Managing to keep their return to the studio under wraps, AC/DC quietly convened at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver in March 2008, to work on the new album with producer Brendan O’Brien and engineer Mike Fraser. O’Brien’s credits included Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Bruce Springsteen, and Rage Against The Machine. Fraser had previously worked with the band on Back In Black, Razors Edge, Ballbreaker, and Stiff Upper Lip.
During their hiatus, AC/DC had left their longtime label, Atlantic Records, and signed a new deal with Sony Music. To whet the fans’ appetites, they released a double and triple DVD titled Plug Me In in October 2007. The sets included five and seven hours respectively of rare concert footage, including “School Days,” “T.N.T.,” “She’s Got Balls,” and It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) at St. Alban’s High School in Australia in March 1976.
The band also announced their debut move into video games with Rock Band 2, featuring “Let There Be Rock” as a playable track. This was followed by AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack, which included their entire set list from the Live At Donington album. The game featured 18 tracks and was specially remixed by Mike Fraser.
To celebrate the upcoming release of the new album, SiriusXM Satellite Radio launched AC/DC Radio, a channel that would air AC/DC music 24/7 from September 2008 to January 2009. Featured classics included “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “Back In Black,” along with songs from the new album.
With 15 tracks laid down in just six weeks, Black Ice, AC/DC’s eighteenth studio album, was released in Australia on October 17 and in the United States on October 20. Included on this monument heralding AC/DC’s return to the forefront of rock were “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train,” “Skies On Fire,” “Big Jack,” “Anything Goes,” “War Machine,” “Smash ‘N’ Grab,” “Spoilin’ For A Fight,” “Wheels,” “Decibel,” “Stormy May Day,” “She Likes Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “Money Made,” “Rock ‘N’ Roll Dream,” “Rocking All The Way,” and “Black Ice.”
The album debuted at Number One on the Billboard charts and sold 1,762,000 copies worldwide with U.S. sales at 784,000. The L.A. Times reported, “AC/DC topped the one million sales mark for its new Black Ice during the album’s second week of release, holding onto the Number One spot debuting in 31 countries.” Black Ice would go on to sell eight million copies over the next four years.
The video for their first single, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train,” was shot in London on August 15, in front of several hundred fans who were lucky enough to win a chance to be part of the audience. On August 28, the song was released to radio, and three months later “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train” garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Despite being one of the few bands on the planet who refuse to offer their songs through download, AC/DC’s new album was mysteriously leaked on the Internet before its official debut. Surprising some, the band signed a deal in the United States with Walmart and Sam’s Club to sell Black Ice exclusively. The new album would also be available for sale on the AC/DC official website. Shedding light on the logic behind this decision, Malcolm revealed that not only did Walmart pre-order 2.5 million copies, but the exclusive deal eliminated their distribution costs.
Fulfilling the wishes of millions of loyal fans, AC/DC followed the release of their new single by announcing a worldwide tour that would keep them on the road until the fall of 2010. Opening on October 28, 2008 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the tour would include 42 dates in North America, with the first leg ending in Nashville, Tennessee on January 31. Taking a short break, AC/DC would continue their global assault through Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.
To coincide with the U.S. release of Black Ice, Columbia Records (Sony Music) and Walmart created “Rock Again AC/DC Stores,” the first time in the history of Walmart that such a large area of floorspace would be dedicated to the release of a new album. Any faithful AC/DC fan knew this royal treatment was long overdue for the kings of rock ‘n’ roll. Columbia Records also teamed up with MTV to create “AC/DC Rock Band Stores” in New York’s Times Square and Los Angeles. To herald the event, Black Ice trucks rolled through both cities loudly playing AC/DC music, stopping at various places to sell merchandise.
When the album finally made its long-awaited debut, Black Ice charted at Number One in 31 countries, going Platinum within days. Selling more than 780,000 copies in the U.S. in the first week alone, it also marked the band’s first ever debut at Number One on the album charts here in the United States. Not bad for a band that many predicted would never record another album.
Also breaking records were the ticket sales for the new tour. Seats sold out in minutes for their appearance at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, forcing them to add a second show. Both nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City were similarly snapped up and their concert at Vancouver’s General Motors Place broke another sales record, with tickets selling out in just four minutes.
