Brisbane 2nd night

Brisbane, QSAC Stadium,
February 27, 2010

Setlist:
Rock'n'Roll Train
Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
Back in Black
Big Jack
Dirty Deeds
Shot Down In Flames
Thunderstruck
Black Ice
The Jack (incl Angus strip)
Hells Bells
Shoot to Thrill
War Machine
High Voltage
You Shook Me All Night Long
TNT
Whole Lotta Rosie
Let There Be Rock
Highway to Hell
For Those About To Rock


MORE EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS HERE

AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICIAL REPORT

8 AC/DC shows in a row! Tonight we broke our record! 57 shows under our belt for AC/DC Abruzzo during the Black Ice tour.

We knew it would rain tonight (Australian weather is so difficult to understand for Italians). Anyway, it was very cloudy during the day and very hot as well. Tonight we had seats on Malcolm's side so we got a different perspective. We had a good view of the whole stadium. The crowd looked again quite sleepy, at least according to our standards. Standing still in the 3 Arena sections and always seated on the seats. Tonight it seemed they also had problems with lyrics (the ANGUS chanting during Whole Lotta Rosie wasn't audible at all!). No offense intended, but the crowd behaves more like a U2 crowd than an AC/DC crowd...

But after Rosie something changed. It started raining. The rain got heavier and heavier and the crowd started getting more excited, especially during Angus' solo on the catwalk. The solo reached its pinnacle when Angus was lifted over the crowd on his "rock'n'roll tower" in the middle of the audience completely soaking wet (watch our video). That was really EPIC! Even Brian seemed to enjoy the weather and spent a lot of time on the catwalk! Just like in Munich last June!

Malcolm used the legendary White Falcon during High Voltage (probably he broke a string before). Last time we saw him using it was in Germany last year and Scotland, I think. We love that guitar, especially on Malcolm's hands... It actually looks bigger than him! But he plays it with such intensity and vigor that it looks like a wild animal tamed by a powerful master.

During Highway to Hell a crazy fan managed to jump on the catwalk and started running towards Brian. A security guy followed him running in a cumbersome way with a transparent raincoat. Brian kept singing while freezing in an oblique position in the middle of the catwalk in order to dodge both runners. The guy got caught near Cliff and thrown down. That was pretty funny!

See you in Adelaide!

BERCY, PARIS FEBRUARY 27, 2009

For the record exactly one year ago we were at the Paris Bercy in France for one of the best gigs of the entire Black Ice tour. Excellent performance of the band (they also shot the video for Anything goes) and amazing crowd! Memorable night for rock'n'roll!

UDINE, STADIO FRIULI, May 19, 2010

Udine, Italy, Stadio Friuli,
May, 19 2010

Setlist:
Rock'n'Roll Train
Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
Back in Black
Big Jack
Dirty Deeds
Shot Down In Flames
Thunderstruck
Black Ice
The Jack (incl Angus strip)
Hells Bells
Shoot to Thrill
War Machine
High Voltage
You Shook Me All Night Long
TNT
Whole Lotta Rosie
Let There Be Rock
Highway to Hell
For Those About To Rock

AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICIAL REPORT

"When I saw so many young people at the AC/DC concerts in Milan last year, I said to myself:
Thank God! Even in Italy sometimes things go the way they should."

Pino Scotto
Italian old school Rocker and Philosopher

We arrived in Udine after a couple of days of absolute relax in Brescia and Milan as guests of Marcom of AC/DC Italia. Of course we had the time for some Italian food debauchery. We chose the Forum of Assago in Milan as meeting point for a briefing with Orangus and other friends the day before the Udine concert… Kiss happened to play the same night there so we also had a look inside...

The landscape outside the Friuli stadium was similar to the other locations we had seen before around the globe. But in a NON-rock'n'roll country like Italy it really looked quite unusual. The 47,000 tickets had been sold out since February and scalpers had been selling for double the price for weeks...

Before the concert several Italian fans stopped us to say hello and to thank us for our blog. That was quite a surprise considering that we've been writing in English since the beginning of the tour. We also met legendary fan Looy who came to Italy for the show. Nonno Alan and Zio Michel were also in Udine for the show but unfortunately we didn't meet them. Next time, maybe Scandinavia...

The Stadium was filled with fans with their flashing (unofficial) horns sold by bootleggers from Naples. Quite a spectacular view anyway. On the other hand, the opening band, Le Vibrazioni, as expected, received a pretty cold welcome from the audience (to use a euphemism) together with all sorts of heavy objects thrown on stage. According to some, it was the Italian rocker Pino Scotto, aka the Italian Socrates of Rock'n'Roll, who saved them, by getting on stage with the excuse to pay tribute to Ronnie James Dio who passed away a few days ago.

