AC/DC proved once again that rock ‘n’ roll ain’t noise pollution.
A rowdy stadium of about 35,000 people at Princess Auto Stadium couldn’t agree more as the Australian rock legends made their first trip to the city since 2015 on their PWR/UP tour, cranking out two hours and 20 minutes of raw and raunchy high-voltage material, a mix of blues, crunchy power chords, melodic riffs and double entendres that spanned five decades.
Their wide-ranging appeal was apparent in the demographic makeup of the crowd, which ranged from young children to seniors, many clad in $30 glowing devil horns from the well-stocked merch booth that also offered posters, banners, beer koozies, lanyards, tour books and T-shirts.
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Guitarist Angus Young and singer Brian Johnson of AC/DC were the stars of the show
There is no one in music quite like guitar god Angus Young. He is 71, but onstage he is ageless, a hyperactive teenager dressed in his signature blue schoolboy uniform and yellow and blue cap, running around, duck-walking and leaping in the air while cranking out riff after riff and extended solos on his trusty black Gibson SG.
Young is one of the key reasons a live AC/DC experience is still thrilling after all these years, even if they have been pulling out the same concert tricks for decades — a giant bell for Hells Bells, and thundering cannon blasts during For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) — but it’s still easy to get swept up in the spectacle of it all, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. It’s big dumb fun rock ‘n’ roll — that’s the point. There is no reason to take it too seriously.
The band knows it and the fans know it.
“We’re gonna make some rock ‘n’ roll and have some fun. Let’s party,” frontman Brian Johnson said while addressing the crowd early in the set.
AC/DC delivered a 21-song set with two songs from the band’s latest album, 2020’s Power Up, and only two others post 1981: Thunderstruck (1990) and Stiff Upper Lip (2000). Eleven songs were from the pre-1980 Bon Scott era (Scott was the band’s original vocalist who died in 1980) and four were from their breakthrough album Back in Black, one of the best-selling albums of all time, released five months after Scott’s death with vocalist Johnson, 78, who seemed to have fully recovered from hearing issues that forced him off the road in 2016. He returned to record the new album in 2018 and now performs with special in-ear monitors.
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Singer Brian Johnson’s raspy growl was in fine form Sunday.
His instantly recognizable growly rasp is still holding up.
Things got off to a roaring start with 1979’s If You Want Blood (You Got It), which served as something of a statement of intent. Back in Black kept the fans on their feet before the new song Demon Fire, which sounded like it could have been recorded at any point over the last 40 years. The band — also featuring Steve Young (Angus’s 69-year-old nephew) on rhythm guitar (replacing one of his other uncles, the late, great Malcolm Young who died in 2017 after battling dementia), bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Matt Laug — kept things burning with the one-two punch of Shot Down in Flames and the anthem Thunderstruck, which had the crowd roaring “Thunder!” while singing along.
With such a lengthy discography (17 studio albums), there were going to be some favourites they couldn’t play (Rocker, Problem Child, Who Made Who, Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution, etc. etc.) but they hit numerous high points with fist-pumper Shoot to Thrill, the sleazy Sin City, early single Jailbreak (a highlight), rip-roaring High Voltage and still sinister Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. They moved Highway to Hell from the encore position it occupied the last two Winnipeg shows to the midpoint of the main set and had the crowd flashing the devil horns high as firey graphics played in the background.
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The stage setup was simple but effective, with a giant screen behind the band surrounded by lighting rigs and speakers. A wall of Marshall amps stood behind the quintet, while four more video screens on either side also showed a variety of graphics along with close ups of the band and Angus Young’s fretwork during each song’s solo, often performed on an extension that jutted into the crowd.
The set ended with three classics: You Shook Me All Night Long, Whole Lotta Rosie (though the giant inflatable of past shows was replace by onscreen graphics) and Let There Be Rock, featuring a manic 20-minute solo from Young and shots from confetti cannons while he played on an elevated stage.
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Angus Young of AC/DC was in constant motion throughout the almost two-and-a-half hour set.
After a short break the band returned as the stadium erupted into a chant of “Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!” for T.N.T., followed by regular show closer For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), punctuated by blasts from 12 cannons and ending with fireworks, shaking the foundations of the stadium.
Opening the night was New York’s the Pretty Reckless, led by Taylor Momsen, whose powerful pipes provided an extra punch to the quartet’s straight-up melodic hard rock that paired perfectly with the headliners.
rob.williams@freepress.mb.ca
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The band was surrounded by video screens.
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Front-row fans (from left) Vova Turlak, Andre Bornmann and Luma Lopes were excited.
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Hardcore AC/DC fans Mark Cacciatore (centre left) and Hugo Bernier (with phone) are from France. They have been following the band across Canada.
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Silas Pylypiw, 9, gets ready for AC/DC to take the stage with his parents Mavis and Jonathan.