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!

 

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)

GRAMMYS 2015: THE BOYS ARE BACK!!!!

8 February 2015 - Staples Center, Los Angeles

"ROCK OR BUST" AND "HIGHWAY TO HELL"

acdc

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

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.

THE CRAZIEST AC/DC FANS IN LONDON - TOUR WARM UP

AC/DC Pre Tour Warm up Party in London 4 October 2014 (courtesy of Christian Rnafg Spurk and Atze Datze

If you've been following the AC/DC Abruzzo blog in the last few years you had a taste of the excesses that AC/DC fans can reach.

During our 20 month trip around the world following AC/DC we've told you lots of stories about fans,  each one with a different story and each one with his/her own peculiar way to show their love for AC/DC. Some of these hard core fans of course were in London for the Rock or Bust video shoot on the 4 October 2014.

Now, you know the AC/DC Abruzzo philosophy and attitude and you know that we've travelled the world sleeping in airports, train stations, cheap hostels, cars, most of the times without a ticket to the concert (because the shows were sold out) etc. But we were not the only ones! Also in London... And we have decided to create a top 5 list of the "Craziest AC/DC fans" of the London 2014 video shoot and pre-tour warm up party.

So with this post we don't intend to say that crazy fans are better fans than "normal". They are just "crazier" and, generally speaking, it's a lot fun to hang around them. ;)

So here we go.

#5 The German Fans

The German fans show up everywhere there is an AC/DC show/event. You will recognize them immediately thanks to their blue jeans jackets covered with AC/DC patches, autographs and "live memorabilia"...

They bring their AC/DC passion around the world and combine it with their love for beer and stadiums chanting. Great company and great fun! A large group of German fans corageously came to the London shoot without ticket and their faith was rewarded as they all managed to get in. Hat's off.

Some of the ticketless German fans

#4 Carole from Canada

Carole was spotted at many AC/DC shows during the Black Ice Tour: from Dublin 2009 to Sydney 2010 and all around Europe. Originally from Canada AC/DC is her number one priority. And she's got lots of AC/DC stories to tell... Apparently, she also came to London without a ticket but managed to find one.

Carole

#3 Jean Philippe and Vincent "Dirty Shoes"

These two characters from France have proven their loyalty to AC/DC in the most hard core way during the Black Ice Tour and they rank, with only a few others, in the +50 Black Ice concerts league. From waiting outside the Stockholm hotel of the band at - 10 °C in February 2009 to coming to London in 2014 for the video shoot 3 days before, just to have chance to meet again the band. From what we witnessed during the Black Ice World Tour, taking a photo with Jean Philippe outside the band's hotel was one of Angus' daily routines... No joke. Of course they were in London, apparently without Sony invitation either (but this was not officially confirmed)...

Dirty Shoes in London with Cliff

Angus super-happy to meet Jean Philippe again after 3 years

#2 Matthew Nagra (representing the Nagra clan from Vancouver)

We met Matthew and his dad Mark for the first time in Wilkes Barres for the Dress Rehearsals private show in 2008. Since then we have been meeting them all around the globe, from Glasgow, Scotland to Perth, Australia. Matthew bought his flight from Vancouver to London 48 hours before the video shoot and, of course, he came to London ticketless.

Matthew Nagra, Brian Johnson and Mark Nagra in Vancouver

#1 Christian from Buenos Aires, Argentina

The first time we met Christian was in Sofia, Bulgaria the day before the show. He told us that he had gotten a loan from his bank in order to follow the band in Europe. He came with us to Bucharest, Romania (by night train) and then we helped him with tickets in Udine, Italy. Hard core stuff. He also ended up in the official AC/DC DVD Live at River Plate.

For the video shoot in London he came directly from Buenos Aires, Argentina, booking a very expensive flight, of course without any ticket/invitation for the shoot (but he managed to get in anyway). A real lesson of Rock'n'Roll attitude and unconditional love for AC/DC!

Christian and Matthew in London just after receiving the confirmation there were extra tickets for the video shoot

NEW AC/DC SINGLE "PLAY BALL" TO DEBUT THIS WEEKEND + WORLD TOUR

As reported by Blabbermouth the new AC/DC single "PLAY BALL" will debut this weekend.

In relation to the new AC/DC Album, Turner Sports announced the following:

"Starting September 27, Turner Sports will provide fans a sneak peek of the new track ‘Play Ball’ as part of the 2014 Major League Baseball Postseason campaign. The content will run for several weeks across TBS, the exclusive home to this year’s American League Postseason coverage, as well as leading media brands within the Turner portfolio."

