Make no mistake about it, the sold-out Schott was ready for some good old fashion Rock and Roll on Friday night. Nobody, and I mean nobody, had any false pretensions about what they were about to witness. This was AC/DC, and they are what they are – a full-fledged, full bore hard rock and blues band.When the lights went down, we were treated to an animated 5-minute video of the band that was, shall we say, a tad risque’ (at least if you consider oral sex and things like that risque’). Anyway, after the video the curtains opened to the sight of a locomotive, complete with smoke and everything else a “Rock and Roll Train” would have on it, sitting at the back of the stage. At that point Angus and the boys came out with a guns blaring version of said song, and they never stopped until the finale 2-hours later.
Angus Young was a whirling, 5’-2” dervish, duck hopping/walking all over the place, mooning the audience, never stopping or slowing down the entire show. And man, can that cat play. He did things with the guitar I’ve never seen before, and I’ve seen a lot. Rolling Stone had him at #96 on their “Top 100 Guitarist’s of All-Time” list, behind the likes of Joe Perry, Lou Reed, and Clarence White of The Byrds. In a word, travesty. I’m telling you I’d never seen anything like it.
As for the rest of the band, Malcolm Young was top-notch, content to stay back and let brother take the lead as always. Brian Johnson was in fine form on lead vocals, belting out song after song at the top of his lungs. It’s a different dynamic with AC/DC, as they basically have two frontmen in Johnson and Angus. They sort of trade off, taking turns in getting out front and leading the show. Rounding out the lineup was drummer Phil Rudd (desperately trying to keep up) and bassist Cliff Williams, who I wouldn’t recognize if he walked in the room right now. Let’s just say Angus and Johnson have a commanding stage presence.
Highlights? Wow, there were almost too many to mention. Was it the nasty, positively evil version of TNT? Maybe, and how they got those pyrotechnics past the Fire Marshalls is beyond me. The watch-the-crowd-go-spastic, blast your eardrums version of “You Shook Me (All Night Long)”? Possibly. The giant bell that was lowered from the ceiling at the intro to “Hell’s Bells”? Could be. Then again, the 3-story tall inflatable stripper that rose above the stage during “Whole Lotta Rosie” was pretty cool. Nah, it had to be the cannon that blasted at the audience during the “For Those About to Rock” encore. Hey, it was Arena Rock at it’s finest – props are a must.
Still, it was the music that did it for me. After 30+ years, these guys can still go better than ever. And hey, it was only until Sunday afternoon that my hearing returned. I hate the OSU-Michigan announcers anyway.
For another take, you can check out Aaron Beck's review in the Columbus Dispatch.
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