As the band took to the road, their first tour in seven years brought an avalanche of rave reviews from the press. The Boston Globe declared, “AC/DC is the greatest band ever,” the Chicago Tribune acclaimed, “AC/DC: Rock ‘n’ roll that outlasts time,” and the Associated Press confirmed, “Critical acclaim escaped them…until now.”
Never previously complimentary of the legendary band, Rolling Stone finally put AC/DC on the cover of their November 13, 2008 issue. Despite barely covering the band for the past 30 years, executive editor Jason Fine was quoted as saying, “It’s their best record since Back In Black, since 1980. Unlike some of the records they made over the last 20 years, this one really sounds alive.”
Brian Johnson told the Associated Press, “The critics have always been a little flippant with AC/DC about Angus and the school suit, and it’s always easy to have a quick little joke or a dig at the expense of it, the easy riffs, and such and such, and they’re all dead wrong. The easiest riffs in the world are the hardest ones to write, because they are very few.”
After being off the road for seven years, the protocol for this tour would be very different. Not only were they not giving many interviews, but there would be no meet and greets after each show. Regardless, that didn’t stop me requesting an interview with Angus and asking for the chance to say hello to the boys when they rolled through Chicago on November 1, 2008.
Gracing me with one of the best rock ‘n’ roll surprises of my life, AC/DC’s road manager called me the day before the tour started to tell me that not only would Angus be happy to give me an interview, but I also had tickets and after-show passes waiting for me in Chicago. Even though they were limiting the press, Angus had said, “If Sue wants an interview, Sue gets an interview.” I guess you could say that there are some perks to having known the band since 1977!
After waiting seven years to see AC/DC perform again, the anticipation of my trip to Chicago was overwhelming. When they hit the stage at the Allstate Arena, there was no doubt that one of the most successful bands in the world had kept their rock ‘n’ roll Midas touch. In front of 17,000 screaming fans, AC/DC’s show opened with an animated cartoon of the band traveling on what else but a rock ‘n’ roll train surrounded by devilish girls trying to control them; the boys barely manage to overcome them when Angus narrowly escapes the train before it crashes off the tracks.
As the cartoon ended, a life-size black locomotive came barreling out over the stage, halting just above the drum riser amid flying sparks and a thunderous roar from the audience. Suddenly, Phil appeared behind the drum kit, and Brian, Malcolm, Cliff, and Angus strode out onto the stage. Like a dream unfolding in front of our eyes, the band launched into “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train,” heralding the return of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.
For the next hour and 45 minutes, AC/DC played five songs from Black Ice, which included the title track, along with “Big Jack,” “War Machine,” “Anything Goes,” and, of course, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train.” The rest of their show was dedicated to hammering out an amazing string of rock anthems, including “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be,” “Dirty Deeds,” “Thunderstruck,” “The Jack,” “Hells Bells,” “Shoot To Thrill,” “You Shook Me,” “T.N.T.,” “Whole Lotta Rosie,” and “Let There Be Rock.” Their performances were incredible, and I can’t say I have ever heard them sound better.
As they closed their show with “Let There Be Rock,” Angus careened out onto a walkway that led to a circular stage that rose up above the crowd. From this perch, he tore through a scorching solo while spinning around on his back. Generating enough energy to power an entire city, after 34 years, Angus proved that he could still bring it. The whole crowd, many of them sporting glowing red devil horns, went completely wild for the diminutive schoolboy who barely stands five foot two. That’s Angus Young, the real live Guitar Hero.
Only minutes after leaving the stage, AC/DC returned for a two-song encore which included “Highway To Hell” and “For Those About To Rock.” During “Highway To Hell,” pictures flashed above the stage of days gone by with singer Bon Scott at the helm. It never fails to bring tears to my eyes when the audience sings along to Bon’s lyrics, honoring the legendary frontman. He had such an impact on their music and a definite hand in forging their salty image. Always a prankster and a man who truly loved life, Bon’s memory is never far away from the band.
After the show, my 14-year-old son Jamey and I had the privilege of visiting with Angus and Malcolm in their dressing room in the basement of the Allstate Arena. Sitting together sipping tea and smoking cigarettes, it was amazing to see how relaxed and down to earth they both were, considering they had just torn up the stage in front of thousands of people.