Then we got the same "old/classic" Europe 2010 performance from the boys. We are sure that those fans who couldn't find a ticket for the Milan shows in February last year (which still rank in AC/DC Abruzzo's top 3 best shows of this tour) or saw them for the first or second time had a total blast and will never forget this day. As for us, after so many show, we realized we have been spoiled. Especially with the 2009 European indoor tour, with the intimate arenas, the low catwalk, Brian constantly shaking hands and Angus' sweat reaching the first 2-3 rows of fans… Not to mention the novelty of the Black Ice setlist during the first legs of the tour... Things have changed...

Some people argued that the venue and the audience were not adequate for such a historic rocn'n'roll event. A bigger venue like San Siro in Milan would have been probably more appropriate but unfortunately the 70,000 people stadium wasn't available to AC/DC due to the low decibel limit established a couple of years ago by the local authorities… What a shame for rock'n'roll... Italy is a complicated country indeed...

Last but not least, we want to salute Brian who wore the official Italia football team shirt on For Those About to Rock!

Guess who gave it to him... ;) FORZA ITALIAAAAAA!!!

MORE PHOTOS HERE

AC/DC to record new video in Los Angeles area on 10 February 2015

While waiting for the official press release regarding the new drummer (Chris Slade appears to be confirmed) AC/DC have officially announced that they are looking for 150 fans to take part in the recording of the new AC/DC video which will probably be "Rock the Blues Away".

Enter here your details to have a chance to win. Please keep in mind that only residents from certain America states can participate so read the terms and conditions carefully... :D

http://sweeps.acdc.com

GRAMMY AWARDS

The boys will be back on stage for a live performance with the new lineup. New tour dates will probably be announced after that. The Grammy Awards will air live on CBS-TV from the Staples Center in Los Angeles next Sunday, 8 February 2010 at 8pm ET.

Angus rehearsing for the Grammy Awards

Stevie Young back on stage with AC/DC

AMARCORD: STOCKHOLM

AMARCORD meas "I remember" in several Italian dialects, including the Abruzzese! We will use the title of this Fellini's movie for a new series of entries regarding the cities we've visited, the people we've met and the things that we've seen during our AC/DC European tour! We hope you enjoy this retrospective rock'n'roll journey through Europe with AC/DC and AC/DC Abruzzo!!!

AC/DC Abruzzo Amarcord series continues with Stockholm, Sweden. The second city of the 2009 European tour.

STOCKHOLM FEBRUARY 19-25, 2009



This was the first city of the European tour where AC/DC would play 2 concerts in a row. As some of you already know the two shows in Stockholm were not originally in our agenda. Mainly because we couldn't get any tickets during the presale. They just sold out too fast (11 minutes I think). Obviously, this did not stop us and the fact that AC/DC were playing the Globe Arena, one the best European venues, motivated us to fly to Sweden from Norway to make an attempt to find tickets. The weather was again very unfriendly (-6 °C) and we found snow all over the place. The first night, Feb 20, was even colder than Oslo! The ticket hunt under the snow, which lasted several hours, was one of the most difficult of the entire tour. But we were very lucky and we found a way to get tickets for both shows without paying ridiculous prices and without dealing with scalpers.

We spent 5 days in the Scandinavian capital. Obviously, the highlight of our Swedish adventure was the 2-hour meet and greet with Brian and Cliff. What happened during the M&G might provide enough material to write an entire book (maybe we'll write it one day)! Brian and Cliff are incredible persons with such a profound humanity that would amaze anyone. We will treasure this experience for the rest of our lives. We shared this unforgettable evening with Marco and Gabriele of AC/DC Italia with whom we had teamworked very effectively since the Wilkes Barre show. It was a pity we could not do more shows together during the indoor tour but unfortunately they had work commitments to respect. Besides, they already did 9 dates in the US.

The shows were great. Shot Down in flames was played for the first time and we met lots of fans as well as new and old friends. You'll find the reports in the February entries of our blog.



