Chennai, For most Indian fans, Def Leppard is the sound of high-gloss 1980s arena rock the polished harmonies of ‘Hysteria’ and the stadium-shaking riffs of ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’. But as the band kicks off their historic debut tour in India on March 25 for which Indian fans had to wait 18 years after the last one was cancelled in 2008 guitarist Phil Collen reveals a far grittier, more soulful connection to the subcontinent that not many knew.
One of their songs, ‘Turn to Dust’, is about Dalits, Collen said in a conversation with PTI over Zoom ahead of the band’s tour through Shillong , Mumbai , and Bengaluru .
“I think it was about 1992 or 1993, when I was travelling here, I was actually seeing and experiencing how people were treating people of lower castes,” Collen said.
An experience that left a lasting impact on him that it came out as a song.
It so happened, when in 1996, Def Leppard released ‘Slang’, an album that famously broke away from their “Mutt” Lange-produced perfection in favour of a raw, organic sound, at the heart of that transition sat ‘Turn to Dust’. The song that sounded more like a psychedelic journey through an Indian bazaar than a Sheffield rock anthem.
Collen said it is because the song literally germinated at the Indian bazaars, where “there’s always something going on”.
He recalled how he came across the haunting wail of the Sarangi, which the band eventually sampled in ‘Turn to Dust’, in one of these bazaars, when he walked into a record store there.
“When I walked in and heard it, I was like, ‘what is this?’. I bought the CD featuring Pandit Ram Narayan and we got permission and we sampled it in our song,” Collen explained.
Incidentally, Pandit Narayan played a key role in popularising Sarangi as a solo instrument.
Collen is also aware that for Indian rock aficionados, a Def Leppard concert is more than a gig; it is a generational event.
In 2008, they almost played here but “karma had other plans”, Collen said.
“It was heartbreaking when we couldn’t come last time,” he admitted.
“But the stars have lined up now, the karma is with us, and we are bringing a brand-new show. We are singing better than we ever have in our lives. I can’t wait to share that. I’m sure there will be tears in the eyes of the fans, and ours too,” he added.
The band, known for their meticulous live production, plans to bring the high-octane energy of their recent Las Vegas residency to India. Collen notes that the “bar has been raised” in global entertainment, citing the immersive culture of venues like the Sphere in Vegas and the massive productions of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
“You can’t get away with just playing on stage anymore. You have to stay with the technology or get left behind,” Collen said.
While all his band mates are excited to be in India, Collen said he has a personal mission too: a visit to the Kailasa Temple at Ellora.
“I’ve always wanted to see that and I’ve never got round to it in the four times I’ve been to India,” Collen said, describing how he’s planning to arrive earlier to make this a reality this time around.
Throughout the interview, Collen balanced the band’s reputation for “escapism” with his own deep awareness of the world’s “hostility”. He acknowledged that while human history is often dark, music provides a necessary sanctuary.
“Humans are not very nice,” Collen pointed out, referring to the ongoing war in Western Asia.
“I think that if you can get above that and see it for what it is and actually remain inside of it and not get too involved in it, then you have a better life.”
With a new album potentially on the horizon for late 2026, Collen said he is keeping his ears open for fresh inspiration during the Indian leg. He said he’s a fan of the “Asian Underground” sound, which blends western influences in traditional Asian music, citing London-born tabla percussionist Talvin Singh as a major influence.
“I love the culture and the food of India. I love Indian classical music, just the sound of it is so beautiful. I’m sure there will be wonderful things from this trip that influence our future sound,” Collen said.
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