AC/DC Live at Veltins Arena - Gelsenkirchen 21 May 2024

Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen on May 21, 2024:

    If 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
    You Shook Me All Night Long
    Rock 'N' Roll Train
    Shoot To Thrill
    Sin City
    Givin The Dog A Bone
    Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
    Dog Eat Dog
    High Voltage
    Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
    Riff Raff
    Highway To Hell
    Whole Lotta Rosie
    Let There Be Rock
    Encore:
    T.N.T.
    For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

It’s been three days since AC/DC’s mind-blowing performance at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, and we’re still buzzing from the experience. If you thought their first show was incredible that night was on a whole new level!

The setlist was the same, but the performance of Angus and Brian was simply amazing! The improvement was just mind blowing! Angus was moving at twice the speed, duckwalking and rocking out like crazy. His energy was off the charts. Brian, too, was jumping and moving like he did during the Black Ice Tour, singing with passion and emphasis. Unlike the previous concert, he didn’t seem to have many technical difficulties. He started fast and finished fast, with only minor hiccups during "Given the Dog a Bone" and "Sin City." But it was impressive to see how much they had improved from the first show. They seemed much more energetic, motivated, and confident about touring together after such a long time. The rhythmic section was also very solid and really doing a great job!

You could tell Angus has been spending a lot of time in the gym. What he does on stage for over two hours would be challenging for a 40-year-old, let alone someone in their late 60s. The amount of duckwalking almost doubled from the first show and this means Angus trainers are doing a great job. Angus seemed more relaxed and was enjoying the stage and his solos, interacting more with the energy of the crowd.

Unfortunately, as often happens in Germany, the crowd wasn’t very responsive. Some German hard core fans we have known since the SUL era defined them as "sleepy"... But that’s just the way it is in Germany... With about 100 shows under our belt we believe the dialogue between the energy on stage and the energy in the audience is essential for the success of a great rock 'n' roll show. We will get this in Southern Europe, in places like Italy, Spain, and France...

In any case, this is a very good sign that the band is growing and improving with each concert and will soon be in perfect shape. The lights were really amazing and possibly the most spectacular we’ve ever seen. The setlist is very solid, and each song is 100% appreciated by us. Honestly, we don’t have any complaints or suggestions as hardcore fans. It just seems too good to be true to have so many great songs and such a long setlist...

And now that the dress rehersals in Gelsenkirchen are done, we are ready for ITALY to welcome the Gods of Rock 'n' Roll! Reggio Emilia, we are coming! 😀

Heavy rains are forecast for tomorrow, but we are sure this will not stop Angus and the band from delivering a blazing rock 'n' roll show! Like they did in Adelaide 2010 or Munich 2015, we are sure they will ignite the stage with the fire of rock 'n' roll and the flames of "Highway to Hell." And 100,000 crazy Italian fans will be there to witness this milestone of Rock n Roll history!

More photos and videos on our YouTube, Facebook and Instagram 

AC/DC Live at Veltins Arena - Gelsenkirchen 17 May 2024

 

                        Back in Germany!

Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen on May 17, 2024:

    If 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
    You Shook Me All Night Long
    Rock 'N' Roll Train
    Shoot To Thrill
    Sin City
    Givin The Dog A Bone
    Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
    Dog Eat Dog
    High Voltage
    Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
    Riff Raff
    Highway To Hell
    Whole Lotta Rosie
    Let There Be Rock
    Encore:
    T.N.T.
    For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

And the POWER UP World Tour premiere in Gelsenkirchen came to pass... and what a night it was!

Many fans, including us, were a bit tense about this first show after PowerTrip. The comeback concert in California was incredible, and many skeptics were blown away by the band's energy and power, despite the age and despite the years of inactivity. However, there were doubts about their ability to perform a full-length concert again, let alone an entire world tour! After watching the PowerTrip videos on YouTube, critics had questioned Brian’s voice and Angus's guitar touch. But after this show, it's clear that everyone is unanimous: AC/DC are back in business and in a few shows they will be at full throttle.

At the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, on the day of the show, it was fantastic to meet fans from all over the world, especially those from the Black Ice Tour and Rock or Bust days. We had a great time, enjoying German "delicious" food, sharing stories, and catching up with friends. Seeing familiar faces, particularly our German friends (including the devil horns vendors) brought back a flood of memories. Our buddies from Argentina, Australia, and Canada were also there. It felt almost surreal to see all those people with whom we had shared some of the best times of our lives again, especially after eight years of waiting and a pandemic. After thinking everything was over...

The Veltins Arena is a large covered stadium, which at least guaranteed we wouldn’t get wet if it rained. There were some doubts about the acoustics, and the stage seemed quite simple. However, the lights were more rich and complex than in previous tours, indicating a lot of work for Cosmo. Notably, there were no huge devil horns on top of the stage this time as for BI and ROB tours.

The show started promptly at 8:30. Angus came out in his green suit, with his white hair as seen at PowerTrip. His guitar touch and movements seemed more secure and precise. His cap stayed on almost for the entire show (until HTH) and there was more duck walking than expected. Brian, in a black T-shirt and grey hat, looked leaner and fit for the tour. His voice also sounded much better than at PowerTrip and managed the entire show very professionally. You could feel the "crescendo" of his performance. 

Standing in our usual AC/DC Abruzzo spot, right in front of Angus’ Marshall PA stack, felt like coming back to one of our favourite dreams. Each guitar lick and chord coming from Angus' guitar was a blessing, and we savored every single note. The acoustics in the Arena were exceptional, and the 65,000-strong crowd was louder than the usual German audiences. “If You Want Blood (You've Got It)” was the perfect opener. Hearing it again with Brian on vocals, after Hammersmith 2003 and PowerTrip 2023, was fantastic. And it can only get better as the tour continues.

Seeing the band on stage playing classic songs like Back in Black or Highway to Hell again felt again surreal. Although Cliff and Phil weren’t there, the music was as powerful as ever. Angus, Brian, and Stevie were there, and they brought the same incredible energy. Matt and Chris did a fantastic job, but our eyes and ears were focused on Angus and Brian.

We hoped for a setlist similar to the unbelievable one at Indio, and guess what? It was all there. Every song had its reason to be there, and we appreciated every single second. Getting all the songs from PowerTrip again felt too good to be true, especially for those who couldn’t make it to California for the historic comeback. It really went beyond expectations!

We won't delve into comparisons or "technical analysis" of the performance as some fans like to do, mentioning AC/DC are no longer playing like back in the '90s. Of course they are not and of course there were some technical issues, not very noticeable, and a few minor hiccups (e.g. Riff Raff), but that's what we love about authentic live music...

The concert was a massive rock 'n' roll celebration for old fans and new fans alike. An AC/DC concert is something to be lived in the moment. It's the ultimate collective group meditation for rock'n'roll fans, culminating in the ecstatic solo of "Let There Be Rock," where Angus transcends his human nature and enters a unique rock 'n' roll trance that puts you right there, in the moment making you feel the true essence of rock 'n' roll, HIC ET NUNC. Even if only for a few minutes, it's something that only AC/DC fans at at an AC/DC concert can feel. OMG, we missed AC/DC concerts so much all these years...

Thank you Angus, Thank you Ellen, Thank you Brian and all those that made this tour possible. 

See you on the road!

From AcDc Italia to AcDc Argentina