STOCKHOLM - Tourist Information by AC/DC Abruzzo

Stockholm is one of the most interesting capitals the Secretary General and the President have visited during their world travels. Apart from the polar weather, which is probably the main problem in winter, the city gave us the impression to offer a very good lifestyle, even for Italians who have very high standards (maybe too high!). Great public services, good food (especially seafood and salmon), lively nightlife, very friendly and sociable people. We hang out mainly in the Stureplan area, between Norrmalm and Östermalm with lots of nice bars and clubs. Check out Riche (nice supper club), Cafe Opera, Spy Bar (especially during the weekend). People dress really well in bars and clubs, almost like in Italy or France. Interestingly, we saw many people sitting outside bars, chatting and drinking with blankets on them (with freezing cold weather!!). Unthinkable in other countries! A lot of alcohol is consumed here like in Oslo, but people seem to be not "stoned" like in Norway. Chewing tobacco is very popular. We also loved the architecture and the countless varieties of Viking's horns that we saw while walking in the streets!

According to the local people we talked to, Stockholm is wonderful in summer when the weather is good. It definitely goes on the top 5 of AC/DC Abruzzo list of "Best European cities".

AC/DC WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE Globen Stockholm, Sweden 22 February 2009

MILAN, FORUM March, 19 2009

FANTASTICO! BELLISSIMO! MERAVIGLIOSO! SPLENDIDO! In Abruzzese: "FREGNISSIMO"!!!! These are the first words that come our mind after tonight's legendary show in Milan.

AC/DC performed in Italy in front of one of the best crowds of the entire world tour. No dout about it. AC/DC Abruzzo was present with all its staff at the show for the first time. Gianni, Andrea, Stefano and Matteo! And AC/DC Italia was there too. We had a blast together!

In the meantime we will get some rest watching the new AC/DC video clip filmed in Paris in February which was released today for the new single Anything Goes. After the Rock'n'Roll Train video, shot in London in August, AC/DC Abruzzo is featured again in an official AC/DC video!!!

(2 min 26 sec in)!

TOP 3 EUROPEAN SHOWS by AC/DC ABRUZZO

"Scine però acclamete sennò che cazz' ce venet affà!?!?"
Rocco 'n' Rollo (Abruzzese Historical Rockstar and Epicurean/Stoic Philosopher)

After having attended most of the concerts of this first leg of AC/DC European Tour and with the benefit of the hindsight gained in the last few days, AC/DC Abruzzo has decided to pick the 3 best concerts considering 3 specific parameters: band's performance, audience and venue. We strongly believe that the ideal show is just the perfect combination of these three elements. Obviously, subjectivity plays an important role but we think that our experience as international concert goers and the material we have gathered (videos and photos) helped us a great deal in trying to express an impartial judgement.

3rd: DUBLIN, O2 Arena April 18, 2009



Band's performance: Excellent. The boys got all in great shapes after playing so many gigs (also benefiting from the Easter break). They definetely played better than in London. Angus spent more time than usual on the catwalk while Brian chatted a lot in between the songs. In general they all played like they were incredibly inspired by the magical ambience of Dublin's O2 arena. They seemed to enjoy themselves.

Audience: Fantastic. The Irish definetely know how to have fun at a rock show. They were all smiling, singing, chanting, screaming. No violent behaviour whatsoever. And the best crowdsurfers of the tour were in Dublin. Here we also learned the English word "moshing". The Dublin show made it to the 3° position over Barcelona thanks to the "audience factor".



Venue: Fabolous. The O2 (former The Point) arena looks like a theatre. And it actually reminded us of the Hammersmith Theatre in London, because of its shape and atmosphere. It is  semicircular with a gallery and a very small standing section (shortest catwalk of the entire tour). No side seats. The sound is excellent.

2nd: MILAN, MEDIOLANUM FORUM, March 19 and 21, 2009



Band's performance: No words to describe it. In Milan you could actually understand how the audience can influence an AC/DC's performance. There was a lot of interection between Brian and the audience (Brian ended up speaking some Italian on stage!) Angus was extremely inspired, at times he looked amazed by the energy of the Italian crowd. He even would laugh every now and then when he saw the crazy reaction of the Italians to several songs where the crowd plays a vital role (Rosie, TNT, Highway to Hell ecc)



Audience: Probably the craziest crowd of the tour so far. We had expected the Spanish to beat the Italians but it was just 2 different leagues. The reason to explain this was probably the fact that Italy was the only country with 2 consecutive arena shows where no summer stadium shows were announced despite the incredible demand for tickets (according to our sources they could sell out the forum more then 5 times). The result was that Milan was packed with real AC/DC fans eager to see to the band play live! The crowd was loud and crazy from the first minute to the last. Apparently, according to some witnesses, before the show the audience was roaring and screaming so loud that the boys themselves were impressed and surprised backstage. The standing section, at times, looked like a stormy thunderous sea moving wildly to the left and to the right...