The first thing Malcolm had said to me the night before was, “Me wife bought your book!” Naturally, neither Malcolm nor Angus cracked a smile until I nervously asked Malcolm if she liked it. They both broke out laughing and he told me she loved it. Talking like we had seen each other just last week, we joked about their ability to make it through the show, since I was tired and sweaty from just watching them! I asked Malcolm if he starts counting how many songs are left, by the time they get to the middle of their set. He laughed and admitted, “Yeah, I do!”
When we talked about the fans fearing that they would never tour again, Malcolm assured me that they always intended going back out. Then he looked over at Angus and said, “Well, this has been the first real break we’ve had since 1974, right?”
I also asked Angus if he would ever consider having an art show to display his paintings, and he immediately told me no. Malcolm laughed and said, “He’s saving that for his old age!”
Over the rest of our visit, we talked about how devoted their fans are and how well the new album was being received. As always, I had to bring up the night I first met AC/DC in 1977, when I predicted that someday they would be as big as The Rolling Stones. At the time the band laughed their heads off at me, but when I reminded Malcolm he grinned and claimed, “Well, we did blow them off the stage at the SARS Benefit in Toronto, I know that much!”
“Pyro” Pete remembered how cool and collected Malcolm was when they played with the Stones. After they each played their sets, they jammed together on a cover of B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby”; Malcolm chatted to Pete the whole time from the side of the stage before it was his time to go back out. In the pictures of the two bands together you can see AC/DC giving their best, though their admiration for the Rolling Stones is undeniable.
During our visit, Angus and Malcolm were both especially kind to my son, asking him all about school and what his interests were. When Angus mentioned how tall he was for 14 years old, he quickly added, “Well then everyone’s taller than me.”
As we said our goodbyes, Jamey got some posters signed and we had our pictures taken. If that wasn’t enough to give my son the memories of a lifetime, Angus reached into his pocket (at his wife Ellen’s suggestion) and gave Jamey the guitar pick he had used that night. Talk about the pick of destiny!
The next day I took two copies of my book to the band’s hotel in downtown Chicago. They had both teased me, saying they could afford to go buy it but wanted signed copies from me. Waiting in the lobby to give the books to their tour manager, who kept putting us off, to my surprise Angus came downstairs to collect them himself. After he waved Ellen off in a cab he came in for a short visit, asking Jamey if he had enjoyed the show the night before. My two girlfriends got to meet him but were so shocked that no one asked for an autograph or a picture.
A few days later, Angus was generous enough to call me to talk about Black Ice and the incredible longevity of AC/DC. Due to the no-interview policy, we had only 30 minutes to chat. As always, he was as sweet as ever.
It’s been a long time in between albums; how long did it take you to put together the songs for Black Ice?
It starts with the last tour, you get some ideas then. It might be a song title or something, or a riff that you would get at a sound check, or backstage, and you keep a log of it. And that kind of becomes the basis of when you start to write. And also you do a lot of writing at home, when you take a break off the tour and have a rest.
After writing songs for over 30 years, does it get any easier?
Does it get any easier? Sometimes you rely on a lot of things through experience. But I think writing songs is something you learn, but it’s a kind of learning through a kind of experience. Then after a while, you hope you get better at it.
Well, I don’t think you have to worry about it. I think you have that down!
Yeah, but sometimes you wish you could write like I did when I was really young. You always want to write something that strikes a chord with a lot of people. I think that’s the magic.
Well, I think you did that with the new album. I think you have some classics on here.
All right, good! [laughs]
I heard that you wanted to come up with a title for the new album that would be tough, something that sounded hard. Who came up with the title, Black Ice?
Well, it was me that came up with it. But we had already had a song called “Black Ice,” and at the end of the day, we thought it would make a good album title.
Do you have a favorite song on the album?
I like a lot of them. But when you’re writing and playing them, they all become your babies. Usually you do a lot of demos of the songs, and try to pick the ones that capture the spirit of the band.
Everything was written by you and Malcolm. Do you write the lyrics together or do you write one song and then Malcolm writes another?
Well, you kind of bounce off each other. I might come up with a line or he might come up with a chorus.
Who decides on the design of the album and the staging for the tour?
We come up with the album title, and then the artists bring you their ideas for it. They come up with things, trying to see what matches your ideas best.
Well, I love the way the stage looks with the big locomotive, it all looked so cool!
Yeah! Well, a lot of it, again, we had enough time and sometimes you get very rushed. A lot of things fall into place, and sometimes you have to sacrifice some things because of the time factor. This time we were very lucky because we already had all the songs that would definitely be on the album. Again, they [the artists] took the songs and came back with different ideas.
I realize you’ve only done about four shows so far, but what part of the show is your favorite and why?
Favorite part? I think probably, for me, it would be the anticipation. You get ready, and then you think, “I wish I was on now. I’m ready to go now!” I guess it would be, for me, waiting to go out there and get wild.
Were you surprised by the fans and how much they wanted the band to come back out on tour?
I suppose, you hear a lot of it. People around the band tell us what’s going on. There are always a lot of people talking, but no one takes the time to check with the band. So sometimes we’re the last to hear about something. Even when we went up to Vancouver to record, it was several weeks before anyone knew about it.
Back when we first met, some of the band talked about being rich and famous. Do you miss those days when you could go out and not be stopped by people everywhere you go?
I don’t think I ever thought about being rich and famous. I think when you’re young, and at that age, everything is an adventure. When you’re living it at the time, you don’t think that far ahead. Even today, I try to take things day to day. When someone asks me about something six months from now, I don’t think that far ahead. I think at the time, I was happy to be doing what I was doing. It was an education, in a way.
Of course, when I watched the show the other night, you couldn’t help but think about Bon and how much he contributed to the band. What do you think Bon would have to say about how successful AC/DC is today?
He would love it! He would be living it to the hilt. It was just the nature of his character. He always used to say to me, “Whatever I do, don’t do!”
When you’re on stage playing some of the older songs, do you feel his presence around you?
Yeah, of course. Even sometimes when I’m just walking around, I think, “Am I walking like him?” The way Bon walked, with kind of a swagger. [laughs]
It’s amazing how well Brian was able to fit into the band.
Brian is his own character. He has such a good time. He was a fan of the music and brings something to it which is totally different from Bon. He’s definitely his own character.
He is so funny, always cracking jokes.
That’s right. For us, he keeps us highly entertained. And he brings a lot of things down to earth.
When I interviewed the late Perry Cooper, who was with Atlantic Records and very close to Bon, he didn’t think it was possible for you to replace him. Then he went out on the road with you, after Back In Black came out, and he was floored by how funny Brian was. I can’t imagine during the recording of the album, being in so much pain, that you knew at the time that it would become one of the top 10 biggest-selling albums in history!
Yeah, I think at the time you really don’t know. But we had some strong songs and we wanted to finish them. In a way, the recording was very therapeutic for us, because after a while you can start wallowing in it. It’s always harder for the people left behind. The hardest part, when you lose someone very close to you, is how do you do this? How do you go on?
To Brian’s credit, look how great he did, and how loving and respectful he’s been toward Bon’s memory.
That’s right! He’s also a fan of those songs, and every time we get together to tour he always wants to do one of the old tracks: “Let’s try this one!” And he always does it in his own way.
It’s funny to be talking about him like the new guy, considering he’s been in the band now for 28 years.
Yeah, well I’ll always be the youngest! And I always say, don’t have birthdays!
After seeing the band close to 20 times over the years, I don’t think I have ever heard you sound better! It was so perfect, it was like listening to the album!
Good to know. Then the sound system was worth the money! [laughing]
How do you feel about how the band is playing? Have they surprised you at all?
Yes, they have. I was in shock that they had done the album! [laughing] From that point on, how everyone sounded and that we did it in a very short time. It was a good experience also working with Mike Fraser again. It was also very good to work with Brendan O’Brien, who has a musician’s background, and communicating with someone like this is also very good because he knows exactly what you need. He knows what you are talking about. He is very, very sharp.
You didn’t take that long to record the new album. How long were you actually in Vancouver?
About six weeks. You’ve got to do your homework first. Get all of that done before you go in. Then once you go in, it’s all about getting the right sound. And then it’s all about capturing the moment.
If there was one thing you are most proud of with AC/DC, what would that be?
I think it’s just the band being able to keep going. It’s probably surviving this long. And playing what we’ve always played. From the moment I joined the band, Malcolm asked me to come along and play second guitar. And I asked him what we were going to play, and he said, “That’s obvious. We’re just going to play rock ‘n’ roll!”
Some describe AC/DC as a metal band, but I love the fact that you always claim to be a rock ‘n’ roll band.
That’s what we are [a rock ‘n’ roll band], and that’s what we do best!
AC/DC had stayed out of the spotlight since their Stiff Upper Lip tour ended in 2001, and it was clear that on the Black Ice tour the fans couldn’t get enough of the band. For the next 19 months, AC/DC would continue to do what they do best.
“Pyro” Pete explained the concept of the thunderous train: “I worked closely with the set designer on the Black Ice tour. The vision was to make the train set piece look menacing and dangerous at the show’s opening. So we came up with all the flames and smoke and sparks and pyro shooting out of it to match the look of the train in the opening video. Then the huge pyro cue was when the train burst onto the stage.
“We then wanted to keep the flames and smoke going throughout the show, then we did our other pyro and flame cues to make the train [look like] a flaming, smoking, living part of the set.”
Longtime fan and friend Darren Goulden recalls being there at the beginning of the Black Ice tour. “I was at the ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Train’ video shoot and arrived a few hours before the fan buses showed up. I got to spend time chatting with the band and asked Mal if he was looking forward to spending the next year back on the road. Mal said, ‘We’re doing two years…’ and a big smile appeared on his face as he said, ‘…and we’ve got our own plane!’
“Mal invited me to the photo shoot for the album, which was scheduled for the next day. There was a lot of standing around and, whilst talking to Mal, he called the band’s manager, Alvin Handwerker, over and said, ‘Tell him about the tour!’ Alvin was reluctant to give out information but Mal insisted and gave me the biggest compliment that I’ve ever had when he said to Alvin, ‘Look, you can trust him!’ Alvin told me about the plans to do the dress rehearsals in Wilkes-Barre on October 26, with the tour starting a few days later.
“Unfortunately, I’d already booked a trip abroad for my fiancée’s birthday so I had to miss the start of the tour and the first show I could fly in for was Chicago. Upon arrival at the Chicago airport I had some issues with immigration, and found myself flying home again a mere five hours after arriving in the U.S. I later got a message from Brian, asking where I was, and I told him about my immigration problems. A few weeks later, I received a large box in the mail and when I opened it there was a note saying, ‘Sorry you missed the shows,’ and one of every piece of tour merchandise.”
After completing the first American leg of the Black Ice tour—which included 28 dates throughout the U.S. and Canada, featuring back-to-back shows in Chicago, New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Oakland, California, and Los Angeles—the band took a short break for the holidays.
After starting the European tour on February 18, 2009 in Oslo, Norway, AC/DC played 29 shows and wrapped it up on April 23 at the LG Arena in Birmingham, England. Darren Goulden remembers meeting up with them in Europe in February: “I went to the start of the European tour and after the Stockholm show I was taken backstage and had the piss took out of me by the band for getting deported from the States.”
Throughout the summer of 2009, AC/DC played 21 open-air festivals starting on May 13 in Germany, continuing through France, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, England, Ireland, and Holland. May 26 marked their debut in Belgrade, Serbia, with the tour ending in Glasgow, Scotland on June 30.
When the band came back to the U.S. for the second leg of the North American tour, I was lucky enough to get tickets to their show in Chicago at the United Center on August 14. This time I also had backstage passes for myself and my sister Lori, who was more than thrilled! Having been on the road for almost a year, their performance that night was as flawless as ever. They had the audience on their feet from the time they walked on stage until the minute they left. Dedicated AC/DC fans know that keeping up with them in the audience is a workout all by itself.
After the show, the mood backstage was pure joy, with family members and friends of the band hanging out; I took pictures and my sister got autographs. Since Brian Johnson’s wife, Brenda, is originally from Chicago, several times the backstage in that city has been closed to everyone but family, so we were very honored to be there. We managed to get pictures taken of us with all the band members, including Phil Rudd—which was a real treat, since I hadn’t had my photo taken with him since 1978! Having Phil back in the band made their lethal rhythm section complete (no offense to former drummers).
Malcolm’s son, Ross, was kind enough to snap pictures for us, and then came along when we were invited into a separate dressing room with Dad and Uncle Angus. Ross couldn’t have been sweeter and it was a pleasure to spend some time with him.
Both Angus and Malcolm were happy to see me—although I noticed Malcolm wasn’t as chatty as usual, which I chalked up to being exhausted. My sister got so many autographs. After they signed several, I leaned in and said, “Did you also sign the mortgage and a new car loan for me?” Which cracked them both up. I would see the tour two more times before the end, but this was the last time I would speak to Malcolm.
On November 10, the band released Backtracks, a special collectors’ box set packaged inside a working guitar amp, containing two CDs and one DVD of music released over the past 35 years. The collection included 12 of the band’s studio rarities along with 15 live rare performances, the previously unreleased “Guns For Hire,” and alternative videos for four songs, along with a 164-page hardcover photo book of the band’s earlier days.
Closing 2009 in South America, AC/DC played dates in São Paulo, Brazil on November 27, after two shows were canceled in Chile and Peru due to logistical problems. The band gave historic performances over three nights—December 2, 4, and 6—at the Estadio de River Plate in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The band was filmed playing to over 200,000 people, and as you can see by the footage, they were at their peak. The love from the audience and the sheer power of the music were perfectly captured on the concert film Live At River Plate. At this point, AC/DC had seen it all, played it all, and done it all.
As Brian Johnson told Rolling Stone, “You’ll see us give it everything in Argentina. Even if you’re tired or whatever coming on stage, you get there and something happens. My rule is that if you’re not sweating when you come off stage, something’s wrong. The worst part is when Angus has to do something and I’m standing there and the cold air hits the sweat and I’m like [shudders]. But this is the last time these fans will see you until the next time. It has to be good.”
Angus simply added, “The fans want to see that you can still do it. They don’t want to say, ‘Those guys used to be good.’” I doubt anyone who saw them on the Black Ice tour would say that, although that comment reflects Angus’s extremely humble perspective.
Darren Goulden was there for the end of the tour, recalling, “I was in Spain and Brian invited me to the band’s hotel in Madrid, the day after the show in Seville. We sat around drinking sangria and were joined by Cliff and his daughter [Erin Lucas] and a few hours later the rest of the band appeared. This was the last time that I got to speak to Mal and it was clear that he wasn’t very well. The following evening, I watched the gig in Bilbao, and I was totally blown away by Mal. The guy is the closest thing to a true legend and will always remain my biggest hero.”
It explains why Malcolm was so quiet the night I saw him in August 2009, at the United Center in Chicago. Judging from their performance that night, the band seemed to be on top of the world and showed no signs of slowing down. It is an incredible testament to Malcolm’s strength and perseverance that he completed the Black Ice tour, standing strong through every show.
The synchronicity of the way Angus and Malcolm played together is one of rock’s greatest triumphs. No matter where Angus was on stage, he always had an eye on Malcolm, who ran the show. Mild-mannered, hair hanging in his face, Malcolm’s rock-solid rhythm guitar playing and quiet demeanor belied a true rock ‘n’ roll legend, who just happened to write some of the best riffs in rock history. No one has ever done it better.
Returning Down Under on January 28, 2010, AC/DC opened their tour in Wellington, New Zealand, playing 14 dates. The Australian leg included shows in Sydney, Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide. The tour ended in Bon’s hometown of Perth for two nights on March 6 and 8, where his mother, Isa, was in attendance. Always gracious and proud of Bon’s legacy, Isa would pass away at the age of 94 on August 30, 2011.
Playing four dates in Japan in Tokyo and Osaka on March 12 and March 16, AC/DC returned to the U.S. for just five dates in Las Vegas, Kansas City, Louisville, KY, Milwaukee, WI, and Des Moines, Iowa.
When Black Ice was first announced, I never dreamed they would have toured that long and that I would see them for the third time in Milwaukee on April 15, 2010. That night they were leaving immediately for the airport to fly to Europe, but I was able to chat with Ross, Malcolm’s son, at the soundboard. He was kind enough to pass along his mother’s regards to me. (He told me she loves this book and has read it more than once, which is a huge compliment.)
Once again, the band rocked the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, and the show was reviewed by Eric Ernst on April 16, 2010 for JS Online: “To say that the Australian band’s hit-filled show was an over-the-top spectacle would be an understatement. Yet beneath the bravado, pyrotechnics and props was a group that can still put on a timeless rock ‘n’ roll show… Decked out in his trademark schoolboy outfit, lead guitarist Angus Young ran onto the stage at the opening chords of ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Train,’ and he didn’t stop moving until the last notes of the two-hour show.”
The audience was featured on and off the Jumbo Tron throughout the show, and I managed to make it onto that big screen during “You Shook Me.” You can find it on YouTube and it fulfilled a long-held wish to have my image preserved rocking out to my favorite band! After enjoying a two-hour nonstop assault of all their greatest hits mixed in with tracks from the new album, I sent my congratulations through Ross to the band. They were rushing out the back to catch a flight at O’Hare, on time, but ended up being stuck at the airport due to a volcano in Iceland. The planes had to be grounded until the air was clear of ash. That’s what it takes to stop AC/DC—a volcano, nothing else will work.
Basing themselves in Vienna, the band took a private plane to each venue in Europe, opening in Bulgaria on May 14 and playing 20 dates in France, Spain, Poland, Romania, Austria, Germany, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Italy. The only city that AC/DC chose to play in Italy was Udine, passing up Rome and all the other major cities, which, because of their historical sites, have strict sound codes. The promoters in Udine were stunned when the stadium sold out to 47,000 ecstatic fans.
Through the most amazing turn of events, I was in Udine to see AC/DC play on May 19, 2010, Phil Rudd’s fifty-sixth birthday. Several months earlier I’d been approached by a fan, Mario Rimati, who thought I should come over to do a signing for the 2006 edition of this book, the day before the band played. One idea turned into another and through the help of the promoter, the Governor of Northern Italy, on behalf of the Tourism Bureau, paid for me to fly over, do a book signing, get a tour of Udine, and see AC/DC play an open-air European festival. Something I’d watched for years on video, but never thought I would actually see in person.
Thank God I had a passport, because barely a month after I saw them in Milwaukee, I was there to see them play in Udine, and experience how AC/DC is loved in other countries. They didn’t have the same restrictions on what you can bring into the festival as in the U.S., so during “Shot Down in Flames” part of the audience managed to start a bonfire in the middle of the crowd!
I’ve seen a lot of AC/DC shows over the years, but this night had to be the best. The crowd was going crazy and, after almost 19 months on tour, the band had become the rock ‘n’ roll train, roaring through the crowd with ease. This was as close as you could get to AC/DC heaven, as the band electrified 47,000 people under the stars at the foothills of the Dolomites.
The night before, I had heard from one of Phil’s daughters who thought I should have been able to go backstage and wish her dad a happy birthday—though I certainly wasn’t going to complain. The band and their saintly tour manager had treated me very well over the years and I was thrilled to be there. I sent my best birthday wishes and asked her to please let him know I would be out there cheering for them.
It had been almost two years since I saw them play their fourth night in Chicago on the Black Ice tour and there they were, still ripping up the stage and making no apologies. Brian did a full run down the catwalk and grabbed onto the rope that rings the bell in “Hells Bells,” swinging back and forth while the crowd screamed. I was pleasantly surprised when the camera caught Phil Rudd wearing a Harley Davidson T-shirt. Harleys are made in Milwaukee, WI, and that was his way of saying hello, which will always remain a favorite memory for me. Thank you, Phil!
AC/DC played 18 more dates, having to cut short their show in Oslo, Norway, on May 30 due to a problem with their plane. They officially closed the Black Ice tour on June 28 in Bilboa, Spain.
It was reported in July of 2010, that the Black Ice tour was the second-highest grossing tour in music history. AC/DC played 168 shows in front of nearly 4.9 million people, bringing in approximately $441.1 million. When I think back on how many times Malcolm used to say that all he wanted was to be “filthy rich,” I would have to say he’d achieved that and then some.
Angus and Malcolm were honored with Song Writer of the Year at the 2010 Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) Music Awards, held at the Sydney Convention Centre on June 21. They also came away with honors for the Most Played Australian Work Overseas for their single “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train.” At the fifty-first Grammy Awards, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train” was nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the album was nominated for Best Rock Album. For the first time ever, AC/DC won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for “War Machine.”
The band had come back stronger than they had ever been, keeping the crowds roaring and the rave reviews pouring in. There was already talk about enough material for a new album and the fans would be there once the band was ready. But what no one knew outside of the band and their families was about to change the foundation of AC/DC forever.