DEF Leppard guitarist Phil Collen today reassured fans about the Sheffield band's future after they pulled out of their sold-out US tour with no explanation.
The musician, who brings his other band to Sheffield tomorrow night, cited "mental and physical exhaustion" for the cancellation of arena shows last month.
Phil told The Star: "We're taking next year off and we decided to go a bit earlier.
"I think we just needed a break and it just came, it got suggested."
He admitted it was unfortunate fans had bought tickets to see the Sheffield rock legends in concert, adding: "But I think it's for the best for the band so we don't fall out and potentially run into problems.
"Everyone loves each other, no-one's sick or anything. It's just a break from touring as we've toured five years straight and that's something we've never done before."
Phil – whose three-piece band Man Raze, featuring former Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook, open for shock-rock legend Alice Cooper at the City Hall tomorrow – said Leppard would write during their year off and return in 2011 with a new album.
He added: "We can't keep touring without new material. We've got to have some stuff out and that wasn't going to happen unless we took some time off."
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