The venue: The Forum di Assago is a bit smaller than the other most famous venues in Europe but the sound is just perfect anywhere in the arena and there is a more intimate atmosphere, ideal for this kind of show where the chemistry between the audience and band is essential. The fact that this was the only show with only one type of ticket (General Admission-no reserved seats at all) seemed like a risky decision by the promoter because of security reasons but it proved to be totally succesful.



1st: PARIS, POB BERCY February 25 and 27, 2009

Band's performance: Amazing. Especially on the 27 when they were filming the video of Anything Goes. Angus was so focused and concentrated he kept his cap until The Jack watching every single move. Malcolm and all the boys, including Phil, seemed to appreciate a lot the French warm attitude. Brian was impeccable. In Paris there was the only setlist change of the tour (Except Oslo).



Audience: Probably the best of the tour so far, all things considered. The French were energetic and wild for the entire show but unlike the Italians they seemed more used to move and have fun together at a rock show. This is why the moving and jumping and screaming was more "united and harmonious" and not totally wild and chaotic like in Italy. It was a different style, ok, but we have to admit that the French style was better. Best TNT of the tour, never heard a louder version so far. Fantastic Ola/Wave of the crowd before the show.



The venue: acoustics in Bercy are just excellent. The arena is bigger that the Forum in Milan but with the same degree of intimacy, if not better. Besides, there's something magical with this venue and this city. Difficult to explain with words. You could actually tell that the history of rock'n'roll was made in Paris much more than in other European cities...

ANYTHING GOES - Paris 2009 seen through the eyes of our favourite director: David "Polpettone" Mallet

A CIGARETTE WITH ANGUS YOUNG - London 2014

Matteo Abruzzo and Angus with AC/DC Fantography

If you are a reader of the AC/DC Abruzzo blog you know that we managed to meet Angus many times in the last few years. And for each time we have special and unique memories, which we tried to describe in our blog posts. 

Well, we had the privilege to meet Angus again during the Rock or Bust promotional tour in London. And this time we spent about 20 minutes with Angus, namely the time for two cigarettes and a long chat about a variety of topics... From the London Hammersmith 2003 show to the Abruzzo 2009 earthquake. And of course we talked about the new Rock or Bust album and next tour.

We also managed to finally show the second photobook published by AC/DC Abruzzo on the Black Ice Tour (with German fan Stonebreaker): AC/DC FANTOGRAPHY "From Hammersmith to Bilbao 2003-2010".

A CIGARETTE WITH ANGUS - LONDON 2014
 

Angus' cigarette

Matteo Abruzzo: Hey Angus! Thank you very much. We missed you a lot in the last years. It means a lot to us that you came back with an album. It must have been tough without Malcolm but we fans really appreciate it...

Angus: Thank you!

Matteo Abruzzo: Last time we met with you was here in London in 2011, for the launch of the Live at River Plate DVD.

Angus: Yes, I remember... 

Matteo Abruzzo: But the last time we had a cigarette together was in Australia... In Sydney...

Angus: Mhm ... (Angus thinks...) Not in Perth? Outside the hotel...

Matteo Abruzzo: Oh yes, it was in Perth! Wow! You remember better than us. But now I moved to Dubai.

Angus: Dubai?!? (puzzled Angus)

Matteo Abruzzo: Yes, Angus. I need to make the money to afford the next tour especially now that the situation is so bad in Italy.

Angus: I remember you are from Abruzzo. How is it going there? I remember there was an earthquake some time ago. Did they fix everything?

Matteo Abruzzo: Well, not really. It was a catastrophe for the area. They are rebuilding it slowly. Of course there were some corruption and some mafias involved, as usual... 

Angus: Mafias? (Angus giggles)

Matteo Abruzzo: Typical of Italy... But in the end both of us don't live there anymore. I live in Dubai and Stefano lives here. He works in that restaurant over there.

Angus: Oh really? (interested Angus). You work as a chef?

Stefano D'Abruzzo: No... I work with wines...

Angus: You work with wines? ... Like you are a somm... A wine taster!

Stefano D'Abruzzo: A sommelier...

Angus: yes yes... I can't never pronounce it correctly... a wine taster... They pay you to drink expensive wine (Angus laughs)

Everybody laughs - First cigarette almost finished

Matteo Abruzzo: Hey Angus, can we show you our second book about the Black Ice tour. We did over 85 shows, we travelled all over the world and we told the story in a book...

SHOWING THE BOOK TO ANGUS - Second cigarette is lighted

Showing the Hammersmith 2003 photos to Angus

Rock and Roll selfie

Angus: Oh there is a section on Hammersmith show... I remember that one...

Matteo Abruzzo: Yes, that was an incredible show...

Matteo Abruzzo: We are looking forward to the next tour. According to some rumours it will start in March.

Angus: March?!? That's a bit too early. We need more time to plan and organize everything... No, not March...

Matteo Abruzzo: Will it be a long tour like Black Ice? Brian said it will be only 40 shows, or so...

Angus: He said that? Well it all depends on how strong is the album etc. Then Brian also won't be able to do a long tour like Black Ice... I have my guitar, but with his voice is different...

Matteo Abruzzo: Yes, he told us several time during the Black Ice tour that it will be tough for him. But we are glad that you came back. By the way you are in a fantastic shape Angus!

Angus: Me, I wish... (Angus giggling)

Matteo Abruzzo: Will you start in May?

Angus: Well, it all depends. But we'll be on tour soon. For all the fans... 

Matteo Abruzzo: Thank you Angus, always a honor!

http://www.acdcphotobook.com/abruzzostonebreaker/

Last cigarette of the legendary Australian tour with Angus in Perth, February 2010

NEWS ABOUT THE TOUR:

The following cities in Germany seem to be confirmed: 

Munich, Hockenheim, Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover and Berlin.

Paris, Wien, Italy, Spain and some cities in the UK and Northern Europe should follow. This at least for the European leg this summer. We still believe it will be a much shorter tour than the Black Ice one. Still no news about the new drummer.

OFFICIAL NORTH AMERICAN DATES

New AC/DC official line up

After the Grammys and their video shoot in LA for "Rock The Blues Away" with new drummer Chris Slade, AC/DC has announced their US Tour!

Here's the complete list of dates with some of the OFFICIAL PRESALE websites links. It's a short tour leg which will suggest that not many more dates will be added.

Tickets will go on sale Monday 16 February on ticketmaster.com. And they will sell super fast!



North American Tour 2015
-----------------------------
22.08.2015 Foxborough, MA / Gillette Stadium (USA)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.ticketmaster.com
---
26.08.2015 East Rutherford, NJ / MetLife Stadium (USA)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.ticketmaster.com
---
28.08.2015 Quebec City, ON / Plains Of Abraham (Canada)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.evenko.ca/en/show/event/acdc-9615
---
31.08.2015 Montreal, QC / Olympic Stadium (Canada)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.evenko.ca/en/show/event/acdc-9614
---
03.09.2015 Ottawa, ON / TD Place (Canada)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.capitaltickets.ca
---
05.09.2015 Moncton, NB / Magnetic Hill (Canada)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.ticketmaster.ca
---
08.09.2015 Detroit, MI / Ford Field (USA)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.detroitlions.com/ford-field/acdc.html
---
10.09.2015 Toronto, ON / Downsview Park (Canada)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.ticketmaster.ca
---
15.09.2015 Chicago, IL / Wrigley Field (USA)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.tickets.com
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ticketing/acdc.jsp
---
20.09.2015 Edmonton, AL / Commonwealth Stadium (Canada)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.ticketmaster.ca
---
22.09.2015 Vancouver, BC / BC Place (Canada)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.ticketmaster.ca
---
25.09.2015 San Francisco, CA / AT&T Park (USA)
Tickets on sale Feb. 15th 2015, 10 am local time
http://www.ticketmaster.com
---
28.09.2015 Los Angeles, CA / Dodger Stadium (USA)
Tickets on sale Feb. 16th 2015, 10 am local time
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/ticketing/concert.jsp

(Thanks to Raf)

AMARCORD SERIES

AMARCORD meas "I remember" in several Italian dialects, including the Abruzzese! We will use the title of this Fellini's movie to start a new series of posts regarding the cities we've visited, the people we've met and the things that we've seen during our AC/DC European tour! We hope you enjoy this retrospective rock'n'roll journey through Europe with AC/DC and AC/DC Abruzzo!!!

AMARCORD OSLO: SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES!!

Yes! AC/DC Abruzzo heard it first on this tour! On Feb 17 AC/DC Abruzzo's Operational Taskforce and Steeting Committee was outside the Telenor Arena to witness AC/DC's come back to Europe! Weather conditions and temperature were really unfriendly but this didn't stop us! We spent 2 hours with a few fellow hard core Norwegian fans waiting for the band to come to the Telenor Arena for the soundcheck. Last time we had seen AC/DC was at the London Video shoot and in Wilkes Barre so we were pretty excited. The boys arrived with 2 cars. Brian looked surprised there were fans there under the snow! 

