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Live Reviews : AC/DC, The Hives, Kingswood @ ANZ Stadium, Sydney 04/11/2015

By on November 5, 2015

Images: Micheal Goddard
Words: Martin Michea

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AC/DC are finally back in Australia on their Rock Or Bust World Tour. It’s been a five year long wait for fans of the legendary hard rock band. Judging by this concert, the wait has been worth it!

I arrive at ANZ Stadium nice and early on this godforsaken, wet Wednesday. It has rained for most of the day and it doesn’t seem like it is going to stop anytime soon. That however, is not stopping a fair few punters showing up way before the evening’s opening act, Australian alternative rockers Kingswood, has taken to the stage which is awesome. By 6pm, there are probably about 2000 people inside the stadium already.

At 6.30pm sharp Kingswood hit the stage. The sound from where I’m sitting is way better than I could have ever hoped for. I am usually not a huge fan of outdoor concerts because the sound is usually not really that great, but this is top level stuff. One thing that bothers me a bit is the fact there is only a single camera connected to the large displays, which makes the viewing experience pretty boring for everyone who’s not right in front of the stage. Before today I had never heard any of Kingswood’s material, and whilst their set was almost criminally short (they finished at 6.50pm) I really enjoyed the energy that they displayed on stage, and I thought it was awesome to see such large numbers coming out to support a pretty unknown Australian band.

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By now the beer is seriously flowing, and the iconic flashing red devil horns are starting to appear, well, everywhere. The rain is actually staying away for big chunks of this evening. However, it is still fairly cold and miserable, and I feel sorry for the opening acts, because it is usually difficult as it is to open up for a huge arena band, even when it’s warm and sunny.

In my mind The Hives were added to the AC/DC bill for mostly one reason. Back in my beloved Sweden, they are widely regarded as one of our absolute best live bands. I was looking forward to seeing them perform on foreign soil and I must say that they were just as brilliant as always, and they really tried their best to get the crowd going. The Hives didn’t quite get there in the end, but the set they played was filled with so much energy and entertainment that they passed the test anyway. Still only one camera switched on for the displays, which I really think is a shame, because it doesn’t do The Hives’ live show justice for a majority of the crowd that’s turned up early. The sound is still just as good as during Kingswood, even if I feel like it could’ve been a little bit louder.

By 8.10pm ANZ Stadium is starting to get seriously crowded. I am really bad at estimating crowds, but I dare say that at least 35 000 has made their way to their seats/floor by now. Just before the main event of the night, I quickly scan the entire venue, and as far as I can see, it must’ve been very close to sold out. Red devil horns absolutely everywhere, and at 8.30pm you could just start feeling that anticipation that always hits the crowd when they know that the show is about to truly begin.

8.35pm, everything goes pitch black. The large screens that are flanking the stage are showing a very awesome intro (I don’t want to ruin the experience for people who are yet to see the band on this tour), AC/DC opens up with Rock or Bust. Frontman Brian Johnson and lead guitarist/wizard Angus Young are skulking around the stage, completely owning every inch of it.

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“Tonight, together we’re going to make some rock ’n’ roll and the party starts right here”, Johnson announces, followed by the opening riff to Shoot To Thrill. From the very get-go the audience is right with the band. It’s like someone flicked an off/on switch. Sure, it’s not River Plate DVD antics from the Sydney crowd, but still, a lot of noise, clapping and dancing is what the following two hours has to offer.

Angus Young, donning a red velvet variant of a school uniform, quickly become the main focal point of this show, sixty years old and he doesn’t miss a single note. I can’t remember the last time I saw such an entertaining and gifted guitarist live, if ever. At one point he’s even playing the guitar using his tie. That was truly a mind-blowing experience, and it seemed like the entire stadium enjoyed it as much as I did. Meanwhile drummer Chris Slade and bassist Cliff Williams serve as an absolutely rock solid backbone throughout the entire show.

Entertainment is the keyword for the night. Other than being an insanely professional band, AC/DC is all about entertainment in its most basic and raw, but also wonderful, form. It is not very complicated, it is straightforward, and it works so bloody well.

Two other elements play a huge part in the success of this evening: the stage show is absolutely magnificent in every single way, from the lights to the pyrotechnics, to the actual shape of the stage. The other thing is the sound. It was good during the opening acts, but it’s on a whole other level during AC/DC’s set. Flawless is the only word I can think of to describe it.

The rain is actually not as bad as it could have been. However, at one point the heavens truly opened up and not long after the band broke out into Thunderstruck, it’s like they even command the weather Gods.

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Yesterday’s show was the first show in Australia without founding member Malcolm Young, who left the band after it was revealed that he is suffering with dementia. This fact didn’t hold AC/DC back whatsoever though. Malcolm’s nephew, Stevie Young, is an excellent replacement, and the intermissions between the songs were all extremely short, it was high octane rock ‘n’ roll from start to finish.

I won’t reveal the entire setlist here, but there’s a good mix of new and old in there. I am not a massive AC/DC fan on any level (or rather, I haven’t been until after the show last night), but I still knew almost every song they played, and I think that’s a testament to their absolute greatness. I doubt there are any fans of rock or metal out there who has not heard at least one or two AC/DC songs.

At one point during the show, whilst I’m watching a young teenage girl dancing around with what most likely is both of her parents, I think about the phenomenon that is AC/DC, and why they are still selling out arenas across the world. Why is it that some bands can survive member changes, while others can’t? I think the reason, at least in this case, is that AC/DC’s absolute monstrous collection of hit songs has gotten bigger than the band itself. Sure, Angus and Brian are vital parts to the band, but at the same time, I watch how the songs live on from generation to generation, and in that moment I think that, the band members might not be around for forever, but their legacy will.

AC/DC still know how to rock, even better than most younger bands of today and you better bloody do yourself the favour of witnessing the band on this tour. Head down early to catch two awesome opening acts as well.

Catch the remaining AC/DC ‘Rock or Bust’ Australian tour dates.

SYDNEY Saturday 7 November at ANZ Stadium, www.ticketek.com.au
BRISBANE – Thursday 12 and Saturday 14 November at QSAC, www.ticketek.com.au
ADELAIDE – Saturday 21 November at Adelaide Oval, www.ticketek.com.au
PERTH – Friday 27 and Sunday 29 November at Domain Stadium, www.ticketmaster.com.au
MELBOURNE – Sunday 6 and Tuesday 8 December at Etihad Stadium, www.ticketmaster.com.au

About

Martin is an aspiring music photographer/videographer. He is originally from the southern parts of Sweden and now he's living in Sydney, Australia. Thanks to his older sister, he got into Rammstein at the age of 9, and since then he's been into all types of metal/rock. He loves to combine photography and music, but also filming concerts and produce live material. Follow him on Twitter and check out his website.