What a weekend! What can I possibly say about AC/DC that hasn’t already been said? A legendary rock band still out there playing the world’s largest venues after more than 50 years. But after all those years, I had still never seen them. For Pecker (aka “Ryan”) this was also his first time seeing them, but they are one of his favorite bands of all time. So off to Gillette Stadium we go to wrap up 3 shows in a row for me.
They brought the Pretty Reckless on the road with them, a band I have seen before when they opened for Halestorm. My feelings didn’t change much. They’re ok, good musicians, decent rock voice, but no “wow” factor for me. I can see the appeal and I appreciate that they’re a rock band versus trying to make singer Taylor Momsen a pop star. We need more mainstream bands these days! We have enough studio, auto tune pop stars, so I approve the mission!
But this was an AC/DC show and who everyone was here to see.
Sadly, after more than 50 years of rocking, Angus Young is the only original member. But with long time singer Brian Johnson back at the helm, it was no doubt still an AC/DC show. As soon as you hear Angus’s iconic guitar sound and Brian’s voice…you know you’re in for a good time. They opened with If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) and from what I can see online, have kept the same set list each night. For me, Thunderstruck was a major highlight because how can you just not love that song and the energy? Hells Bells, where they lowered a giant bell down to hover above the stage, was great. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was another favorite that of course they played. And Whole Lotta Rosie was another awesome one. But really, they were all awesome.
AC/DC is one of those rare bands with countless hit songs that you hear in commercials, movies, sporting events, bars, cover bands, every classic rock station across the country (world?) and more. So all night was just hit after hit. They ended their main set after like 2 hours with an Angus Young guitar solo that I swear went on for 20 minutes. Just endless shredding.
When they came out for the encore, we got to hear Angus himself doing the “Oy’s” for T.N.T. which was another fam favorite of course! They ended the night with a For Those About to Rock (We Salute You). While the title of the song would’ve made for a better opener since at this point we were about to go home, it was still a great closer. They brought out stage cannons and pyros to do proper salutes, and once that was all over we got a fireworks display to close the night. Epic show even though it rained most of the night.
What I loved is that Brian is 77 and Angus is 70, yet they never stopped moving all night. Angus still does his signature hop/shuffle/run move up and down the stage while playing guitar, runs and jumps around, while Brian also moves all about the stage, smiling and dancing. I get winded after 20 – 30 minutes on a treadmill. They’ve gotta be the coolest granddads ever!
Worth noting, they sell these little blinking headband horns with their logo on them. They look like they might cost $1 to produce. $2 if I give them the benefit of being high quality. They sold thousands of these at $25 a pop and have 12 or 13 total stops on this tour. I’m amazed these dudes can hit the road for a month, kick ass, make millions in ticket and merch sales, and then go back to just doing whatever it is they do when not rocking out. What a life.
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