Fender opens new performance room dedicated to iconic Def Leppard guitarist ...Middle East

Fender is pouring some sugar on their sweet new performance room at its Corona facility.

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, Fender unveiled the Phil Collen Performance Room with a live set from the Def Leppard guitarist. Collen broke in the newly opened 1,860 square-foot space with a short set of blues and rock and roll songs on the room’s stage.

The performance room is equipped with PreSonus public address systems and sound equipment, complemented by soundproof walls and acoustics. The room will serve as a performance space, a meeting room, and a venue for other future events. It was named after Collen as part of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation’s longstanding tradition of naming its rooms and offices after influential musicians.

Collen has been a longstanding champion of Jackson Guitars, a guitar brand that Fender acquired in 2002. As an Orange County local, the Def Leppard guitarist is a frequent visitor of the Corona facility. One of his most extensive treks included working on-site for six weeks during Jackson’s 30th anniversary, visiting the factory several times each week to personally hand-paint 30 custom guitars for the Jackson PC1 Splatter collection.

The custom guitars feature a splatter paint design and Collen’s name written in Japanese. One of the models was also on display during the opening of the performance room, along with a giant cardboard version. At the event, Collen spoke to Southern California News Group about his relationship with Fender, Def Leppard’s upcoming new album, and more.

The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: As a guitarist, what does it mean to have your own performance room and collaborate with Fender in this way?

It’s super cool and you couldn’t want more, especially as I’ve been working with the company for so long. The main guitar that I played on “Hysteria” was a Fender Stratocaster called FELIX. My mum got it for me for my 21st birthday; Richie Blackmore played one at the Marquee Club in London way back when. Then, when I met Eddie Van Halen (a million years ago), I said, ‘I’ve got this strap that my mum got for my birthday,’ and he said, ‘You won’t be happy until you put a humbucker on that guitar.’ So I did, and I’ve still got it. Now it’s been through the ringer, and a chunk of wood broke off, but it’s been repaired. So there’s a real history with Fender.

Q: Def Leppard has a new album slated for release next year. What can you tell me about that album?

We didn’t stop recording during Covid — we just carried on. So we already have about 15 songs and need to finish them off. They’re getting there. We’re doing a gig in Vegas in about a week, and we have a couple of days off there, so we’re going to do some backing vocals.

Q: What is it like to create music in this digital age, as opposed to the previous decades when the technology wasn’t available?

We’ve always embraced technology. We used one of the very first Fairlight CMI samplers on the “Pyromania” album, and we went digital years ago. When we play live, there are no speakers on stage, no monitors; it’s all in-ear monitors. I did that years ago, when Rick Allen (our drummer), convinced me one time while we were sound-checking in Japan, and I was a convert. With technology, you always have to embrace it because it’s not going to wait for you.

Q: How do you feel about the state of music in terms of AI?

Human beings are weird. They chase shiny things. So someone’s going to mess it up in the future. It’s great for medical research, and it’s a wonderful tool. But someone’s going to get greedy and mess it up like they usually do. I think you just have to be part of it like we are now. We have been recording for about 15 years on my Mac laptop. If someone had told me that when I first started using this new technology, I’d say, “What are you talking about? That’s black magic.” Our phones are like black magic. It is a tool as it is, but someone can always use it for evil.

Q: Def Leppard is a little over a year away from the 40th anniversary of “Hysteria.” How does it feel to look back at that period? I understand it was a particularly challenging time during the recording process.

One of the things that’s really struck me is, while we were recording it, Mutt Lange (our producer), said to someone who came in and asked why we keep spending so much time doing this stuff, “So you’ll be talking about it in 30 years.” And here we are, nearly 40 years later, still talking about it. That’s why he made sure the songs were right; it didn’t have to be perfect, but it had to be just right. The vocal sound had to be rock. We always said we wanted to sound like a cross of AC/DC and Queen. That was our thing, and we tried to use a little bit of that and inject some of that punk ethos. We’re from London, where they had punk music like the Sex Pistols and The Clash, and we wanted to have a bit of that kind of energy. It may not sound like it, but it’s in there.

Q: Def Leppard is getting a star in Hollywood. How are you all feeling about that?

I’m really a lot more proud of the music that we still do. I love our last album, which has some really special tracks that make people cry. We have a song called “This Guitar” that, when we play it, makes people burst into tears. That’s what you want, and you want to continue doing that. It’s a nice side effect of being in a band. When you get a star or any other awards, it’s not the most important thing, but it’s like a little bit of sugar sprinkled on the cake.

Q: What advice would you give to any future rockers picking up their first guitars?

A lot of people are missing intention. They start doing it because they want to be recognized or noticed. There’s a real celebrity culture with this that’s actually taken away from the art. It’s not just about impressing someone. It’s about getting inspired and expressing that. Also, there are a lot of guitar players, so you also have to learn to sing, so you can understand what is going on. Try to do a bit of everything so you can be fully involved.

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