After a three-year absence from the capital, Def Leppard returned to London's O2 Arena with the confidence and swagger of a band whose catalogue has become part of rock's DNA. Opening with recent single 'Rejoice', the Sheffield legends wasted no time reminding a sold-out crowd why they remain one of Britain's greatest arena acts.

With an astonishing lighting production illuminating every corner of the venue, the five-piece delivered a show that was as visually spectacular as it was musically polished. 'Animal' arrived early, its unmistakable riff greeted like an old friend, while 'Let's Get Rocked' had thousands singing every word back to the stage. Spirited cover versions of Depeche Mode's 'Personal Jesus' and David Essex's 'Rock On' sat comfortably alongside favourites including 'Bringin' On the Heartbreak', 'Rocket' and the ever-underrated 'Armageddon It'.

Rick Allen's stirring drum solo brought the house down before Joe Elliott introduced Grammy Award-winning guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, inviting the Extreme guitarist back to the stage for a powerful rendition of 'Slang'. During a James Brown and David Bowie-inspired musical interlude, Elliott embarked on a lengthy walk through the standing crowd and around the arena, ensuring fans well away from the front barrier felt every bit as involved in the show. As he made his way past me, I stretched out for a high-five but was left hanging as he continued on his journey through the crowd.

The closing stretch was simply irresistible. 'Love Bites', 'Rock of Ages' and 'Photograph' transformed the O2 into one giant singalong before an encore of 'When Love and Hate Collide', 'Hysteria' and the inevitable 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' sent everyone home grinning.

While the years have inevitably taken a little of the edge from Joe Elliott's voice, it scarcely mattered. His lower register now feels particularly well suited to songs such as Def Leppard's superb take on 'Personal Jesus', while the O2 faithfully supplied every chorus, creating a deafening communal singalong that underlined just how deeply these songs have embedded themselves into Rock history. With over 100 million albums sold, Def Leppard have long since earned legendary status, but this performance proved they are far more than a nostalgia act. Their musicianship remains exceptional, the production was nothing short of spectacular, and their catalogue of timeless songs ensured this was Arena Rock at its absolute best.

Review: Ivan De Mello