AC/DC Live at RCF Arena Campovolo, Reggio Emilia 25 May 2024
- You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)
- Back in Black
- Demon Fire
- Shot Down in Flames
- Thunderstruck
- Have a Drink on Me
- Hells Bells
- Shot in the Dark
- Stiff Upper Lip
- Shoot to Thrill
- Sin City
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Train
- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
- High Voltage
- Riff Raff
- You Shook Me All Night Long
- Highway to Hell
- Whole Lotta Rosie
- Let There Be Rock
- T.N.T.
- For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
We’re just back in Abruzzo after witnessing an unforgettable night in Reggio Emilia, which might just be the last AC/DC concert in Italy of their career. This was a historic moment for Italy and Rock'n'Roll, and we are immensely grateful to have been part of it.
The concert was the biggest crowd of the tour so far and the first open-air show in a massive venue. Despite the forecast of rains of the previous days, the thunders we heard around 5 PM faded, and the clouds cleared away, leaving us with perfect weather for the night. The RCF Arena was huge and everything was organized beyond our expectations. 100,000 people were expected, forming a biblical crowd, mainly Italians from all over the country, including many from Abruzzo—a region that loves rock 'n' roll and is close to where Brian’s family comes from.
All the typical elements of a huge rock 'n' roll show in Italy were there: excellent food, fun and nice people, lots of backpacks, tents and bottles of beer, all surrounded by beautiful architecture and nature. The RCF Arena exceeded our expectations with its beauty, efficiency and cleanliness. We got inside a bit later than expected due to logistics and catching up with friends from all over, including Mathieu from France and Orangus from Milan.
We positioned ourselves on Angus's side as usual and had high expectations for an energetic and powerful crowd. The way the crowd was divided into six different floor sections was new to us. Despite this, the energy was palpable even before the show...
The concert was umbelievably amazing again. The band continues to grow with each performance. Brian, in particular, was incredibly happy and energetic, possibly because he was performing in front of one of his favourite countries (considering his mother's origin). He seemed to enjoy the crowd and the Italian atmosphere immensely. Angus was on top of his game, delivering outstanding performances, especially during "Shoot to Thrill," "Dirty Deeds," "Highway to Hell" and the final three songs that brought the show to a powerful climax. Lots of small differences each show which of course we deeply enjoy... From duckwalking to solos, to interactions among band members... It really looks like the band is less tense and stressed and enjoying each concert more.
The audience was definitely the best of the tour so far but we have to be honest: it didn’t quite match the fervor and power of AC/DC’s previous appearances in Imola 2015, Udine 2010, and Milan 2009. The difference? The amount of chanting, jumping, and pogoing was less. Nowadays, it also seems many people are mainly focused on taking pictures and filming the concert on their smartphones, even in the Front of Stage area, which was previously reserved for hardcore fans enjoying the live experience with extra jumping and pogo. Times have changed, and so have the audiences. Looking at the concert on the screen of a smartphone seems to be the new normal for live shows, even for high-energy bands like AC/DC. Maybe soon holograms and metaverse concerts will become the new way to experience and enjoy 'live shows" and this is just the beginning... Who knows. We actually felt a bit nostalgic yesterday for the 90's and early 2000's. But again, the Italian crowd was great!
The setlist was solid, though we were a bit sad that they dropped three songs from Gelsenkirchen: "Dog Eat Dog," "Given the Dog a Bone," and "Hell ain't a bad place to be." It was too good to be true to have 24 songs for the entire tour. Apparently the extra songs were on the printed setlist. Maybe the songs will come back at the next shows. Maybe not...
In any case, it was an amazing night. The performance, the crowd, and the overall experience were unforgettable.
Next stop: Seville!
expensive tickets and old and wealthy people in the front...
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