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

LONDON - LET THERE BE ROCK in CAMDEN!

During the London stay AC/DC Abruzzo went to visit PROUD CAMDEN GALLERY to take a look at Philip Morris' Let There Be Rock Exhibition. I mean, even ACDC.com sent us an email to invite us so we couldn't miss it!! 

We met some legendary British fans outside. People who saw the Stones back in the early '60s or went for a pint with Bon, if you know what I mean... Once inside we spent some time walking around looking at all these artistic pictures of Angus, Malcolm, Bon etc. back in the '70s when they were only some ambitious young musicians trying to become famous. Pretty inspiring. We expected more photos but it was a pretty nice exhibition anyway. We then relaxed for a while on the couches surrounded by the history of rock'n'roll. 

"BORING" ROCK'N'ROLL

DON'T YOU START NO FIGHT!

BON - FOOTBALL PLAYER in the Fraternity days

AC/DC ABRUZZO IS BACK HOME!

AC/DC Abruzzo has finally got back home, in Abruzzo after our long journey throughout Europe. The President and the Vicepresident will soon meet to discuss AC/DC Abruzzo's future plans.

Freghet!

AC/DC OPEN AIR TOUR - EUROPE 2009

13 May Leizig, Zentralstadium
15 May Munich, Olympic Stadium
17 May Gelsenkirchen, Veltins Arena
19 May Cologne, Stadion
22 May Hockenheimring, Formula 1 Racing Track
24 May Vienna, Ernst-Happel Stadium
26 May Belgrade, Partizan Stadium
28 May Athens, OAKA Stadium
31 May Città S.Angelo, Stadio Comunale TBC
3 Jun Lisbon, Alvalade Stadium
5 Jun Madrid, Estadio Vicente Calderón
7 Jun Barcelona, Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
9 Jun Marseille, