ABRUZZO PROVERB OF THE MONTH

"Li cos' allungh divent' scirp..."

ITA. "Le cose lunghe diventano serpenti"

ENG. (litteral translation) "Long things become snakes"

Here's another modern abruzzese version of the "Carpe Diem" (Seize the day) philosohy. However in this proverb the stress is put on the negative consequences that excessive procrastination can have on the pursuit of people's objectives in life.

Vienna, Ernst-Happel Stadium, May 24, 2009

Unfortunately, AC/DC Abruzzo has lost contact with his correspondent from the road. The last message received from him was from the Munich HIGHEND trade fair, special event for audiophiles which Lorenzo (aka Orangus) was attending in Germany 2 days ago. Reportedly, the last thing that he was seen doing was listenening to a copy of Black Ice with a 350,000 Euros HI-FI equipment... A reward is offered to anyone who provide information to help us find him. We need his reports for the rest of the open air leg!

Although we don't have any inside info about yesterday's show in Vienna, for some unknown reason we feel quite confident about the fact that AC/DC kept the same setlist of the previous shows... If we get some extra info you'll be the first to know.

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. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hell's Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. TNT
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let there be Rock
19. Highway to Hell
20. For Those About to Rock

Hockenheimring, Formula 1 Racing Track, May 22, 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. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hell's Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. TNT
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let there be Rock
19. Highway to Hell
20. For Those About to Rock

Report by Lorenzo, AC/DC Abruzzo's correspondant on the road.
Again the band seemed to get better in the second half of the concert. Best version of Dog Eat Dog so far. YSMANL and TNT highlights of the night. The crowd was really loud during TNT. Great version of Let There Be Rock. Bad acoustics in the Hockenheimring, bu we knew that from the 2003 show with the Stones. During The Jack no "boob flashing" like in the Cologne show, During Rosie Brian let the crowd sing several parts of the song. Lots of people tried to jump over the barriers dividing the crowd but most of them were caught by the staff...
Ciao.

INTRO + ROCK'N'ROLL TRAIN



IF YOU WANT BLOOD



Ooops, that was in 2003! :-(

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".

Cologne Stadion, 19 May 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. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hell's Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. TNT
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let there be Rock
19. Highway to Hell
20. For Those About to Rock

This just in (from AC/DC Abruzzo's correspondant on the road). The Cologne gig was apparently the best show so far of the stadium tour. It rained for several hours but that didn't stop the band at all. Several banners in the audience to wish Phil a happy birthday. Still a lot of confusion with FOS tickets. Access to the FOS was at staff's dicretion. Brian skipped the first verse of Shoot To Thrill. Highlight of the night was the Jack, also thanks to two ladies who flashed their boobs when they were on the big screens! More to come. See you in Hockenheim.

Nice video from Gelsenkirchen

TICKETS FOR MARSEILLE AND PARIS ON SALE AGAIN

Some more tickets were released for sale for the French shows. Including Pelouse or. Here's the link:

http://billetterie.gdp.fr/index2.php

The French shows will kick ass! So don't miss them!!

Gelsenkirchen, Veltins Arena 17 May, 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. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hell's Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. TNT
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let there be Rock
19. Highway to Hell
20. For Those About to Rock

We just talked briefly on the phone with our correspondant from Germany Lorenzo (more than 20 shows under his belt on this tour) who was at the concert in Gelsenkirchen tonight. He told us that Shot Down In Flames was replaced with Rock'n'Roll Damnation. Obviously it was only a joke.  Very funny... AH ... AH ... AH... :-(

The Veltins arena is a covered stadium so no problems with the rain. The fan club FOS tickets proved totally useless. Who gets there first gets the best spots. Highlights: great performance of Whole Lotta Rosie (despite some hesitation by Angus at the end) and Let There Be Rock. 

Ciao to the Calabrese boys Gino and Luigi who were with us in Dusseldorf and Oberhausen and attended the show too. We'll keep you posted if we get more details. 

MUNICH OLYMPIASTADION MAY 15 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. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hell's Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. TNT
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let there be Rock
19. Highway to Hell
20. For Those About to Rock


AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICIAL REPORT

I’m rolling thunder
I’m pouring rain

As you already know, AC/DC Abruzzo went to München with the hope that they would play an extra song (beside Dog Eat Dog.). Unfortunately they didn't. But we got another show under our belt and we finally got to see AC/DC in the Olympiastadium which we saw an unlimited number of times on the Stiff Upper Lip DVD since its release in 2001. The Olympiastadium is a beautiful and intimate stadium with great acoustics and magic atmosphere. We met several fans who were also there in 2001 including the "iconic" Patryck (he0s even on the tourbook now!) and many of the German guys that we had met in Paris during the wild party on the 26 in the Latin Quarter. AC/DC Abruzzo salute them all. The Germans are really dedicated fans and it's a lot of fun to hang out with them. The AC/DC Italia boys/staff were also in Munich to attend the show.

Same setlist. No surprise. Same performance. Great Angus and Brian. We love Phil. Malcolm looks evil, we love that. Cliff looks evil too during Dog Eat Dog. Great song! So we understood that nothing (or almost nothing) will change before Glasgow. AMEN.

We knew from very reliable sources (No, no, not God!! The other one...) that it would rain in Munich. And it did. And guess what. We actually loved it! In fact the highlight of the night was seeing Brian from YSMANL onwards singing and dancing on the catwalk next to us and then Angus during his catwalk escapade in Let There Be Rock getting all wet while it was raining cats and dogs!!! The audience was a good one, but again not the type of audiences we prefer like the French, the Italian or the Irish. Too many people standing still, not moving...

Dog Eat Dog was also played and we got the impression that it will get better and better each night from now on. To celebrate that wonderful performance of Let There Be Rock under the rain we “performed the bonfire" (as we say) with the Secretary General showing the flag to Angus and to the whole stadium on the shoulders of the President. We started doing this in Paris Feb 27 and we never stopped since then (apart when we couldn't get a standing ticket). It has also become a way to give “AC/DC Abruzzo seal of approval" to AC/DC's performance. When the right levels of rock'n'roll are reached the flag is raised. AHA HA HA! Crazy Italians...

Beside Let There Be Rock and YSMANL we also loved the “wet” version of TNT (see the video on our youtube channel). Another highlight was the "battle of the Devil's tridents" that took place in the "Italian Flag area" (on the right, front of stage section). Even Brian seemed to like it when he gave the high five to one of the Trident during YSMANL!". Javom quasi mbrizzicat' lu chil nghe lu forcon'!!!! ah ah ah

WHAT'S NEXT

AC/DC Abruzzo Stirring Committee made the unanimous decision to reduce the number of concerts to attend due to the repetitiveness of the setlist and some work and family commitments (which we might be able to ignore if they played If You Want Blood and/or some other gems we have been waiting for since Wilkes Barre). As we said in a previous post this open air tour does not seem to be designed for hard core fans. So be it. Let the non/new fans enjoy the band too. We will pick the next shows according to the venue and the audience (Stade de France in Paris and Hampden Park in Glasgow are definitely on the agenda) And we'll keep praying the Gods of Rock that they keep touring until mid-2010, when the need to play 5 songs from the Black Ice album might be over. For the next 2 German dates we have a trusted special envoy on the road who was with us for most of the tour and who who will send us all the details about the shows. So stay with AC/DC Abruzzo.

Last note. We admired the work that te boys of AC/DC Italia have done for the fans in the last few years and we recognise their “institutional role” in the fan community so most of the exclusive material we gathered during this tour goes to their archives. http://www.acdc-italia.com/

Meine Damen und Herren, Das kann nur Eins heißen: AC/DC!!!!!!!

Olympiastadion

Another milestone was reached by AC/DC Abruzzo who saw AC/DC at the Munich Olympiastadion yesterday night. As you know that was the stadium where the Stiff Upper Lip DVD was recorded in 2001. This DVD had a fundamental role for our survival during the long years of waiting before this World Tour so this show was particularly meaningful for us. This time AC/DC Abruzzo was part of the action with old and new friends. The flag was raised again in Germany and the heavy rain that started before YSMANL just made us rock harder and louder!! Report+photos and videos soon!!
CIAO from the Rock'n'roll train Munich-Abruzzo!

Braianno e Angusso

With our good friends of AC/DC Italia!

DOG EAT DOG!

LEIPZIG, GERMANY ZENTRALSTADIUM 13 MAY 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. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hell's Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. TNT
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let there be Rock
19. Highway to Hell
20. For Those About to Rock


AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICIAL REPORT
We went to Leipzig just like we did in Wilkes Barre and Oslo to be the "first to hear it". And we were the first again. Dog Eat Dog was added to the setlist. Are we happy? We have mixed feelings. We love this song but it isn't Riff Raff, Live Wire or If You Want Blood. . And unless something major happens in Munich AC/DC Abruzzo will skip many shows of the open air tour. As you know we are not very fond of Stadium shows: we believe that the shows for the real fans were the ones in the small arenas. And we were there. Stadium shows are, generally speaking, for regular "mainstream" audience. For those people who maybe only know Highway To Hell or Thnderstruck. The band (read Malcolm) is aware of that and probably this is the reason why they don't bother adding "rare" songs each night. In fact yesterday in the Zeltralstadium, 90% of people seemed not to care too much about Dog Eat Dog... As long as they hear HTH, TNT, ROSIE, YSMANL they're happy. So the band will give it to them. Fair enough. The other 10% of people will have to wait for the next show in Circus Krone or Roseland Balroom... But we might be wrong...


So different venue. Different crowd. Different atmosphere. Apart from very few changes. The stage was very similar to the 2001 one. You saw the pics. Same train. Nothing special afterall. It looked like AC/DC wanted to give those "fans" who couldn't get a ticket for the indoor tour the opportunity to see them. Or maybe they just wanted to cut costs as much as possible and maximise profit... Or maybe they're just lazy...We actually have problems in understanding this... Differences: Dog Eat Dog added, Let There Be Rock you will see some confettis flying in the air and different catwalk-end and final solo, fireworks at the end, much louder 21-gun salute.


The band performed well but you could tell that they were not mastering the bigger stage perfectly (especially the catwalk). Our impression was that until DOG EAT DOG they were going a bit slow and cumbersome. But this might be due to our fear of not having any setlist change. After Dog Eat Dog they looked more energetic... Especially Angus. Brian fucked up quite clearly on War Machine but then totally redeemed himself with Dog Eat Dog. Not his best performance of this song but pretty good.


The German crowd was not bad but not great either. The 1-liter personalised AC/DC beer pitcher made its appearance again (last time we saw it was in March in Germany). We must mention a major fuck up by the organisers/promoter who wrote "Front of Stage" on the fan club tickets but didn't allow entrance to the front of stage section to all the people with a Front of Stage ticket!! They basically applied a first come first served policy to the FOS section. So AC/DC Abruzzo also had to witness an entertaining but useless fight between German fans and security guys before the show near the barriers. The Germans are not hotblooded as the Italians or the French but this time they seemed to be quite pissed off about this fan club thing.



OK guys. See you in "rainy" Munich.

IF YOU WANT BLOOD...

YOU SHOULD GET IT! We deserve it...

SPEAKING OF FANS...

Here's the last episode of the Rock'n'Roll Fannation documentary. AC/DC Abruzzo is in this episode too!! (Thank God they didn't broadcast the part of the interview when we told them that we came from Italy without tickets! AH AH AH!)

AC/DC Rock n Roll Fannation - Episode 7 from AC/DC Rock n Roll Fannation on Vimeo.

AC/DC ABRUZZO's INTERVIEWS WITH THE FANS!!!

Just a few hours before the first show of the Stadium tour in Leipzig, AC/DC ABRUZZO decided to inaugurate its "Interviews with the Hardcore Fans" series. We met many of them during our international rock'n'roll journey, from Wilkes Barre, USA to Birmingham, UK and we have been impressed by their dedication, passion and energy. But the most interesting thing for us, from Wilkes Barres onwards, was to have met those hardcore fans who had been confined in a limbo that lasted for 5 years (or 8 if they didn't attend any European show in 2003) before having the chance to see the band on stage again. Some of them are legendary figures who travelled almost anywhere to see the band since the Bon Scott era, others are just regular forum posters who had never seen the band live before. What they have in common is their genuine passion for AC/DC and their willingness and commitment to see them live in concert as many times as possible during the BLACK ICE World Tour. Enjoy!

