Def Leppard kicked off their 2025 live dates over the weekend without guitarist Viv Campbell. The legendary English rock band performed in Leon, Mexico on Saturday, January 18, but Campbell was notably absent as he continued his recovery from recent cancer treatment.
John Zocco, who serves as Phil Collen’s guitar tech and also works as the band’s photographer, stepped in for the ailing 62-year-old rock veteran. During the show, frontman Joe Elliott informed the crowd, saying, “Vivian Campbell cannot be with us tonight. He’s just recovering from some treatment for his cancer. So, please say hello to the guy standing in for him tonight, Mr. John Zocco on guitar.”
Campbell, who was first diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013, had announced he was in remission the following year. However, the cancer returned in 2015, and he has been battling it ever since. Def Leppard’s next scheduled performance is on May 15 in Puerto Rico.
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