Here's a clip in which you can listen to a few seconds of the new AC/DC song "Play Ball".

According to rumors, the new AC/DC world tour will start in January/February 2015 and Stevie Young will fill in for Malcolm Young who, unfortunately, is not able to join back the band due to his condition.

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...)

AC/DC SCOTLAND's FAMILY JEWELS (part 1)

A few weeks ago AC/DC Abruzzo visited the AC/DC Family Jewels exhibition at the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, Scotland. The exhibition is FANTASTIC, even better then the Australian edition! We spent several hours surrounded by AC/DC memorabilia, as we did in February 2010 in Melbourne. We also met with good friends, Brian, Bryce and Jane reminiscing the good times of the Black Ice World Tour.

After the warm welcome of Shona MacDougall, the museum supervisor who was expecting us, we had a tour of the whole exhibition, looking together at some of the items that made the history of the greatest band in the world. We spotted some of the differences between the Glasgow edition and the Melbourne one. In particular, we really loved how the thickness of the wall of this huge historic building (much bigger than the Arts Centre in Melbourne) enhances the power of the sound of AC/DC. Watching each video, including the Live at River Plate DVD, you could feel the pure, rough live power of AC/DC!

We also loved how curator Tim Fisher and exhibition manager Fiona Bennie included the photos of our book "Black Ice World Tour 2008-2010 - 2 years on the road with AC/DC". Especially the two giant panels near the exit with the "Rock'n'Roll Fannation" photos. This was one of the additions of the Glasgow exhibition comparing to the Australian one.

We will publish all our exclusive pics of the Glasgow exhibition and more stories in the next blog entries. Including photos of the special exhibition of Bon Scott memorabilia of a Scottish fan in another room of the museum! So STAY TUNED!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM AC/DC ABRUZZO!

Family Jewels Exhibition in Glasgow

We're in a museum now!!!

As you know the Family Jewels Exhibition kicked off at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow on 17 September. What you don't know is that 4 photos of our book Black Ice World Tour 200-2010: 2 years on the road with AC/DC were included in the exhibition. Among these 2 pages from the special section on fans "Rock'n'Roll Fannation" (so if you sent us your photo YOU'RE IN A MUSEUM NOW!!!). After 12 February 2012 the exhibition will leave Europe and move to the States.

We are particularly proud of the success of our book and of the fact that our photos are displayed near real pieces of history of the band. We'll publish more exclusive material on the Glasgow exhibition soon.

For now here are the photos selected from Matteo Abruzzo's book:

Page 157 – Horsens, Denmark CASA Arena, 5 June 2010

Page 169 – Berlin, Germany – Olympiastadion, 22 June 2010

Page 177 and 181 from the Rock'n'Roll Fannation in large vinyl banners (approx 1.5 metre x 1.5 metre)

Page 169 – Berlin, Germany – Olympiastadion, 22 June 2010

Page 157 – Horsens, Denmark CASA Arena, 5 June 2010

Page 177 and 181 from the Rock'n'Roll Fannation in large vinyl banners (approx 1.5 meter x 1.5 meter)

AC/DC AUSTRALIA'S FAMILY JEWELS in Scotland and America

The fantastic AC/DC Australia's Family Jewels Exhibition about the career of the greatest rock'n'roll band on hearth will be soon visiting Europe and the USA.

These are the official dates and venues:

Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow 17 September 2011 - 12 February 2012

Experience Music Project, Seattle USA 12 May - 18 November 2012

If you're an AC/DC fan you can't miss it!!!

And if you bought the AC/DC Black Ice World Tour Photo Book and sent us your AC/DC picture you might find a nice surprise there...

More details soon! :)

http://www.acdcfamilyjewels.com/

AMARCORD: Paris, Bercy 2 years ago...

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

The R'n'R Nonno's Diary - The second day in Abruzzo

Friday morning and a 30 minute run along the seafront to proceed to another good stroll before more pasta variations at lunchtime.

Promises of another show at night with references to an artist that changed the history of music … CHUCK BERRY!

I was skeptical… Chuck Berry playing a show in Abruzzo? How could this be possible?

The the "Summer Jamboree" Festival really did exist and was headlined by the Man himself. I had seen Chuck Berry before, in about 1975 back home in England at the same venue where I saw AC/DC the first time.

