Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has described moments of silence onstage while touring parts of Northern Ireland during the Troubles, saying the band and its audiences used music as an escape from sectarian tensions.
Campbell, speaking to BBC News NI about his early years with Belfast metal band Sweet Savage in the late 1970s, said the four members came from different religious backgrounds and that in some towns "there were always two of us that didn't speak on any show." He said the feeling onstage could be one of deliberate restraint: "It was like, 'OK, you two shut up tonight, don't say anything.'"
Despite that restraint, Campbell said the bands never let politics intrude on their performances. "When we played together on stage, we never thought about any of that stuff," he said, adding that music also offered concertgoers a rare space of unity. "It is something that unites people and in this day and age it's become more important because the world is quite fractured to say the least. We need more love, we need more music and more pizza."
Campbell, originally from Lisburn, County Antrim, joined Def Leppard in the early 1990s. He said he tries to return home at least once a year and called performing in Northern Ireland next summer at the Belsonic music festival a "privilege." He also said he hopes to find time to relax and "reconnect" in County Donegal while back in Ireland.
The guitarist spoke about his health as well, saying he feels fortunate after a prolonged battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma. After a series of treatments, his oncologist said a donor stem cell transplant was the only remaining option. Campbell said the transplant worked and he is in 100% remission for the first time in 12 years. "I must be the luckiest man in the world," he said. "Luck of the Irish and all that. I'm feeling 100%, I feel very, very strong physically. My energy's very good, so for an old geezer, I'm in a good spot."
Def Leppard, formed in Sheffield, rose to international prominence in the 1980s with arena-ready hits such as "Animal," "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Let's Get Rocked." The band's upcoming appearance at Belsonic places them among headliners for the festival and continues a career that has included decades of touring and lineup changes.
Campbell's reflections about performing amid the Troubles underscore how music scenes in Northern Ireland continued to operate through periods of political violence and social division. Bands from the era often navigated complex community landscapes, with musicians and audiences sometimes crossing religious and political lines for the sake of performance and enjoyment. Campbell credited those shared musical experiences with creating moments of common ground.
He also discussed the personal impact of his health journey, saying the outcome of the stem cell transplant represented a closing of a difficult chapter in a 12-year fight. Campbell said he was grateful for the medical care he received and for the opportunity to continue touring and performing.
Campbell's comments reflect a broader history of musicians who have used live performance as both refuge and conversation in troubled times. As he prepares to return to Northern Ireland with Def Leppard, he framed those returns as both professional obligations and personal homecomings, offering a mix of reflection on past tensions and optimism about his health and future performances.