As the Irish blues rock band, The Answer, finished their last song, scores of eager fans filed into their seats awaiting the commencement of AC/DC’s Sept. 4 concert at the Save Mart Center.
As the lights dimmed throughout the entire arena and the band’s introductory video started playing, the massive crowd of fans cheered at the top of their lungs. As the video drew to an end the huge screen playing it separated, and a giant train engine car slid out between the split screen; AC/DC began hammering out their latest single “Rock and Roll Train.”
AC/DC came together as a band in 1973 with the Young brothers, Angus and Malcom, tearing it up in the guitar section, Bon Scott with larynx-shredding vocals, Phill Rudd on the drums and Mark Evans on the bass guitar (later replaced by Cliff Williams). After a few albums and continual touring the band grew in popularity across Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia. In 1978 the band finally started gaining popularity in the States with the album Highway to Hell.
However, the untimely death of their front-man and lead singer, Bon Scott, brought their quest for international stardom to what seemed an unfortunate end. The band wasted little time in beginning the search for a new lead singer. Ultimately the band found Brian Johnson to help fill the void that Scott left.
The next year, 1981, AC/DC released Back in Black with Johnson on vocals; the album proved to be their most popular yet. It is the second best selling album of all time, coming in at over 49 million copies, and kicked AC/DC into the international spotlight.
Hundreds of shows and millions of album sales later, AC/DC landed in Fresno, at the Save Mart Center, for one awesome performance.
From Angus’s shredding guitar solos to Johnson’s ear piercing vocals, the band rocked the entire 19-song set list every step of the way.
One of my favorite parts of the show was when Angus launched into a 15 minute guitar solo at the end of the song “Let there be Rock.” Throughout the extensive solo Angus jumped and ran over the entire stage – down the center catwalk and eventually ended up on an elevated stage in the middle of the arena.
The band’s incredible showmanship really made the performance great.
However, one of my few complaints with the concert is the fact that it was unnecessarily loud – so loud that at times it was hard to understand the lyrics or even certain parts of the melodies.
My other complaint is with AC/DC’s song content. While the songs always sound monstrous and contain screeching fire-laden guitar solos, the lyrics often contain an element of sexual innuendo or dark undertone.
While it is true that the content of AC/DC is not as bad as that of many other artists, it is still bad nonetheless. I find it difficult to go to a show and rock out to “Hells Bells.”
Aside from the reservations that I felt concerning this issue, and that of the volume, AC/DC still rocked the house and put on an outstanding live performance.
For more reviews, read the Aug. 23 article, Thrice composes inspirational lyrics.