The following songs were played during the soundcheck:

HELL AINT'T A BAD PLACE TO BE
ROCK'N'ROLL TRAIN
BACK IN BLACK
BLACK ICE
ANYTHING GOES
SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES

Then we had to go away because we were litterally freezing and we don't know what happened after. Maybe they played Touch Too Much or Riff Raff or Ride On. We will never know... We just thought it wasn't a wise idea to die before the beginning of the European tour! :-)

But we were really happy about this add to the setlist. We called our trusted pizzaiolo in town, Antonio, and we arranged a house pizza party with him, Roberto and Kristell, our friend from France. 

TOURIST INFO by AC/DC Abruzzo

Shot Down in flames was not played at the show but we got AC/DC back to Europe and this was the most important thing. Unfortunately they chose Norway as first country to visit: in February it's freezing cold up there and there's snow everywhere. Oslo is a very small capital. People are friendly but probably they have a problem in calculating the right doses of alcohol that their bodies can tolerate. It's common to see drunk people (common people-all ages) on the streets even during week days and working hours! Seafood is very good especially the salmon and the prawns. If you happen to like blonde girls you definetely have to spend a few days in Oslo. You won't be SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES! That's for sure! Especially if you're from Italy.

:-)


PHOTO GALLERY

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO OF "SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES" REHEARSED on Feb 17. Listen close (with headphones) and try not to pay attention to the Secretary General's Italian lesson... Ok, watch it twice if you want to learn some useful Italian too!

Italian lesson number 2. Norwegian fans singing the Italian National Anthem before the show.

Fratelli d'Italia,
l'Italia s'è desta;
dell'elmo di Scipio
s'è cinta la testa.

TNT from AC/DC Abruzzo's Youtube channel

GRAMMYS 2015: THE BOYS ARE BACK!!!!

8 February 2015 - Staples Center, Los Angeles

"ROCK OR BUST" AND "HIGHWAY TO HELL"

acdc

AC/DC STADE VELODROME, Marseille, France 13 May 2016 - REPORT

SETLIST

    Rock or Bust
    Shoot to Thrill
    Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
    Back in Black
    Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder
    Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
    Rock 'n' Roll Damnation 
    Thunderstruck
    High Voltage
    Rock 'n' Roll Train
    Hells Bells
    Given the Dog a Bone 
    If You Want Blood (You've Got it)   
    Sin City
    You Shook Me All Night Long
    Shot Down in Flames
    Have a Drink on Me
    T.N.T.
    Whole Lotta Rosie
    Let There Be Rock 

Encore

    Highway to Hell
    Riff Raff 
    For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

We got what you want
And you got the lust
If you want blood, you got it

Like in 2009 the Nouveau Stade Vélodrome of Marseille was completely packed. 60,000 people gathered from all over France (and beyond) to see what is likely to be the last show of AC/DC in France. We knew perfectly well that the French audience is one of the best in the world, along and this was confirmed from the very first song.

Axl was still on his "wheel throne" despite the rumors saying he would stand in Marseille. He had some hesitations on Rock or Bust and at the beginning of Thunderstruck. Overall he sang well like in the previous two shows. He is pushing his voice to the limits and he is doing a great job, as a singer. We don't know if he will be able to sing so well also when standing. Most probably he will pay the price at the end of the AC/DC tour when it's time to go back to G'n'R anyway.

Voice aside, we still have problems in accepting the wheelchair (a major turn off at a rock show) and his constant wardrobe changes. Not to mention the lame comments in between the songs, like he had to explain the meaning of the songs to an audience who grew up with AC/DC... 

From Shoot To Thrill onward, French fans went crazy especially in the moshpit, which reminded us of Bercy 25 and 27 February 2009 or the second night of Bercy. Angus seemed to feed himself with the audience energy and put on an amazing performance. You could see he really enjoyed the show.

The highlight of the night was If You Want Blood (You've got it), a total surprise. I mean we knew that the band had rehearsed it, also in the past, but honestly we didn't expect it. When Stevie started one of Malcolm's most powerful riffs we couldn't believe our ears. The rest was history. AC/DC was playing If You Want Blood, again after 13 years. Last time was Hammersmith 2003...

Axl did a pretty good job on the song, more Bon Style, with two super high pitch long screams. But Angus just stole the show especially during the final part of the song when he went back and forth on the catwalk,  looking down to the crowd first to his right than to his left. He smiled looking at us and at the audience jumping like crazy. This was a true gem and something which help proving Angus' bet on Axl might be right.