No longer does he strutt his stuff like a younger man and no longer do the riffs come from his fingers, his voice remains the same but the words do not flow from his songs. But hey! We are in the presence of true greatness! A living Rock'n'Roll Legend that spawned the dreams and aspirations of some of rock's greatest stars: Lennon, Richards, Hendrix and our very own Young brothers, to name a few…

It was a great surprise and a pleasure to see him again. All thanks to AC/DC Abruzzo. Cheers!! I just hope nobody saw me with my umbrella again!

PS I think Matteo enjoyed the jive that was also part of the festival

"...and give Tschaikovsky the news..."

Alan and the AC/DC Abruzzo Steering Committee with Antonio (whom we met in Perth the previous February and took him to his first AC/DC show...READ THE STORY)

THE ADVENTURES OF THE ROCK'N'ROLL NONNO!

"The best part of the tour was making new friends and catching up with old ones; it is hard to describe to ‘ordinary’ people just what it is like travelling the world and seeing the same show all the time. They think you are a bit mad and do not understand. That is something a few of us have in common. It’s a kind of bond that will be there forever."

The ROCK'N'ROLL NONNO speaking about the Black Ice Tour

As some of you already know, Alan aka the Rock'n'Roll Nonno has been travelling the world with us for most of the Black Ice tour, attending 60 shows (and more than 140 in his entire "career" as AC/DC fan). Last summer, he came to visit us in Italy after the end of the tour, to check for himself if all the things he had heard about Abruzzo were true or not.

In the next few weeks we will publish some of the pages of the Rock'n'Roll Nonno's diary from Abruzzo.... From his experience with original Guitar spaghetti to very special rock concerts...

Exclusive on AC/DC Abruzzo blog!

For those who don't know this legendary fan here's an exclusive interview published before the Australian tour...

Today AC/DC Abruzzo is glad to be with a legendary fan who’s been following the band for ages. He’s a piece of history of AC/DC and you will find his name even in books such as AC/DC Maximum Rock’n’Roll. In the last year we met him several times on the road, from the R'n'R Train video shoot in London to the Open air Stadium Tour and he's a good friend of ours. His name is Alan but AC/DC Abruzzo likes to call him Alano or ... ROCK'N'ROLL NONNO!

The President, Alan and the Secretary General in Dublin last April

1-Hi Alan, it’s a pleasure to be with you again. Last time we met was in Paris after the Stade de France show. How are you?

Hi guys, how are you both? It seems a long time since Hampden Park, I don't know why we didn't catch up in either Wembley or Dublin... I am fine and in good health, enjoying the rest of the summer and going up to Manchester to see my beloved UNITED and also doing lots of gardening and decorating to earn some 'pocket money' and really looking forward to my trip to Australia for another 11 shows, they will take me up to 47 for this tour!

2- WOW! GRANDE ALANO! If we remember correctly, we met for the first time in the lobby of our hotel in Wilkes Barres, PA last October just one day before the secret/private show, 5 years after AC/DC’s last gig in London. We were both checking in in the hotel. We remember the levels of excitement for the historic come back of AC/DC and for the world tour. What are your memories of that wonderful experience in that small Pennsylvania town in the middle of nowhere?

My first memories of Wilkes Barre (after meeting you fine italians) is rain, rain and more rain. As you know I was with Michel and although we were drowned we laughed. I will tell you about our trip to Mcdonalds later. The afternoon of the show, meeting up with old friends and making new ones was great. The actual rehersal show was not one of the most memorable but still great to see the guys again.

Alano in Wilkes Barres

Yes, it did rain a lot the day before the show. Then sun and the following day, snow! At least for those who were coming from NY... After Wilkes Barre, you continued for a mini tour in the States and you met several times with the Vice President Andrea and Marco from AC/DC Italia. How many shows did you attend? How was to see AC/DC back in action after so much time? And what was your favorite show in the US?

I was travelling with Michel (another huge fan from Belgium) at the time, on to Chicago and then I continued onto New York on my own. Flying some of the time and Greyhound the others. Indianapolis was great as it was really warm there and there was also an American football game in town the day before the concert and the town was full of football fans from both teams--with NO trouble-. I saw 9 shows on this leg of the tour and it was great to see the guys again as they began to get into their stride as the tour progressed. I think my favourite show was the first show at the Garden, not only for the show, but meeting up with Arnaud (Durieux), Alex and Brian after. As you know we had a good time again lots of laughs.

Great! Going back to the AC/DC come back last year. Our Secretary General Stephano reported your presence also at the video shoot in London back in August, for the first public appearance of the band. You are everywhere! If AC/DC is doing something important somewhere in the world prepare to see Alan!! How did it go in London?

