeable pedestrian traffic, so getting parked close by is a challenge and carrying all the camera gear in the heat is no fun! But needs must, and with an early start, with three bands on stage, the arena already has a sizeable crowd in by the time we arrive at 6 pm. Passes collected, and we make our way towards the pit access area. 10 minutes earlier than advertised, Sweet Savage kick off their set, and we rush onto the pit. They have a great sound, for a band that has been around quite some time, they sound as contemporary as many of the bands you’d hear today, especially live, where they translate really well. It is the perfect way to blow off the cobwebs on a Friday night, the heads are bobbing, and the fists are clenched in the air as the local lads keep reminding the audience just how local they are! Especially when drummer Marty McCloskey takes to the mic to tell his “Ma” how much he loves her! #onlyinbelfast They played a tasty short but sweet set to get everyone’s blood pumping, but it was when ex-Sweet Savage guitarist and current Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell took to the stage for their set closer, the one, the only “Killing Time” made even more famous by Dublin’s favourite band, Metallica, that everyone finally woke up and got into it! A banger of a track that had the whole arena rocking. A great way to kick off a classic night of music.
Photography By Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
Up next, and it has been a very long time coming, the return of Extreme to Belfast. 2008, I believe, some 18 years ago now, wow, that feels like a very long time ago! I saw them each time they played: 1991 at The Ulster Hall; 1992 at The Kings Hall (now no longer a venue); and 2008 at The Limelight (Spring & Airbrake). I believe it was back then. It is crazy to think it’s been so long, but when Nuno asks the crowd how many people are seeing the play for the first time tonight, I’m even more shocked to see that the majority of people there have their hands in the air. Time to rectify that, lads, set up a headline show and get back toot suite!
But once Extreme kicked off their set, you knew you weren’t in Kansas anymore! Booooooom! Kicking off with Pornografitti’s ‘Decadance Dance’, we were off! For me, as much as I loved catching the band again, my only minor complaint was that there were a few missed opportunities from the setlist that would have driven home the quality of this band. It seemed like they had set up to appease a broader audience rather than showcasing their strengths, no ‘Cupid’s Dead’ in the setlist, for example, ‘Warheads’ or ‘Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)’, but for many, like me, just having them here again was pure joy. We got treated to ‘Rest In Peace’, ‘Get The Funk Out’, and the modern classic ‘Rise’, where Nuno Bettencourt just left a trail of destruction in his wake with his blistering guitar work. It was lovely to see his brother, Luis, come out to play with him on stage as a 70th birthday treat. But they saved the best for last with a glorious Ozzy tribute with three classic tracks, ‘I Don’t Know/Bark At The Moon/ Crazy Train’, which was a lovely touch. That set really got the blood pumping, and the arena was now really fired up and ready for tonight’s headliners.
Photography By Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
Def Leppard took to the stage at 9 pm. I would love to say the lights dropped, but alas, summertime meant it took quite a while before their glorious stage setup and lighting could be properly showcased, but the music was what it was all about! it was fascinating walking around the arena as it was truly such a diverse crowd, old fans and by old, old in years and long time afficiandos and of course kids who were way too young to fully appreciate who or what a legacy Def Leppard have left on the modern rock scene. But one thing you can’t deny is the soundtrack, the precision and the effortless way that Def Leppard go about what they do so well. This band are a machine, in every way possible, from the scale of their operation, to the performance levels that blow your mind as they make everything they do so easy. But that comes with miles on the road, hours in the practise room, and a great back catalogue that pulls in huge crowds. Speaking of which, tonight is the biggest crowd that Def Leppard have ever played to in Belfast. A sold-out Belsonic show is no mean feat, but it goes to show you the popularity of this band today, some 50 years from the band’s inception.
Hard to believe, but somehow they have weathered more than their fair share of storms and stand strong today, enjoying the renaissance of 80’s rock today in the UK, Europe and the USA, where they are in high demand every year. Tonight’s setlist, packed with fan faves and classics, their set kicks off with ‘Rejoice’ before they slam right into one of their biggest hits ‘Animal’, a surprise for the Belfast crowd being dropped into the set so easily. ‘Lets Get Rocked’ and ‘Personal Jesus’, a tasty Depeche Mode cover, have the Belfast crowd going wild. ‘Rocket’, ‘Slang’ and ‘Promises’, ‘Amrageddon it’ followed by ‘Love Bites’, Rock of Ages’ and ‘Photograph’ bring a full run of classics that whip the Belfast audience into a frenzy. What more do you want? More of the same, please. Joe comments over the course of the night about how long they have been coming to Belfast, Ireland, being Joe’s home now for a very long time, he’s no stranger, but the local audience always welcomes Def Leppard like they are one of their own each time they are here. The huge crowd are less a group of people who bought tickets and turned up for a show, but more of a community who live for nights just like this, the huddled masses on the hallowed ground that is Ormeau Park, now Belsonic, on a beautiful summer’s evening with a soundtrack as strong as this, does it get any better?
When will the lads come back onto the stage to wrap up their first show in Belfast since 2018? Am I right? Has it been that long since their last SSE Arena show? We were lucky enough to catch them at Marlay Park, Dublin, with the magical Motley Crue and Mammoth in tow, but tonight Def Leppard are back in Belfast to wrap up a stellar show. With ‘When Love And Hate Collide’, ‘Hysteria’ and of course their absolute banger, ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ Belfast was happy. The scenes around me, as the ladies danced, the guys air-guitaring, and the smiles on faces far and wide, speak volumes about what a night like this means to the rock community in Northern Ireland. Once again, more of the same, please.
One night, three killer bands.
The guys move on to Glasgow tomorrow night, then Sheffield, London, Birmingham, and Manchester, so if you are quick, you may still be able to catch them on this run.
For tickets and further information, please see www.defleppard.com
Photography By Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
