Treasured few bands can fill a stadium 52 years into their profession — not to mention play to an viewers closely populated by dad and mom and their youngsters, each generations sporting purple satan horn headbands and cheering for 77-year-old singer Brian Johnson and white-haired guitar icon Angus Younger, 70.
However AC/DC did simply that, enjoying 21 immediately recognizable sing-along tunes of appreciable heaviness — nearly all of them basic rock radio staples and cultural touchstones — rendered with an influence and fervour that belies their many many years of service. Kicking off with 1978’s “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It),” Younger, in his trademark schoolboy outfit (purple velvet for this present) and recognizable black and white Gibson SG, took the stage to thunderous appreciation.
Subsequent was “Back in Black,” the music and album that marked Johnson’s 1980 entrée to the lineup. The frontman proved expressive and animated regardless of critical listening to points that sidelined him for a couple of scary years, and a voice that, understandably, doesn’t all the time have the maintain and energy of earlier days. The quintet performed a couple of tracks from their newest, 2020’s “Power Up,” however as anticipated and appreciated, the hits dominated, from “Shot Down to Flames” to “Hells Bells” to latter-day crowd favourite “Thunderstruck.”
AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Younger carry out on the Rose Bowl on April 18, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif.
(Eric Thayer/For The Instances)
The band’s set, regardless of the relentless, strident perfection and energy of the rhythm part, wasn’t a fast circulate, with pretty frequent darkened-stage breaks between songs. The second half of the two-hour-plus efficiency proved the stronger — Johnson’s power seemingly renewed on this third present of 13 for this leg of the Energy Up tour.
Followers cheer as AC/DC performs on the Rose Bowl on April 18, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif.
(Eric Thayer/For The Instances)
The band’s hardcore devotees might surprise if AC/DC could also be barely callous or merely pushed, as their profession suggests. Different followers don’t know or care in regards to the lineup’s backstory, which took its first devastating flip in February 1980 with the loss of life of singer Bon Scott, 33. In lower than six months, with new frontman Johnson, beforehand of Brit band Geordie, AC/DC launched what would grow to be one of many best-selling albums in historical past, “Back in Black,” their first of 11 LPs (up to now) with Johnson.
Like a Dickensian Andy Capp, Johnson is an uber-charming rogue, an everyman bluesy belter whose winking humor with a touch of the scoundrel usually are not solely not like Scott’s demeanor, although every man’s vocals, inflection and stage presence are/have been clearly their very own. And beloved as such.
AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Younger carry out on the Rose Bowl on April 18, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif.
(Eric Thayer/For The Instances)
Nonetheless, on Feb. 28, 2016, within the midst of AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust” tour, medical doctors instructed Johnson if he didn’t cease performing instantly, he risked whole listening to loss. By Could 17, 2016, Weapons N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose joined AC/DC as a fill-in vocalist for 2 dozen reveals, a transfer that shocked many and thrilled others. Seemingly nothing will cease the juggernaut that’s AC/DC. They’re without delay a band of brothers, actually — based by Angus and late brother Malcolm Younger — but in addition not. Because the middle-aged concertgoer subsequent to me famous: “Angus is all about the money and he and his brother [Malcom] own the band.” That stated, it was the followers’ tenth present throughout a number of continents, although he purposely averted seeing the Rose-fronted model of AC/DC.
Johnson, his listening to points managed, was again within the fold by 2019, and post-pandemic, enjoying dwell with AC/DC by October 2023. Curiously, one of many different bands nonetheless filling stadiums are certainly Weapons N’ Roses. Much more titillating: Rose and guitarist Slash, the Johnson and Younger of American rock, have been in attendance on the Rose Bowl — their stroll by means of the gang inciting 1000’s to gasp and crane their necks for a take a look at the duo.
However all eyes have been on stage for the two-hour-plus present. AC/DC have written winking songs about sexually transmitted ailments (“The Jack”); massive ladies (“Whole Lotta Rosie”); voracious encounters (“You Shook Me All Night Long,” “She’s Got Balls”); and naturally, Hell (within the summary). The tunes are all exuberant and plain, and even with a brand new period of political correctness, by no means offensive.
Regardless of any challenges of well being and member attrition, AC/DC stay unstoppable and plain — Younger’s personal model of Chuck Berry’s duckwalk proved his preternatural power, as did his anticipated and all the time prolonged (10 minutes? 15?) solo throughout “Let There Be Rock.”
No less than six songs within the set have been made notorious by Scott, together with “Sin City,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” “Riff Raff,” “Let There Be Rock” and “Highway to Hell,” however they’re a lot part of the band’s oeuvre it issues not that Johnson has been singing them longer than Scott did. One other fixed: AC/DC music titles are regularly convivial lowbrow bon mots — “Have a Drink on Me,” “Hells Bells,” “Stiff Upper Lip” — now so widespread within the vernacular that AC/DC might need invented the phrases. At this level, who is aware of; perhaps they did.
One legitimate criticism leveled on the band, can be the (not-so) secret to AC/DC’s energy and continued, deserved worldwide success: they make the identical report each time. If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it. And when issues do “break,” they’re shortly fastened. As an alternative of hoped-for drummer Phil Rudd, rounding out the dwell lineup are drummer Matt Laug, with the band for 2 years; and expert journeyman bassist Chris Chaney of Jane’s Habit infamy. He changed Cliff Williams, who first joined AC/DC in 1977. And there are two “Young people” on guitar; Angus and his nephew, Stevie, 68, who changed his uncle Malcolm within the band in 2014.
A multigenerational sea of followers sporting glowing satan horns as AC/DC performs on the Rose Bowl on April 18, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif.
(Eric Thayer/For The Instances)
So, will AC/DC preserve going? Clearly, for so long as they’ll. It’s what they do. Will audiences, followers younger and outdated, preserve exhibiting up? They’ll. It’s what they do. The world circa 2025 might use two hours of an ear-splitting sing-along with 70,000 like-minded denizens, celebrating the working-class joys of booze, broads and rock ‘n’ roll. AC/DC stay the band to ship that joyful, bipartisan escapism. As Scott sang (and Johnson by no means has) on the bagpipe-belter “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll),” AC/DC certainly hit that high, and stay ensconced there.
AC/DC did their viewers an important service in having the Fairly Reckless as openers. Singer Taylor Momsen had a giant presence on the large stage, trying just like the Runways’ Cherie Currie circa ’70s, her voice sultry pitch good, her commanding voice as real as her positively magnetic stage presence. Overheard from a close-by seat: “I was thoroughly blown away.”
Like AC/DC, the band is guitar-driven and write nice songs, their method the right mix between accessible rock with the hazard, quantity and energy of steel. It’s a disgrace AC/DC are so by-the-book onstage, as a result of a Momsen-Johnson duet could be a pairing for the ages.