London was a bit of a panic at first because we didn't know if we were going to get 'tickets' but then we managed to be put on the guest list so all was well in the end. It was so good to see the boys and the set, but a disappointment not to be able to get to see the boys during takes. I guess we were spoilt at the ' Hard as a rock ' video shoot when we spent about 12 hours there and the guys were happy to sign autographs between takes all day. But things have changed for sure, so we have to change with them.

Then the European indoor tour began and we met again in Stockholm last February (you had skipped the opening date in Oslo!). Like us, you are a big fan of indoor shows as opposed to Stadium shows (much more intimate). As you know the best shows for AC/DC Abruzzo were, in order: Paris Bercy, Milan and Dublin O2 Arena. Which were the best shows of the indoor tour for you and why?

Stockholm was great, all that snow, as where I live in England I hadn't seen as much snow as that for about 30 years. My favourite shows in Europe (excluding UK and Ireland) would have to be Madrid, Bilbao and Milan. for me the fans were really into it and the band respond to the crowd so I must hand it to the fans.

Going back to your “career” as a AC/DC fan. How many shows did you roughly see? Which tour is your favorite? Any interesting/funny stories from the road and/or with the band members you can tell us?

I have now seen over 100 Ac/Dc shows, going back to 1978. My favourite show was in New York at Roseland (!!!!!!) when they were in town for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Again went over with no tickets and didn't know i was going to get one until the morning of the show. That afternoon we went down to the theatre to see if we could catch any of sound check. Tickets were changing hands for hundreds of dollars and I realised how lucky was I. When the boys arrived they stopped for a chat and as with Brian, a hug. Also with Ellen, which I will tell you about one day.

One really funny thing happened in Wilkes Barre. After the show myself and Michel were alking back to the hotel and were extremely hungry, to our surprise only Mcdonalds was still open so we walked round to there, as you know all of about 50 metres only to be told that we could only be served at the drive thro' as we were not in a car they wouldn't serve us. No way. We walked back to the hotel still hungry and moaning about the service. As we got to the entrance a taxi dropped a couple of guys off. I asked the cabbie if he was free, 'sure guys- where to' -- 'Could you take us to Mcdonalds' explaining our predicament. 'No problem guys in you jump' so off we go to get our Mcdonalds 50 metres away. This guy was a life saver and didn't want to charge us for the privilege. And i bet he still tells the story, as we do. There are many more to tell, but not right now as they take too long....

That's AMERICA! During the last European tour we remember we were on the same early morning flight from Milan to Budapest. You were with Michel who made you confess that you actually saw the Stones and Jimi Hendrix live back in the SIXTIES! We hadn’t slept the previous night so our recollections might be wrong? Is that actually true?

On that flight from Milan to Budapest you were in a coma I think... ah ah ah. (After 2 Milan shows in the pit with that crowd and no sleep you bet we were!) But, yes it is true that i saw Jimi Hendrix and the Stones in the 60's, so many more, Cream, 'Little Stevie Wonder', the Who, the Kinks, all the English groups along with the touring american bands on the 'stax tour' even Otis Redding and he was expensive, if I remember it was 10 shillings to see him, that's 50 pence now!! Wilson Pickett, Lee Dorsey there were so many... Remember that all these were shows where you stood and people would be dancing whilst they played. But Hendrix was special, he done things with a guitar that we hadn't seen before, I'd never seen anyone set fire to one up until then. It's not all bad being 60!

WOW! You a are a lucky man! Your biggest passions are rock music, AC/DC and football. And we know you’re a Manchester Utd fan. Last year was not very succesful, was it?

Yes I am a Man United fan and last year was not so good we only won the Premier league for the third year on the trot and also the league cup and as you are hinting at, I think , is losing in the final of the Champions League. I have had two season tickets for about 15 years now and still go to nearly every home game-560 kms round trip. We are looking forward to playing an Italian team in the final this year unless we knock them out before.

Mhm... Not so sure.... Anyway, in Manchester, after the shows you showed pictures of your grandchildren? You’re proud of them, although you told us they’re not into rock music. Tell us something about them.

My four grandchildren are a real treat to me. Three girls and a boy. 10,11,12 and 13 years old. My eldest grandaughter is a good footballer and i try to see her play whenever i can, unfortunately she is a Norwich fan. They help to keep me young and give me a lot of pleasure.

Grazie mille, Alan. Hopefully our paths will cross again at an AC/DC show. Probably in the Southern Hemisphere…

Looking forward to seeing you guys in OZ in 2010!