In the end 23 songs were played. Among 82 shows I saw I never had such a long setlist. Now it would be nice to hear more rare songs such as Touch Too Much and Gimme a Bullet but honestly we can't complain so far, despite the wheelchair and the wardrobe changing of Axl.

Our faith in Angus is stronger now after the Marseille show. In Angus We Trust! See you in Belgium!

 

PARIS, FR FEB 27, 2009

Paris, FR Bercy, 
February 27, 2009 

SETLIST:

1. Rock'n'roll Train

2. Hell ain't a bad place to be

3. Back in Black

4. Big Jack

5. Dirty Deeds

6. Anything Goes 

7. Shot Down in Flames

8. Thunderstruck

9. Black Ice

10. The Jack

11. Hell's Bells

12. Shoot to Thrill

13. War Machine

14. You Shook Me All Night Long

15. TNT

16. Whole Lotta Rosie

17. Let there be Rock

18. Highway to Hell

19. For Those About to Rock

AC/DC ABRUZZO Official Review

AC/DC Abruzzo has just arrived in Antwerp after a long journey on a very expensive and very delayed Thalys train. We feel exhausted, tired, our back hurts and we even have some bruises (last time we had bruises because of AC/DC was in Milton Keynes in 2001, we think) …  But we feel very happy. Yesterday’s show really rocked! 

We spent the last 5 days in Paris eating good local food (we’ll post some photos soon), meeting new and old friends and trying to recover our energies from the exhausting previous week spent on the road (and I'll tell you folks it's harder than it looks!).

Before the show outside the Arena we bumped into a fan from Italy, Lorenzo who was desperately looking for a standing ticket while riding his bike (he goes to concerts with his car and bike!!).  You might not believe this but he was the one who gave Matteo of AC/DC Abruzzo his extra ticket for the Hammersmith show in 2003!! And no news from him since that day in October 2003!!! It’s such a small world, isn’t it? We know that he finally managed to find a ticket for the Paris show and we’ll meet him again in Antwerp.

Once inside the Arena we immediately noticed the extra camera over the audience. We had heard about those rumours about Dave Mallet being in Paris and we knew about the band being in Bercy to film something in the afternoon, so we did the math and we came to the conclusion that the French audience and AC/DC Abruzzo will probably be included in the next videoclip!!! The crowd was probably even more excited because of the filming (or maybe because it was Friday night… We don't know. )Anyway the beginning of show was amazing again! The crowd went wild since the very first guitar lick! And we, in our usual spots on the right, in front of Angus, we just had a real good time jumping and screaming as the previous night... Brian pointed at our flag several times during the show (normally he waves at us just during RnR Train or Hell Aint aBad Place to Be). We must admit that we were very "hyperactive” during the show…

As for the setlist, there was just a minor change in the order of the songs. Actually, we were almost dying when Brian at a certain point said "We’ve got a special song for Paris”. But he was just introducing Dirty Deeds...

For AC/DC Abruzzo the best song of the night was TNT. It was just pure bliss for a AC/DC fan to hear such a nasty OI OI OI from the audience singing along with Angus. During that song in the area where we were standing some people starting some pretty violent  “Pimball Pogo" along with some crowd surfing. Everybody looked like they were having the time of their life. Including us. From TNT on, there was a real CRESCENDO… After an incredibly powerful version of Whole Lotta Rosie Let There Be Rock started. At that point we really felt rock’n’roll taking over our body and mind! In this Rock’n’Roll trance we just felt it was the right moment to improvise a Bon Fire feat: Stefano jumped on Matteo's shoulders showing the flag to the entire French audience for several minutes of pure rock’n’roll ecstasy. What a great feeling... We had several cameras pointed at us so you might see us on TV soon.... AH AH AH

To conclude, we want to underline the professional job done by the security guys that never interfered with the audience, they let us have a good time and were always helpful giving us water during and after the show. We salute them!

Bottom line, I think Paris 2009 will be a milestone for AC/DC fans. We’re sure they really enjoyed playing there as much as we did!

And tomorrow it will be BEDLAM IN BELGIUM!!

AC/DC ABRUZZO salutes you!

PHOTO GALLERY

The President while inspecting a bottle of local Belgian beer

AC/DC Abruzzo headquarters in Antwerp

AMARCORD: Paris, Bercy 2 years ago...

Paris, Bercy February 27, 2009 - Selected as the best show of the indoor tour by AC/DC Abruzzo.

