On a recent Wednesday afternoon, an incredible gathering of three hundred seventy-four bagpipers came together in the heart of Melbourne to play AC/DC's classic hit "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock'n'Roll)", setting a new world record close to the famous spot where the original lineup famously played the tune from a flatbed truck fifty years earlier.
That particular song is the only big single that AC/DC has retired from concerts, out of respect for Scott's memory after his passing in 1980. Yet the omission is hardly noticeable when the concert setlist are so packed with beloved classics: an electric excitement swept through the 80,000 fans at the MCG as AC/DC opened with "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" and immediately launched into "Back in Black". Who else would dare to deliver such a massive hit so early in the show? But AC/DC does, offering the crowd to what essentially is a two-hour greatest hits celebration.
The lead singer refers to Melbourne AC/DC's 'spiritual home'.
It's time to discuss the obvious questions: yes, Brian Johnson is 78 years old and, no, his voice doesn't hit the former peaks or sustain as long as in the 1980s. He may not screech like he used to on tracks like "High Voltage" or "Highway to Hell", but he surely gives it his all with a grin on his face. The singer was previously forced to leave AC/DC's 2016 world tour due to significant hearing issues (a substitute vocalist filled in), but a solution was discovered and it's clear he's overjoyed to be back, cackling like a gremlin during breaks. (The band doesn't engage in stage banter, and no one minds.)
Likewise, Angus Young – who continues to wear his signature schoolboy shorts at 70 – is noticeably slower on certain early tracks, such as the frenetic opening to "Thunderstruck". But it is still "Thunderstruck", and who cares when a entire venue is chanting so powerfully, with such delight, as one?
With his striking white mane and slender limbs emerging from his outfit, Young appears as an ancient wizard and confusingly childlike; when he returns to the band at the end of a number, he looks like a lost little boy running for his parents – right up until he launches into a wild guitar riff, his digits moving at blinding speed. He can even now duckwalk the entire span of a massive platform, with intense eyes and juddering around as though he's been struck by lightning.
'The rest of the band fades away as Young struts.'
He slowly loses clothes during the performance, even using his tie like a violin bow to strum his guitar. By the finale, when his shirt is almost completely unbuttoned, he's in charge of the entire event.
On "Let There Be Rock", Young embarks on a extended, indulgent and hugely entertaining instrumental break that seems like a dare to any who thought AC/DC couldn't deliver. The rest of the band recede as Young struts, pausing only to savor the cheers before collapsing on the floor and rolling around like a someone enchanted. "Where did that come from?" Johnson asks afterwards; who could say?
The frontman and guitarist are the main stars, but they have tight support from rhythm guitarist Angus's nephew, who joined permanently in 2014 following his uncle Malcolm health decline; along with bassist the bass player and drummer Matt Laug, who plays with the determination of a person aiming to shake the foundations. Your eardrums won't be the same again.
Although the concert series is titled after the 2020 release "Power Up", they perform just a single track from it. Instead, the crowd is treated to the best of the rest: "Shoot to Thrill", "High Voltage", "Highway to Hell", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "TNT" and "Whole Lotta Rosie". There's space included for a surprise inclusion with "Jailbreak", a track they have not played live since 1991, which is welcomed with massive cheers.
This marks AC/DC's first show in the country in a decade, and Melbourne is their opening venue – naturally, it is the band's "ancestral homeland", as Johnson states, being "the home of Mr Scott". It's hard not to suspect that this may be the band's last world tour, and perhaps even their last trip to the homeland – but what a exhilarating show it is for anyone lucky enough to get a ticket. They deliver and we applaud them.
- AC/DC will perform at the Melbourne Cricket Ground again on November 16, followed by the Sydney venue on November 21 and 25, Adelaide on 30 November, Perth on 4 and 8 December, and Brisbane on 14 and 18 December.