Alano, Michel and the Italian bosses

BLACK ICE WORLD TOUR PHOTO BOOK

The AC/DC Black Ice World Tour 2008-2010 Photo Book will be released on October 15. You can pre-order and secure a copy of this LIMITED EDITION book for €65 on this page by using the Paypal button below. For other methods of payment please contact us via email. acdcabruzzo@gmail.com

-Photos from more than 30 shows around the world including special sections for the private show in Wilkes Barre, October 26, 2008, O2 Arena London April 2009, Sydney, February 2010, and the Italian show in Udine, May 19 2010 (pro-quality photos)

-Special section "Photos with the fans"
-Professionally printed on a very limited number of copies
-Hardcover
-Large Format 30x25 cm
-160+ pages
-Coated/protected heavy silk paper
-Strictly limited edition - Collector's item

Stockholm, Olympiastadion June 3, 2010

Stockholm, Olympiastadion, June, 3 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

After the no-party boat trip we finally arrived in Stockholm. We reached the hotel where AC/DC Machine had organised a few special events for fans attending the show. We checked in at 8am. At 9am we got into a coma. We woke up at around 2pm, met some old and new friends in the lobby and headed for breakfast/brunch with Tommy from Norway. We managed to find a totally decent sandwich with prosciutto e mozzarella and we exchanged some stories till lunch time (which was 6pm for us). We realised it as getting late so we decided to go to the venue for the show.

We arrived at the Olympiastadion of Stockholm, a nice old stadium built in the early XX century. We were a bit puzzled by the low gates protecting the stadium from people with no tickets outside (about 1.5 metre). Can you imagine this in Italy, France or Spain? :D

Anyway, we met again the hordes of Swedish scalpers we recognized from the 2 Globen nights of February 2009, under the snow. Probably the most organised and efficient network of scalpers after the English and the Italians... But we survived again and got in around 8.30. The stadium was pretty small, again around 35,000 people inside, and only one level of seats. And it did look like a old historic stadium from outside. Nice big Australian flag on the left tower and big Swedish flag on the right tower. Again daylight for the entire show.

The band hit the stage a few minutes after 9.15. The crowd, again was a calm/quiet scandinavian crowd, maybe a bit warmer than the Finnish, and probably a bit more drunk too. Brian, again in fantastic shape (although his voice was a bit less powerful than for the previous 2 gigs) showed his appreciation for the crowd several times ("you are making us proud up here" etc.). Maybe he was comparing to the Norwegians and the Finnish. Maybe he was just being kind... At very beginning of LTBR we got some light rain, but it stopped after 2 minutes (unfortunately). Again new Angus' duckwalking for The Jack and Highway To Hell.

Actually during Angus' duckwalking on Shot Down In Flames we got one of our moments of clarity. AC/DC are definitely one of the most hard working bands in music history. When we were observing Cliff, Malcolm and Phil, on the big screens, doing all the hard work behind the scenes as well as Brian and Angus jumping left and right like crazy and we realised that although the band obviously is very tired comparing to the beginning of the European tour nothing can't stop them 'till Bilbao... AC/DC is a war machine and the energy and the professionalism the band puts together during the shows is just amazing.

As for Angus, well, you can never get enough of Angus live on stage. The truth is we grew up listening to hundreds of AC/DC live bootlegs from all tours and finally getting to see the real Angus playing live so many times is just a gift to us. We enjoy every duckwalk and every move. Many people keep asking us why we enjoy watching all these "identical" live shows. Well, in fact, each live show by definition is just unique. We don't really care too much about our Vynil or CD or DVD collection anymore. To us rock'n'roll has become a LIVE experience. And it will be like this until the end of the tour...

After the concert, we met with historic fan Brian from Glasgow, one of our companions during the European and Australian tours. He told us some more stories from the '70s and early '80s. We made him tell us again the story about the Glasgow Apollo Theatre soundcheck (one of our favourites). We just love those rock'n'roll stories from the early days...

Then we met with Mikel, who was one of our correspondents from Buenos Aires, and the rest of the crew from the AC/DC Machine hotel, including Patrick from Finland who was with us at the London Hammersmith soundcheck in 2003... We went together to the Anchor club where a Bon Scott Live Tribute band was playing (very cool version of Kicked in the teeth BTW...).

That's all from Stockholm. Tomorrow we gotta wake up pretty early again and drive all the way to Denmark (and cross a couple of big and pretty expensive Scandinavian bridges).

Brian show

The brothers Young

Brian show 2