The Greatest Song Def Leppard Never Played Live

Photo by Ross Halfin

Well, it’s happening, people! Def Leppard are finally doing another Las Vegas residency; we have to wait until February 2026, but I’ve waited six years already, so what’s another six months? To be more specific, the British hard rock band will be doing a 12-night residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace from February 3-28, 2026. I already got my tickets, but I’m not going to say the exact date(s) because the last time I bought tickets to see Def Leppard, COVID-19 got in the way, therefore, I don’t want to spoil my luck. The great thing about Def Leppard doing a Las Vegas residency is they bring out the BIG GUNS, in terms of deep cuts and hidden gems that’ll make a hardcore Def Leppard fan cry. Since they’re playing the same venue for multiple nights, they’ll have more freedom to experiment with their concert setlists, which we greatly appreciate!

With this new residency coming up, fans get to speculate which songs will be added to the setlist and which songs will be taken off for good. Ok, maybe not for good, but you know what I mean! The past two Las Vegas residencies offered enough variety that shook me as a hardcore Def Leppard fan. The 2013 residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino saw the band adopting a new persona in Ded Flatbird, the greatest Def Leppard cover band in the whole world. They played deep cuts from High ‘n’ Dry (1981), “Rock Brigade” from On Through the Night (1980), and one of my personal favorites, a later era Def Leppard song that doesn’t get enough credit, “Undefeated.” The 2019 residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino saw the band stretch their horizons by playing a few songs they haven’t played in years like, “Die Hard the Hunter” and “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad,” and one they’ve never played live until that residency, “We Belong” from the 2015 self-titled album. What tricks do Def Leppard have up their sleeves for this 2026 residency? Only time will tell.

Until then, let me blab about one song that I think is pure genius and one of their best ballads ever. Ladies and gentlemen, from the Adrenalize (1992) album, let’s talk about “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)”! What’s so great about this song? The guitar harmonies are gorgeous, Joe Elliott delivers a killer vocal performance with heart and soul, Phil Collen’s guitar solo is goosebump-worthy, and the chorus is absolutely mesmerizing. It’s also worth mentioning that it was co-written by Steve Clark. In fact, he did a demo version of the song, which can be found on YouTube. Though Collen tried his best to replicate Clark’s guitar parts on the album, there are noticeable differences between the two solos.

According to Wikipedia, “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)” was written during the Hysteria (1987) sessions, but the band felt it was too similar to the song of the same name. Therefore, they left it off the album and saved it for Adrenalize. It did pretty well chart-wise; it went to #34 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for 15 weeks. But strangely enough, Def Leppard never played this song live. Trust me, I did my research and could not find a trace of it on sites like, Def Leppard Tour History and setlist.fm.

Why haven’t they played “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)” live yet? Part of the reason is because it’s a ballad. They already had “Tonight” and “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad,” both from Adrenalize, “Love Bites” from Hysteria, and “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” from High ‘n’ Dry, that they didn’t want to bombard their concert setlists with too many ballads. Though they don’t play “Tonight” and “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” live anymore, the band has to squeeze in as many hits as they can into their usual concert setlists because of the gigs they’ve been doing lately. For the past 15 years, maybe even longer, they’ve been doing more festivals and stadium/arena shows, and unfortunately, those gigs are designed for the casual fans that only love the hits like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Photograph.” It’s frustrating, but they have to pay their bills somehow!

Another reason why the band hasn’t played “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)” live yet is because the band was in a weird place when they recorded Adrenalize. They just lost Clark and suddenly, they were singing upbeat anthems like “Let’s Get Rocked” and “Make Love Like a Man.” Plus, the record came out when grunge was starting to take over the music world and essentially, the band wanted nothing to do with “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion).” I’m sure the band has warmed up to it years later, but it’s a very well-constructed song that the boys would have to put in a lot of time and effort into perfecting the song if they want to achieve it live one day. I believe they can do it, but they’ll have to dedicate themselves to make that happen!

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Bottom line is, the band’s upcoming Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace would be the perfect opportunity for Def Leppard to finally bust out “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion).” Because they won’t have to strip down their stage every night, allowing them to be more flexible with their concert setlists, these Las Vegas residencies are for the die-hard fans. I know a lot of them want to hear “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)” live, so Def Leppard better do it quickly instead of waiting for Adrenalize to turn 40! Hey, if they had the balls to bust out “Comin’ Under Fire” from Pyromania (1983) after avoiding it for 41 years, anything is possible!

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What are your thoughts on Def Leppard’s “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)”? Let me know in the comments down below!

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana