Saturday, March 20, 2010

OSAKA REPORT + ABRUZZO LITTLE TIBET

The adventures of Junko and Orangus in Japan
(part 2)


Orangus

Osaka, Kyocera Dome,
March 16, 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

Hi guys! Here's the exclusive report written in Italian by Junko Kawamura, one of the greatest sopranos of Japan, appreciated worldwide for her perfect rendering of the Mummy in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. As you can imagine it wasn't easy to make a Japanese woman to write in Italian but I made it possible! Here it comes:

"ho capito che lorenzo e molto potente quando si tratta di biglietti,anche in giappone, abbiamo preso 2 ottimi posti, davanti alla pedana, essendo ilmio 3 concerto rock non capisco tanto le differenze con gli altri 2 concerti di tokyo, ma dall inizio mi sembrava che la loro tensione fosse molto alta, piu di tokyo, mi e piaciuta molto una delle prima canzoni, quella col ritmo piu veloce (la sto interrogando, ma non capisco quale, magari quando torno a casa le faccio sentire di
nuovo i pezzi con youtube ndr) mi sono piaciute anche the jack (a lei piace il blues di Gary Moore ndr), e stata una bella esperienza

Back to me now. I'm glad she acknowledged my superpowers when it comes to concert tickets. In the previous report I meant that the Japanese audience is incredibly calm and quite before and after the show but during the show they just go wild. For the second show in Tokyo Junko and I messed it up with the scheduled time and arrived late to the arena. AC/DC started at 5pm instead of 7pm as the previous night and we didn't know. (TYPICAL OF ORANGUS)

Anyway, the Osaka show was my 50th AC/DC show so I celebrated the occasion by wearing a t-shirt that I had bought at my first show in Bologna in 1996. In Osaka we had 2 excellent seats, almost as good as in Albany last year. The show ranks in my personal top 3 list being Circus Krone number 1 and Hammersmith number 2. High Voltage was the highlight of the night. To my taste, it was just perfect. The photos of Bon were no longer on the screens like in Australia though.

Brian started the show very well but then he got a bit tired. The others were just on fire, similar to the show in Dusseldorf, which to me is one of the best performances of the band for this tour. During the show Brian saw the AC/DC Abruzzo flag that I was holding and came by to say hello. Then he did the military salute.

Considering that Junko actually looked like a mummy of the Aida during the first two shows in Tokyo I forced her to drink Sake before the OSAKA concert. She got drunk and stopped to act like a mummy... AHAHAH

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS + VIDEOS

FROM THE AC/DC ABRUZZO SYDNEY OFFICE


The Steering Committee has been meeting every day since the end of the Australian tour to work on the planning of the European Tour 2010, the final leg of the Black Ice World Tour. Although there have been rumours about 2 extra shows to be added in Spain we believe that there won't be any change to the current list. Soon the official AC/DC Abruzzo Tour will be revealed.

THE CHEQUERS - 50 metres from our office

ABRUZZO - THE LITTLE TIBET


We found an interesting article on The Times regarding our beloved region. The famous English newspaper ranks Abruzzo as one of the 10 best adventures of a lifetime!

Here's an excerpt from The Times' article.

Fancy a Tibetan trek without the long-haul flight? A self-guided hike through the Abruzzo region of Italy could be the solution. It has vino rosso rather than yak’s butter tea, but the long flat valleys sandwiched by grey mountains are dubbed “Little Tibet” and have even stood in for the Himalayas in movies. From Barisciano the route climbs past medieval villages and castles, reaching the plateau of Campo Imperatore, with superb views of the Gran Sasso peaks. After stays in comfortable huts on this seven-day trip, you hike up Corno Grande, the highest Apennine mountain.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

OSAKA, SYDNEY and Playing with girls

From what we've heard OSAKA was really special. Apparently Alan and Andrea rank the show among one of the best they've seen so far, considering the band, the venue and the crowd. Here's an exclusive video and some exclusive pictures from yesterday's show.



PHOTOGALLERY OSAKA MARCH 16, 2010







NEW AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICE IN SYDNEY

AC/DC Abruzzo Steering Committee is currently in the new AC/DC Abruzzo office in Sydney, located on Pitt Street, 50 metres from THE CHEQUERS (!!!). The Steering committee started the preparation and the planning of the Grand Finale of the Black Ice World Tour in Europe this summer... Stay tuned! We're coming to a town near you!

14 May 2010 Sofia BG Vassil Levsky Stadium
16 May 2010 Bucharest RO Piata Constitutiei
19 May 2010 Udine IT Stadio Friuli
22 May 2010 Wels AT Air Field (Flugplatz Wels)
25 May 2010 Hannover DE Messe
27 May 2010 Warsaw PL Bemowo Airport
30 May 2010 Oslo NO Valle Hovin Stadion
01 Jun 2010 Tampere FI Ratina Stadium
03 Jun 2010 Stockholm SE Olympic Stadium
05 Jun 2010 Horsens DK CASA Arena Horsens
08 Jun 2010 Bern CH Stade de Suisse
11 Jun 2010 Donington GB Donington Park
13 Jun 2010 Stuttgart DE Cannstatter Wasen
15 Jun 2010 Nice FR Parc des Sports Charles Ehrmann
18 Jun 2010 Paris FR Stade De France
20 Jun 2010 Dresden DE Ostrahege
22 Jun 2010 Berlin DE Olympic Stadium


KOSP ITALIAN SEDUCTION SCHOOL


Playing with Girls

Bring on the showgirls and the debutantes
Late-night waitress in a restaurant
Headin` for the clubs and bars with the flashin` lights
Lookin` for the good-time girls in their black nylon tights
Over the barrel bottoms-up Playing with girls gonna get you hot
Playing with guns gonna get you shot
Playing with fire gonna heat you up
Playing with me you`re gonna get the lot


During the AC/DC Australian tour Kosp's assistant KK proved to be a great mentor for the two AC/DC Abruzzo's Pick Up Artist instructors. They learned some important lessons on the Rockstar lifestyle and on how to be worthwhile skilled players. KK also taught them that listening to AC/DC music can be of great help in learning this difficult art form. Songs such as "Playing with the girls" from the Fly on the Wall album is one of KK's favourite and it perfectly sums up how the Rockstar attitude should be.
In the next entry there will also be a special report on the graduation exam of our PUA student Brett in Perth last week.

KK's instructor in Adelaide with a 2-set

Monday, March 15, 2010

UPDATE FROM TOKYO

From the right Alan, Andrea with other crazy fans...


LETTER FROM THE ROCK'N'ROLL NONNO TO AC/DC ABRUZZO STEERING COMMITTE

Saitama, Super Arena,
March 14, 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

Tokyo March 15, 2010

Hi Abruzzo

Japan is OK but very dull and regimented everybody goes their way without talking. I was on the train into Tokyo this morning, it was silent, nobody talking at all... It is not for me!! Lots of people of all ages wearing clinical masks!! And I think you wouldn`t be impressed with the girls here... but maybe you would...
The shows were good in Tokyo, great seats on the floor, 7 rows from the front 1st night and 8 rows 2nd night right against the catwalk. The crowd were good, up on their feet from the moment the lights went down, just like Manchester!! [man.utd 4 milan 0] Ahahaha
I met up with Andrea so that was good to see him and his wife. He showed me his photos from last night!!
I miss all you guys to have a chat to after the shows. Yesterday before the show a Finnish guy came up to me and asked if I was Alan, said he had been reading your blog so i don`t know what is in that...
Hope tomorrow in Osaka is as good and then it`s back western civilization in Perth for a couple of weeks. So take care my friends and will see you in Europe before long.
Bye for now
Nonno Alan


EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS

PHOTOGALLERY BY VICE PRESIDENT ANDREA



LET THERE BE LIGHT!






Sunday, March 14, 2010

VIDEOS FROM 1st and 2nd JAPAN SHOWS

Ok. After the first delusional highly sarcastic report by Orangus let's get back to business.

Here's a few "MADE IN ITALY" videos from the first and second Japan gigs including an exclusive video of TNT just for our blog. Our first impression after seeing 11 stadium shows in Australia is that the indoor arena stage has become too small and limiting for the current AC/DC physical shape. But we still prefer the more intimate atmosphere of smaller indoor arenas...

Enjoy!


TOKYO MARCH 12, 2010 1st NIGHT








TOKYO MARCH 14, 2010 2nd NIGHT





AC/DC ABRUZZO INVADES JAPAN!!

From our special envoy ORANGUS

Saitama, Super Arena,
March 12, 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

(WARNING: Explicit report. Orangus is widely known for his NON-politically correct reporting style -and lifestyle- Please DO NOT CONTINUE TO READ if you think this might affect your sensitivity)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS


Tokyo March 13 2010

Hi everybody! Yesterday AC/DC shook the foundations of Tokyo more than any earthquake that has ever hit the Japanese city before!

I went to the show with Junko Kawamura, one of the most famous opera singers in Japan (soprano). She is appreciated worldwide for her perfect rendering of the Mummy in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. That was her first rock concert in her life. She just loved The Jack and Let there be Rock.

Thanks to our experience in the AC/DC ticket business we managed to exchange our 2 seating tickets (on the side) with 2 floor tickets. I actually quite enjoyed negotiating with female scalpers outside the venue. Yes! FEMALE scalpers!! Japan is truly an advanced country!


The Japanese audience was incredibly warm, before, during and after the show. Maybe it doesn't look like they're going to an AC/DC concert but when the concert starts they know how to rock... Almost like "latin" crowds and definitely more than the Anglosaxons.


The setlist was completely changed, with lots of improvisation and jamming by the band. They even took requests from the audience after the third encore. Unfortunately several lighting guys, technicians and stagehands committed suicide, harakiri style. Others were hospitalised in local mental institutions due to the stress overload.


Orangus


PHOTOGALLERY BY VICE PRESIDENT ANDREA

Riff Raff

Live Wire

Downpayment Blues

The original setlist which was totally changed at the last minute

The Vice president with the Rock'n'roll nonno

Friday, March 12, 2010

PERTH CHRONICLES

Bon's grave in Fremantle

Project Australia by AC/DC Abruzzo has finally come to an end. The Project proved a TOTAL SUCCESS! We're finally back in our Sydney office ready to get reports from the Vice President Andrea and Orangus who are currently deployed in Japan, together with the Rock'n'Roll Nonno Alano, who has been with us before and after most of the gigs here in Australia. Project AC/DC ABRUZZO shall continue!

And now the last two reports from PERTH.

Perth, Subiaco Oval,
March 6, 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

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICIAL REPORT


After Adelaide we finally got to Perth, the sunniest city in Australia! The day of the show it was pretty hot. Almost as hot as the third show in Sydney. If you guys were there you know what I mean. The stadium was close to the city centre again so no hassle like in Brisbane... We grabbed a couple of wood oven pizzas from a "mobile" italian pizzeria of some Italians from Bergamo outside the stadium and then got inside ready to rock.

This time we decided to stay on Malcolm's side again. In the standing section there was a typical Australian crowd, quite tame and everyone was standing pretty far from each other, even near the catwalk (alcohol + hot weather= flat crowd). For the first time we even saw a few children standing on their dad's shoulders in the standing section during the whole AC/DC show. Unthinkable in Europe. And the crowdsurfing attempts of Melbourne and Sydney were just a far memory...

We were pretty excited not only because the band was playing in Perth the final shows of this memorable tour but also because there had been rumours during the day about a soundcheck done by the band at the venue in the afternoon. This could mean a setlist change. The setlist change actually took place during the Wolfmother's show. They played Communication Breakdown...

Angus was in dark blue again. Brian was literally on fire! Jumping, screaming, running, talking to the crowd. We rarely saw Brian is such a good shape... It reminded us of the Barcelona gig in June when he even got off the stage during Highway to Hell (!!!) to shake hands with the fans... During The Jack, following AC/DC Abruzzo's concert routine, we asked a woman next to us to jump on our shoulders. This time it was a lady in her 50's. She bluntly told us in the ear before the chorus that she had drunk with Bon Scott when she was 15 (!!!). (Apparently in this area lots of people in their 50's or 60's have a story to tell about Bon and the old times... Walk in Perth or Fremantle with an AC/DC t-shirt and you're likely to be stopped by ladies in their 50's telling you that they had spent time drinking with Bon during their teenage...It happened to us several times!!!).

Anyway, the woman got on the big screen during the Jack together with the AC/DC Abruzzo flag and just a few seconds before the only boobflashing of the night... (Canadian boobs by the way LOL). The woman kept thanking us during the following song. Anyway, Brian kept his crazy rock'n'roll show. We actually thought he had taken one of those Hammersmith 2003 pills... We love Brian!

During YSMANL there were more women, including some grannies. No kidding guys!!! And one of them was even determined to flash!! Crazy stuff!! Only for Perth...

During Let there Be Rock we did our "bonfire" routine as a tribute to the fantastic performance of the band showing our flag. Brian came close on the catwalk and started waving at us and then saluted us, military style. We were really surprised! First time that it happened with such a emphasis during the tour. But it was nice and also very rewarding for us, especially after having talked to Brian in Sydney about Project AC/DC Abruzzo.

Obviously there was no second encore and no setlist change. But it was still a very special show anyway, one of the best of the entire tour....

Perth, Subiaco Oval,
March 8, 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

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICIAL REPORT


Altro giro altra corsa. Final show in Australia. Maybe the last one of AC/DC's career. We managed to get in again despite the fact that the show was again a genuine sold out with scalpers selling tickets for hundreds of dollars. But in the last 18 months we survived to much more difficult sold out shows such as for example the Globen in Stockholm or the O2 in Dublin. We were trained well. We are sorry for our Spanish friends from Madrid (including legendary fan "El Rana" with whom we drank a few beers "to Bon" the previous day at the Fremantle cemetary). And also the other friends from Canada and Sydney. We learned after the show that unfortunately they didn't make it to the second show. We salute them.

Again we were on Malcolm's side. Angus was in green. And this time it was his night! What a show! Angus at his best! Malcolm as well was in great shape. It was like the boys wanted to prove they were the best in front of a special crowd, Perth. Great version of The Jack with lots of boobs flashing (but the best remains Sydney second night).

After the show we spotted Margaret Young and Bon's brothers, Graeme and Derek with their families. It was another great night of rock'n'roll. And in Perth you could actually feel the spirit of Bon more than elsewhere...

Outside the stadium we met Doug, the head of the Bon Scott fan club. Really a nice guy. We also met Jean Philippe, a French man who is in the same league as us of crazy globetrotting hard core fans with 40 shows under his belt... He was almost moved to tears while watching the trucks getting loaded with all the AC/DC containers...

That's all from Australia for the moment. See you in Japan!!!

The Secretary General with Rock'n'Roll Deity Angus Young in Perth

Monday, March 8, 2010

Photos from PERTH 2nd night

In the end they DID change the setlist! No, not AC/DC. It was Wolfmother, who played a special song for Perth: Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin!

But who really cares about the setlist? In the end we are for the Rock'n'Roll. And AC/DC proved again that they are the best rock'n'roll band in the world. So we are happy.

On Saturday, we had an amazing performance by Brian. Tonight it was Angus who stole the show. The other boys were just impeccable as usual. And Perth proved to be the perfect place to end this historic Australian tour. A magic place, especially because of Bon. And we are sure that Bon would be happy to see how AC/DC have managed to conquer the world and play the biggest stadiums in Australia in front of three generations of fans! This was definetely a memorable night for rock'n'roll...








Perth - Grand finale in a few hours!

So we couldn't get any confirmation about the soundcheck rumour so we guess a change in the setlist will not take place. Sorry, no time for the official report of the first night. We've been pretty busy with th
e Fremantle expedition yesterday and the flu symptoms we developed here in Perth... 11 shows in a row? I tell you folks, it's harder than it looks!

PERTH March 8, 2010 - SETLIST CHANGE - AC/DC ABRUZZO BETTING ODDS

NO CHANGE 4/5
It's a Long Way to the Top 25
Ride On 35
If You Want Blood 45
Gone Shootin' 50
Riff Raff 100
Rocker 100
Live Wire 100
Touch too Much 100
Other 20

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