On a Tuesday night, Nearly 30,000 people flocked to the sweetest town in Pennsylvania, Hershey Pennsylvania if you didn’t catch on. Hershey isn’t just known for the most delicious chocolate, its also known for having a few big name artists/bands host concerts at the Hershey Park Stadium that sits right next to their famous amusement park.
The weather forecasted to be a partly cloudy afternoon, the fans slowly started to trickle in, either making their way to their seats or be the first to grab some sick merchandise. The opening act was an up and coming band from Los Angeles called the Classless Act. Lets just say for some reason as the band took the stage it went from being somewhat sunny to practically a black hole opening up above the stadium, next thing we knew it was a slow drizzle turned to a torrential down pour. But that didn’t stop these guys from putting on a killer set even though they didn’t have a long amount of time onstage. Their set was energetic and the lead singer, Derek Day made is way around the stage and gave it his all in the down pour.
Check out the Classless Act’s setlist below:
This is for You
Give it to Me
Time to Bleed
All That We Are
Classless Act
So after us media folks ran to take cover with our gear, the band wrapped it up and all fans in attendance were told to take cover as the show was officially postponed for the time being until the weather moved along. Id say around after 45-50 minutes, the coast was clear and the show was allowed to resume, up next was the legendary Joan Jett and the Heartbreakers. At least the heat cooled down after the crazy rain/storm that greeted us. Joan Jett took the stage with the intro of Bikini Kill’s Rebel Girl. Jett and the Heartbreaker’s opened up their set with Victim of Circumstance, then broke into a cover of The Runaways Cherry Bomb. Jett’s setlist was made up of 11 songs total which included cover songs ranging from The Runaways, Sly & the Family Stone, The Arrows etc. There were also a few original songs by Jett thrown into the setlist as well. Joan Jett closed out her 11 song set with her most famous hit, Bad Reputation.
Check out Joan Jett’s setlist below:
Victim of Circumstance
Cherry Bomb (The Runaways cover)
Do You Wanna Touch Me (Gary Glitter cover)
You Drive Me Wild (The Runaways cover)
Everyday People (Sly & the Family Stone cover)
Fake Friends
Crimson & Clover (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll (The Arrows cover)
(I’m Gonna) Run Away
I Hate Myself for Loving You
Bad Reputation
After Joan Jett & The Heartbreakers, it was time for Poision and their beloved lead vocalist Bret Michaels to take the stage. There were definitely a lot of die hard Poison fans in the crowd. After the stage was set, moments before the band took the stage, Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses blasted throughout the stadium, then the band took the stage playing an extended intro to Look What the Cat Dragged In before Michaels took the stage. Once their leading man took the stage the fans went crazy instantly. Poison treated fans to an 9 song setlist which included many fan favorites and even an insane guitar solo by C.C. DeVille. The band also covered a Loggins & Messina song, the famous Your Mama Don’t Dance. Of course it only makes sense to play Nothin’ but a Good Time to end their insanely energetic set.
Check out Poison’s full setlist below:
Look What the Cat Dragged In
Ride the Wind
Talk Dirty to Me
Your Mama Don’t Dance (Loggins & Messina cover)
Guitar Solo
Fallen Angel
Drum Solo
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Nothin’ but a Good Time
After Poisons set it was time for the LEGENDARY Motley effin’ Crue! Fun fact, back when I first started my career as a photographer Motley Crue was my third show I have ever photographed and the coincidence is, that show was with Motley Crue and Alice Cooper here at the Giant Center in Hershey. So being able to somewhat redeem myself with getting to cover them again is pretty surreal. Now things were a little different this time, we got songs 11 & 12 to photograph of their set, those songs were Dr. Feelgood and Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S). Two of my favorite songs lets just be honest. The intro to Motley Crue’s set was sort of like a “Breaking News Report” before the band took the stage. Motley Crue opened up their set with Wild Side then went into Shout at the Devil. Being a co-headlining tour with Def Leppard they switch back and forth who closes the night. Motley Crue performed a 15 song setlist that was jam packed with ALL THE GOOD HITS. Practically a dream setlist in my honest opinion, what was even cooler was the medley they performed mid set which included snippets of Rock and Roll, Smokin’ in the Boys Room, White Punks on Dope and Helter Skelter.
Check out Motley Crue’s setlist below:
Wild Side
Shout at the Devil
Too Fast for Love
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Saints of Los Angeles
Live Wire
Looks That Kill
The Dirt (Est. 1981)
Rock and Roll, Part 2 / Smokin’ in the Boys Room / White Punks on Dope / Helter Skelter / Anarchy in the U.K.
Home Sweet Home
Dr. Feelgood
Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)
Girls, Girls, Girls
Primal Scream
Kickstart My Heart
After one hell of a set from Motley Crue, who sounded absolutely amazing, it was time for Def Leppard. I must say Motley Crue set the bar pretty high for the guys in Def Leppard who was closing out the night in Hershey. Roughly as 9:30 PM approached, a giant countdown popped up on the giant LED screens that took up a majority of the stage. This time we had the first two songs to photograph. As the countdown timed out, the lights went out and the fans outburst into a giant roar. The band took the stage and opened up their set with Take What You Want. Now being the closing band, they got a little bit longer on stage which the Def Leppard fans out there in the sea of people didn’t mind at all. The setlist consisted of a total of 17 songs. Now the energy was high, the band sounded great. Mid way through the set the band definitely earned to take it down a notch and play two acoustic songs which were This Guitar and Two Steps Behind. After catching their breath it was time to pick it back up again and performed Rocket to kick things off again. Def Leppard ended their 17 song set VERY STRONG and closed out with Pour Some Sugar on Me, Rock of Ages and Photograph.
Check out Def Leppards whole setlist below:
Take What You Want
Let It Go
Animal
Foolin’
Armageddon It
Kick
Love Bites
Promises
This Guitar (Acoustic)
Two Steps Behind (Acoustic)
Rocket
Bringin’ on the Heartbreak
Switch 625
Hysteria
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Rock of Ages
Photograph
