Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has been battling cancer for several years. Yet he remains active and touring, writing, and recording with the band, easily one of the biggest hit-producing entities of the late ’80s, pop metal boom. Campbell is very candid about his condition and he spoke to ARTISTdirect’s Amy Sciarretto not only about how he is doing, health-wise, but he went deep about Def Leppard’s new, self-titled album. It’s the band’s first release in eight years, following 2007’s Songs From the Sparkle Lounge. Def Leppard made up for the chasm between albums by adding a few extra tracks!
Find out exactly how Campbell is faring as he continues his cancer fight; what songs he would retire from the Def Leppard setlist if he could; the challenges of playing new material when you have a bonafide catalog of smash hits; why Def Leppard is an ego-free, diplomatic entity; and the simple truth about his exit from Dio.
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Amy Sciarretto: Vivian, first things first. How are you doing, health-wise? You’ve been battling cancer for a few years now and you’ve been so open about updating fans about what you’ve been going through!
Vivian Campbell: I am doing very well, thank you. I have been dealing with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for three years. I did three years of chemo and was having stem cells transplanted. I had high hopes that that would take care of it, but it didn’t. Rather than go for a course of radiation, I did some research for clinical trials and immunotherapy. I get infusions every three weeks. It’s a process that takes a few hours. I get bloodwork. I talk to a doctor. They take my vitals. They hook me up. It has minimal side effects. I don’t know if it will work. But I can still work and the treatment doesn’t stop me from doing other things. Being able to go out and play music in front of audience, night after night, is very cathartic for me. It’s part of the healing process.
AS: Wow. The power of music of music is manifested right there. How long do you have to do this type of treatment?
VC: I started the 20th of June with my first infusion. I had to miss the first four shows of the American tour. That was heartbreaking for me. We did some scans of the tumors in September. They have not shrunk nor have they grown. There is nothing new, so my doctors were pleased. I will do another set of scans after Thanksgiving. Then we can determine the efficacy of the treatment. If there is new growth, I have to consider other options.
AS: Your positive attitude is so inspiring. It’s amazing that you just keep going, despite what’s hanging over your head.
VC: We’re all dying (laughs). You pass the tipping point. Cancer will kill some of us sooner than others, but life is to be lived. My glass was always half full. I found a lot of positives. Now, my glass it to the brim. I feel good. I am happy with where I am in my life. When I was on tour last summer, I was doing chemo and I was in an aggressive form called ICE. I didn’t have any hair on my body. Not even eyebrows! I was totally bald. Going on stage like that? It was cathartic. Ten years ago, I would have been bothered by that. But I didn’t have the option. It got me in touch with my inner self. I am thankful for having cancer. It helped me to have a clearer perception and get in touch with myself.
AS: Again, that’s a realization a lot of people don’t make. It’s inspiring. So, I have to ask. What is the secret to Def Leppard’s endurance? There is no shortage of life’s trauma and drama around the band, from Rick Allen’s accident to your cancer to things like the changing music industry landscape.
VC: There are a lot of things. Foremost among them would be that we are all on the same page in understanding that when people come to see Def Leppard, they come for the music. They are not coming for me or for Rick Allen or for Joe Elliott. They are coming for the songs. The entity is more important than the individual. That is one reason.
The second is the strong work ethic. The band is fortunate. We built up a huge catalog of hit songs through years and years of work. For the most part, we are blue collar guys who realize that we are lucky to do this. We are on that same page. We are all thankful for having this career. We have had this great career. We look after each other to a certain extent. We don’t go on camping holidays in our pajamas together but we have a healthy respect for each other which is surpassed only by the healthy respect we have for the entity that is Def Leppard.
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