FIRST INTERVIEW: GOZONE!

Today, we're with one of the biggest fans of AC/DC that AC/DC Abruzzo had the pleasure to meet in Wilkes Barre for the private gig. Marc, aka as GOZONE. Our special guest for today.

AC/DC ABRUZZO: Gozone, you're definetely one of the most active fans on several boards, especially acdcpower.net where most of the hardcore fans has kept discussing matters related to AC/DC, often in a very "colurful and emphatic" way beyond the bounds of what is normally considered "politically correct". Please tell us about your passion for AC/DC and your role on ACDCpower forum.

GOZONE: Well, it is funny that you mentioned acdcpower.net!  I found that website because I was looking for somewhere to share my passion of AC/DC with other fans.  At first, it was a little rough there, as you know, that site is not for the weak! There are many great fans on there and I enjoy reading about concert reviews, album reviews, rare recordings, etc, etc.  You could say that I am not a “politically correct” poster there.  I state my honest opinion and try to be “real”.  There have been some battles on the message board.  Just to name a few of the poster, Kirk, Zoid, Wheels, Toxictwin (you), Meanstreak, HoneyRoll, Cali not Cooool, Jimmy, Shoot, Shocker, AT/LE, etc, etc…..all of these people and many others are die hard fans that contribute to the forum daily.  Yes, I will admit that it is fun to start “stuff” on that site but it is all in good fun.  I have learned so much about AC/DC by reading that board.  I really enjoy talking about rare or lesser known songs by AC/DC.  I am not a big fan of the “hits” by any means.  One of my favorite albums is Ballbreaker, many people there think I am crazy. You will see me at concerts wearing my Ballbreaker t-shirt!  That album is so underrated.  It is pure sleazy rock at its best. The bluesy groove on that album is great, thanks to the return of Phil Rudd.  One of my favorite songs ever is, Cover You in Oil.  I also enjoy listening to Powerage, what a great bluesy feel on that album as well.  I am very happy with the Black Ice album, Big Jack, Smash n Grab, Spoilin, Decibel are my faves on that album.  I think that the song, Stormy May Day could have been EPIC, if they including a bluesy Angus solo.

AC/DC ABRUZZO: We met in Wilkes Barre for that historic show. You told us that you were seeing more than one shows? How did it go?

GOZONE: Yes, it was great to meet you in Wilkes. I had a great time meeting such great fans.  Check out the pic of me and toxic. I drove 8 hours to see that show and bought a ticket off of a fan fromCalifornia.  I was pissed that Live Nation seated radio station winners up front and the die hards in back. What bull shit, total corporate crap.  Anyway, I enjoyed hearing RnR Train and Black Ice for the first time in history live.  After that show I saw them 6 more times. Detroit(2^nd row), Toronto, Columbus, San Antonio, Houston, Cincinnati.  It was worth every penny, let me tell you.  The Toronto show was the best, there was such a good atmosphere in that building that night.  It seemed like a national holiday in Canada…what great fans there. My hearing was lost for weeks after sitting in the second row in Detroit.  My highlights of the tour are , Shoot To Thrill, HAABPTB, War Machine, Back in Black to name a few.  I hope that we hear some more deeper cuts as this tour goes on.  I am a fan of HAAR, SUL, FOTS album, Sin City, Gone Shootin, Riff Raff, High Voltage, Live Wire, Walk All Over You, etc, etc.  How great would it be if they played something off of  FOTS?  It would be incredible for us fans.  I truly hope that they mix up the set drastically for the later tour dates. 

AC/DC ABRUZZO: Is it true that you met the band and that you have a special friendship with Phil Rudd?

