Angus Younger is the final authentic member, a dervish who, at 69, nonetheless performs in his college uniform and electrifies complete stadiums along with his guitar taking part in – like on Sunday in Vienna. AC/DC’s present was “Excessive Voltage” by way of and thru (that is the title of a music). The repeat will comply with on Wednesday.
The start was programmatic: AC/DC began off deafeningly within the Ernst Happel Oval with “If You Need Blood (You’ve got Acquired It). That is precisely what they wished: “Enjoyable and rock ‘n’ roll,” as singer Brian Johnson whispered. There was not a lot speaking, no messing round. The rhythm machine with the three new members – Steve Younger (since 2014) on rhythm guitar, Matt Laug on drums (since 2023) and Chris Chaney on bass (since this yr) – drove tirelessly. Johnson screamed his coronary heart out. And Angus Younger is Angus Younger: probably the greatest rock guitarists of all time, who wrestles one nice solo following one other from his instrument.
Picture gallery: AC/DC electrified Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium
(Picture: TOBIAS STEINMAURER (APA)) Bild 1/15
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Reef for eternity
To get straight to the purpose: The overdriven, muddy sound was the one downside of the night. However neither the band nor their followers had been in a position to let this dampen their euphoria. When the riff for eternity from “Again In Black” rang out, 59,000 followers screamed collectively. There was no much less enthusiasm for the sensible rock anthem “Thunderstruck”: AC/DC might have sounded somewhat extra grainy because the dying of Malcolm Younger, most likely the best rhythm guitarist rock music has ever produced, however they haven’t misplaced any of their energy or enthusiasm for enjoying.
The music “Demon Hearth” from the present (very stable) album “Energy Up” was accepted. “Shot In The Darkish” from the identical opus, which adopted somewhat later, was higher obtained and in addition has the potential to grow to be an AC/DC traditional. However in fact it was the hits that had been celebrated: “Hells Bells” (with a bell floating down), “Freeway To Hell” (with a burning stage) and “You Shook Me All Night time Lengthy” (with flares lit within the crowd). Johnson and Angus Younger carry out high-performance sport once they carry out. The previous, who was changed by Axl Rose on the earlier tour attributable to listening to issues, sings as if he had been choking out each phrase from the depths of his physique. Hats off to how a lot energy the 76-year-old’s voice nonetheless has.
Shorts, shirt, blazer and the duckwalk
However the present itself belonged to Angus: Throughout “Shot Down In Flames” he duckwalked throughout a footbridge for the primary and never final time. He ended “Soiled Deeds Executed Grime Low-cost” with a livid guitar riff that most likely echoed all the best way to Wanda, who had been taking part in on the identical time on the Donauinselfest. Throughout “Sin Metropolis” he tortured the strings with the tie from his college uniform. Lengthy since with out his cap and blazer, simply sporting shorts and an unbuttoned shirt, he started an ecstatic solo throughout “Let There Be Rock” that lasted greater than quarter-hour, throughout which he spun in circles mendacity on a lifting platform on the ground – and never a be aware was misplaced.
There’s no use for frills (which this time had been primarily restricted to video partitions and a little bit of pyrotechnics) when you might have Angus Younger within the line-up and, following 90 minutes of high-tension rock ‘n’ roll, you may go into the finale with the songs “TNT” and “For These About to Rock (We Salute You)”. This band actually does appear indestructible.