BACK IN BUENOS AIRES - Live in Argentina - 2012

In front of La Cabaña restaurant...

As you know Andrea from followed the three sold out concerts of AC/DC in Buenos Aires for AC/DC Abruzzo, while Matteo and Stefano were already in Australia preparing for the 11 Australian shows of February and March.

After three years AC/DC Abruzzo went back to Argentina. This time it was Matteo who visited this rock'n'roll country, for the first time.

We met with our good friend Christian with whom we had travelled together from Sofia to Bucharest in May 2010 (by train!). In the meantime, Christian had become worldwide famous thanks to the Live River Plate DVD documentary, "The Fan, The Roadie, The Guitar Tech and The Meat" where his crazy rock'n'roll story was told (he applied for a bank loan only to follow AC/DC on tour in Europe!).

What we heard was true. Argentina is a rock'n'roll country. And if you missed the AC/DC in 2009 just try and go see a football match and you will get an impression of what an Argentinian audience can do in a stadium. No other crowd compares to the Argentinian. No doubt.

Matteo Abruzzo and Christian at the Boca Stadium

Of course we also followed Brian and Cliff's advice and went to La Cabaña, the restaurant mentioned in the AC/DC DVD. Yes, the Kobe beef medallion will probably be the best steak you've had in your life! So juicy and tender that it melts in your mouth... Quite expensive for Argentina but still considerably cheaper than Europe. La Cabaña is in a nice new neighborhood called Puerto Madero, near the water with a few skyscrapers and modern buildings. 

Kobe beef Medallion (half - too late for the other half...)

But the most authentic places are areas such as San Telmo, the oldest "barrio"of the city, full of colonial buildings and tango parlors, with lots street artists and dancers. A bit like La Boca, created by Italian immigrants from Genoa in the 19th century. The streets of "Caminito", in the same neighborhood, will provide a nice and colorful portrait of the joyful Porteños culture, with lots of murales. Of course, we had to go and check out the "cancha" (the stadium) where we saw the football match "Boca Juniors - Independiente" (2-1). It wasn't easy to get tickets at Argentinian prices (15-20USD) but we managed anyway, using our basic Spanish and our local connections... If you don't have AC/DC Abruzzo skills in getting tickets (more than 80 AC/DC shows under our belt, remember!) just but a ticket at "Gringo price" (about 150 USD). It will be worth! Tickets for the entire seasons are sold out from day 1 (only season tickets are available)!

Satan in Caminito

God, according to Argentians

We spent most of our nights in the Palermo and Recoleta neighborhoods, which look quite European to us. Bars and clubs are packed during the weekend and you will meet a lot of interesting people who will become your friends in just a few minutes. Locals are very open and friendly, and you can easily guess that the heritage of most of the people from Buenos Aires is Italian or Spanish. Actually, we read somewhere that there were so many Italians back in the 19th century that the official language of Argentina should have been Italian. But "official" Italian language didn't exist at that time and there were only dialects so Spanish was chosen for practical reasons.

Tango culture

  

Food. STEAK! It is just impossible to describe how good the Argentinian meet is. We basically eat steaks 3-4 times a week. And steaks come with lots of tasty side dishes. In some places you can spend only 10-15 USD and eat as much 400g of "Lomo jujoso" (rare filet mignon). Of course if you order a good bottle of Malbec the price will be considerably higher. Our favorite spot was "La Cabrera" restaurant. If you don't mind eating "early" go there for the happy hour between 7pm and 8pm and you will get anything in the menu for half price. Argentinians generally have dinner after 10pm. We tasted also some fresh pasta (quite popular for the dinner lunch, like in Italy). And of course empanadas, "milanesas" and other typical recipes. We tried also MATE, the most popular hot beverage in Argentina, like coffee in Italy and Alfajores, typical sweats.

400g of limo

Girls. Yes, there are a few beautiful girls in Argentina and if you are an Italian from Italy, or from Abruzzo, you certainly have a competitive advantage. But the beauty of local women is overrated, a bit like Italy and Spain. Girls' attitude is definitely European, and this means women will make you invest a lot of energy and resources. We actually read somewhere that Argentinian guys are so much into rock'n'roll because they have to unleash the frustration they accumulate with women... Quite an interesting theory. :D So if you are looking for the South American "exotic" beauties AC/DC Abruzzo Travel guide suggests to Brazil, Colombia or Venezuela. ;D

...

TO BE CONTINUED

(Juan, Jennifer and the Recoleta Cemetery...)