DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell spoke with Jessi Virtusio from Southtownstar.com recently about a number of topics including his early days with the band. A few excerpts from the chat follow.

Campbell started with Def Leppard in 1992, replacing the late Steve Clark after his tragic death.

"I didn't feel any pressure at all," Campbell said of that time. "I wasn't an unknown. It would have been more difficult for me if I was John Doe before and never played a big gig before. I felt so confident. I had been in so many bands prior to that. ... I'd been around the block, and I felt very confident about coming into the band. I think it was a lot easier for me than the other guys in Def Leppard. They lost their friend who they had known for years. They had never played when Steve wasn't there.

"I've never felt any sort of animosity from Def Leppard. Being a fan of the band for so many years, I was very familiar with the music. ... I always felt part of this band. I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but I've really always felt a kinship with Def Leppard. They was cemented when I saw the guys play for the first time during the Hysteria tour in 1987. I was in WHITRSNAKE at the time. You could really tell (what) was a real band. The guys in Whitesnake, we had no real bond or kinship. You could really sense, watching Def Leppard on stage, they were really a band of brothers."

Even with Campbell's experience prior to Def Leppard, something he said he really enjoyed about joining vocalist Joe Elliott, guitarist Phil Collen, bassist Rick "Sav" Savage and drummer Rick Allen was the chance to sing in addition to playing guitar.

"RONNIE DIO would never let me sing," Campbell said. "I've always loved to sing. We have a lot of vocals in every song we do. It's fun. We enjoy our work, and it shows."

Read the entire interview at this location.