JJ Reviews: ACDC in Wellington

ACDC Black Ice Tour Wellington, New Zealand

Hell Bells indeed. Opening up with the forgettable Rock and Roll Train, Westpac Trust Stadium when nuts when the classic riff to Back in Black was played third song in.

I realised during the show that ACDC are a 'buy the numbers' rock band. This is forgivable, however, as they were apparently the guys that wrote the actual numbers down in the first place. Songs like Dirty Deeds and Shoot to Thrill are rock standards, it's great to hear the guys that made them that standard. That said, some people complain that ACDC have made the same album 10 times - those people weren't in Wellington tonight!

The crowd was a sea of black t-shits sporting various incarnations of ACDC. They were well behaved and smoked a lot of weed (not the glyphosate killer). Early into the set a mongrel mob member collapse right in front of me. His head landed on my toes. He was skull fucked and couldn't get up. Me and another dude pulled him up and his girl nursed him away. Classic.

Angus Young is a manic. Being 60 doesn't slow him down. He was all over the place. An epic 10 odd minute solo consisting of baiting the crowd with blues riffs in return for crowd adulation was a highlight. Two years ago I saw Zakk Wylde play a long solo during a Ozzy Osborne show which I thought could not be topped. Angus did it in a pair of shorts and with a bald spot and.

 When Angus played his 'War Machine' for the crowd, rather than for himself as I suspect Wylde may have, I said to myself, this is why I paid $160 bucks for the privilege.

The rhythm section were tight and know their place on stage. Play the monster chords, hit the skins (with a fag in your mouth all night looking bored!) and the bass kept chugging along all night - that said the bass playing was fairly understated.

Lead singer sings the songs with gusto and says the lines the crowd wants to here. The star of the show is Angus Young and that's pretty much why he takes the lead on so many of the album covers.

Overall it was great to see ACDC, not a completely thrilling night but a night filled with some great songs, fist pumping and a whole lotta rosiness going on....

ACDC Wellington Set list:

Rock n Roll Train

Hell Ain't a Bad Place To Be

Back In Black

Big Jack - nice blues feel, a totally diffferent side of ACDC for the casual fan like me.

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Shot Down in Flames

Thunderstruck

Black Ice

The Jack - with an Angus strip show to reveal his ACDC underwear.

Hells Bells

Shoot to Thrill

War Machine - going to featured in Iron Man 2 Soundtrack

High Voltage

You Shook Me All Night Long - crowd favourite of the night

TNT

Whole Lotta Rosie

Let There Be Rock - with epic Angus Young solo performance post song.

ACDC set encore:

Highway To Hell

For Those About To Rock

Brian said after the song, 'We salute you, New Zealand'.

The opening bands were The Checks, and kiwi legends, Shihad - who I only saw one song of, something from the General Electric Album I think.....