GOZONE: Yes, me and Phil know each other…LOL…nah, I met him once outside of the hotel in suburbanDetroit.  It was total luck that I found them there.  I drove home from work and checked out this hotel nearby that musicians usually stay at when in town.  I parked my car on the street and Angus Young turns the corner!! I nearly passed out.  He was with a bodyguard and I shook his hand and he signed my FTATR vinyl for me.  What a nice guy, he signed it personally to me. I was so nervous that I didn’t say what I wanted to.  I then saw Phil walk out of the hotel and said hi to him, he told me and my buddy to get lost…LOL.  He then came back an hour later and signed my vinyl for me.  I hated to bug him but who knows if I will ever get that chance again. For all he knows, I am some ebay autograph seeking a-hole!  Phil is the ultimate bad-ass and the best drummer for AC/DC.  I find it hard to listen to the non-Rudd albums.  Malcolm was very cool too.

AC/DC ABRUZZO: Gozone, they told us that you have actually Italian ancenstors. It wouldn't be surprising that your greatgrandmother was from Abruzzo?

GOZONE: Yes, I have family in Northern Italy, north of Venice. My great grandmother came to Detroit for work and didn’t speak any English. I never got to meet here but I am very proud of my Italian ancestry.  There is nothing like an Italian family.  We are very close and always enjoy spending time together during the holidays (great food too). I would love to get a chance to go to Italy and meet some of my family there.  I would also love to see AC/DC there.  The fans there are awesome and I would love to be in an arena that has General Admission.  I can’t stand having seats on the floor in the USA, it sucks.

AC/DC ABRUZZO:Thank you Gozone. Hopefully, we'll meet soon on the road!

GOZONE: Well, I hope that we can meet during this tour.  I think that they will be back to the USA soon (summer).  I bet we hear dome classic gems too!!!  Bring on Gone Shooting, Ballbreaker, SUL, WMW, High Voltage, etc, etc!!!  Congrats on meeting Brian and Cliff, how cool!! Cheers and many thanks!!!!!

HERE'S THE NEW STAGE!!!!!!

That doens't mean that AC/DC Abruzzo is forcing you to click on the links below though!! So please, please, please don't do it unless you want to spoil the surprise! 

As you guys should know by now AC/DC ABRUZZO can resist everything but TEMPTATION!!! Especially AC/DC TEMPTATION! So we did click on the links and saw the stage which was assembled in Munich. And now we're even more excited!!!!!!! 

Here's the links... But don't click on them!! Deal?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicobill/3518497673/   http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicobill/3518507117/   http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicobill/3518515607/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicobill/3518498363/ Big grazie to Yanno and Riccardo!!! :-)

CIAO!

ACCA DACCA BACK IN OZ!!

Dates confirmed today! AC/DC will be back in Australia in February for at least 5 stadium shows (7 with New Zealand). The one in Sidney will be the day before the anniversary of Bon's death.
EMMOCITENOMAI'!

30 Jan: Wellington, NZ
6 Feb: Auckland, NZ
11 Feb: Melbourne, VIC (Etihad Stadium)
18 Feb: Sydney, NSW (ANZ Stadium) 60,000 seats
25 Feb: Brisbane, QLD (Nathan Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre)
2 Mar: Adelaide, SA (Adelaide Oval) 40,000 seats
6 Mar: Perth, WA (Subiaco Oval)

OPEN AIR STAGE + SONG FOR ABRUZZO!

Waiting for the Premiere of the Open Air European tour in Leipzig, which AC/DC Abruzzo will attend, we post a picture from the Munich stadium were the stage was assembled for production rehearsals. You can see the big panels on the lawn that will be probably used for the background on the stage... Mhm, they look familiar, don't they?

Also we would like to let you know about this project to support the reconstruction works of the Conservatory and the Theatre of L'Aquila which were destroyed by the terrible earthquake of last month. Some of the most famous Italian artists took part in this project including some international musicians such as Zucchero, Jovanotti, Nek, Gianna Nannini and Laura Pausini. Ok, it's not our favourite type of music but the it has a noble purpose and we want to use the blog to to spread the word. If you want to contribute you can find the bank details on this website.

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

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