[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDTTiw6kD-g[/youtube]
It’s not unusual to see musicians joining Steel Panther onstage for a cover or two. Hell, you’d even be surprised at who you’d find backstage with the hair metal-inspired band. So why is it a big deal that Steel Panther were joined onstage by Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell this past Saturday (January 21) in Anaheim, CA? Because in addition to performing Leppard’s “Rock Of Ages,” Campbell joined the group for a rendition of Dio’s classic “Rainbow In The Dark.”
A brief little history lesson for those who don’t know: long before joining Def Leppard (and even before Whitesnake), Campbell played guitar in Dio’s original lineup, having played on their first three studio albums. Following his departure in 1986, though, a public feud had erupted between the guitarist and Ronnie James Dio. In a 2003 interview, Campbell claimed that the music he did with Dio “never mattered to me — and still doesn’t… He’s an incredible talent, but he’s an awful businessman and way more importantly, one of the vilest people in the industry.” Dio himself had less than kind things to say about the guitarist as well, as seen in a candid video that went viral in 2007. Following Dio’s death, though, Campbell has been trying to sing a different tune in regards his time with Dio.
So considering all of that, it’s pretty cool to see Campbell playing a song he did while in Dio, especially one of the bigger hits. So check out fan filmed footage of Campbell performing “Rock Of Ages” and “Rainbow In The Dark” above.
