AC/DC AND WEMBLEY’S SIMPLE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MAGIC
Seldom are there situations in which incredibly few words are required. But all I could think to say about the evening was this: What. A. Night, as I looked up at the Wembley arches one last time before joining the line that had begun to form as people began to leave Wembley Stadium. AC/DC for now, AC/DC always.
This was the first time I had the privilege of seeing AC/DC live, having been raised long after the band’s peak and regretfully never having been able to attend any of their later performance dates. As a legacy band, I was aware that this might be their final performance.
As a devoted fan, I cannot adequately express the thrill that filled my body as I made my way through the lengthy online line and obtained some tickets. Since it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the cost was justified.
But all I could think was, “Please, oh please, let this blow my mind,” as I waited in line in real life to walk the Wembley Walk of Fame.
Brian Johnson, the band’s singer, and founding father Angus Young are the only notable members of the infamous group still alive. However, AC/DC is now essentially a beloved institution of rock ‘n’ roll.
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As they kicked off their two-hour set with If You Want Blood (You Got It), all of the seated sections joined together with the stalls below rising to their feet. How else are you supposed to really get into the groove to songs like Shot in the Dark, Thunderstruck, and Shoot to Thrill?
The group performed all of the hits, front to back. It goes without saying that some of the more recent songs, such as Demon Fire and Shot in the Dark, were not as well-received as You Shook Me All Night Long and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.
Though it’s impossible to win over everyone with new material, the energy onstage was just as intense as ever.
Young gave an incredible solo performance at the conclusion of Let There Be Rock, surpassing even his usual limelight time. Shots of light shot up around him as he dashed across the stage and ended up at the top of the crowd walkway, on his back, ripping like a wild man.
Even though the live mix obscured some of Johnson’s distinctive gravelly mow vocals, they were still highly identifiable. Given the magnitude of the performance, this was somewhat unfortunate, but it was unimportant when 90,000 yelling fans were raising their voices with every rock roar.
The last encore, “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You),” was performed. It was a farewell that was both welcoming and declarative. Alongside the deafening roars that echoed from every nook and cranny of the stadium, cannons blasted off from either side of the platform.
It is impossible to overstate the impact that AC/DC has had on millions of people worldwide; they are still “that band” in more ways than one.
It was a gift in and of itself to see them perform live and be fully engrossed in what decades of AC/DC have brought us.
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