(Credits: Far Out / Def Leppard)
Sat 25 October 2025 6:00, UK
As anybody who’s ever found themselves constantly revisiting Yeah! will know that Def Leppard is in another league entirely when it comes to cover songs.
More a tribute or homage than a simple covers record, Yeah! boasted just about everything you might associate with a band that’s truly in love with everything about music. From special images in the CD booklet recreating iconic 1970s album art to subtler nods to legendary works (like Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon), Def Leppard tipped their hat to their cherished pioneers while proving they were also one of them.
It’s quite an achievement for a covers record to be praised as a major comeback record, which also goes to show just how well they executed their vision. Going all in on the aesthetics and images could have cheapened it, making it seem like they’re more fans than serious musicians, but they struck the balance by sounding like they were having fun, which is sometimes all that’s needed to have you stay for the ride.
One of the songs on the record was a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Drive-In Saturday’. A song capturing Bowie’s typical futuristic malaise with a society that’s lost its grip on romance, ‘Drive-In Saturday’ was the perfect song for Def Leppard to flex its Bowie-related muscles and show off just how deep their love and respect bleeds into the fabric of their own sound and vision. The first time they performed the song live was in 2022, but the first time their members really stepped up to honour the late Starman was years prior, with a tribute band called Cybernauts that included members of the Spiders from Mars themselves.
In 1997, a few years following the death of Mick Ronson, Joe Elliott and Phil Collen met with Trevor Bolder, Woody Woodmansey and Dick Decent to pay tribute. Their stint was very brief, having spanned only a handful of shows and a CD called Live. The 17-song tracklist is pretty impressive, though, for anyone who manages to listen to any – covering many of Bowie’s biggest tunes, like ‘Starman’, ‘Moonage Daydream’, ‘Changes’ and ‘Life on Mars’.
As with most tribute bands, the name of their group anchored Bowie’s futuristic tendencies – something Def Leppard have always been attuned to whenever they’re honouring the late musician. But with Cybernauts, there was a deeper consideration there that came from both their dynamic in rehearsals and their appreciation of Bowie’s themes.
As Decent later recalled, “The instant that first guitar riff came sidewinding out of Mr Collen’s awesome slack, and the rhythm section to end all rock rhythm sections came in like a cybernaut from the next galaxy, any idea in my head other than the pure joy of playing with these guys was crashed into oblivion.”
Joe Elliot also told David Bowie’s website in 2001 that it came from their shared excitement about sci-fi elements. “It sounded spacey, not unlike Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust period stuff,” he said. The whole thing feels even more special whenever you listen today, as you can feel the moments all members shine through, giving you something that’s inherently loyal but with Def Leppard’s knack for covers that feel entirely like their own thing.
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