Music review: AC/DC at Adelaide Grand Final
Although the predicted rain didn’t eventuate, a huge crowd were left thunderstruck by rock rainmakers AC/DC to close out Adelaide’s weekend of Supercars.
Sure, expensive weather websites don’t always get it right. But to be fair, AC/DC’s recent (and loud) Power Up concert in Melbourne did register on the Richter scale. And their outdoor Adelaide concert last night registered high on the rockter scale.
The rain held off, but there was a flood of black clothing with thousands of varying ages – the official count for the day exceeded 100 000 – assembling to experience the greatest rock act to explode from Australia. The audience sang along to the many classic bangers, breaking out into dance and hugging strangers over 21 songs and almost two-and-a-half hours.
AC/DC’s focal points – gravel-voiced rock belter Brian Johnson and the world’s favourite 70-year-old who dresses as a schoolboy, lead guitarist Angus Young – were clearly having fun. From the moment he entered the stage and then sang ‘If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)’, Johnson was mugging for the fans and radiating joy. Being a car enthusiast himself, Johnson had presumably watched the Grand Final race. At one point, he commented that it doesn’t get any better than race cars and rock ‘n’ roll.
Johnson’s comic faces and goofiness are highly engaging. In a different way, Angus Young is just as visually and musically compelling. The word ‘iconic’ isn’t strong enough to describe Young’s distinctive duckwalk (adapted from Chuck Berry) and naughty schoolboy look. Together, Johnson and Young were mesmerising. It was hard to know where to look.
But of course, AC/DC’s music also demands attention. Johnson’s powerhouse vocals and Young’s virtuoso guitar playing deliver what have become not only Australian but global anthems of rock decadence. Just in case the point was missed in songs such as ‘Highway to Hell’, ‘Hell’s Bells’ and ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’, the numerous flashing red devil horns worn by fans was a reminder of these guys’ bona fide, Bon Scott-level bad boy status.
Apart from the two history makers on the stage, the band’s rhythm guitarist Stevie Young represented one of Australia’s most musically talented families. Angus and Malcolm Young started AC/DC in Sydney in 1973, and their elder brother George was a founding member of 60s rock band, The Easybeats. Stevie Young is the son of the eldest Young brother, Stephen Young. In last night’s concert, Stevie Young, along with bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Matt Laug, were an integral part of the formidable sound and presence of the band.
One of AC/DC’s most famous songs is ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’. Surprisingly, this was done 50 minutes before the end of the concert. Johnson spoke rather than sang a lot if it, and in spite of his energetic performance for the rest of the concert, this song was a bit flat. It’s fair to say that in this song, the lead singer of Acca Dacca seemed a bit knackered. But the song was an essential inclusion.
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The song’s early performance made sense when ‘Let There Be Rock’ was played before the encore. Although Angus Young’s 17-minute solo was incredible, the final part of it wasn’t as inspired, and a 10-minute solo would have sufficed.
For the encore, we were treated to ‘TNT’, followed by the finale, ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’. It was a 21-gun and 21-song salute. I would have rather been saluted with ‘Who Made Who’ or ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)’, both of which could have been included in the setlist.
That aside, the concert was a fantastic display of brilliant rock musicianship and showmanship by a band that reigns high and rains high as ambassadors of Australia’s rich musical history.
AC/DC performed at the bp Adelaide Grand Final on Sunday November 30, supported by Amyl and the Sniffers and Oscar the Wild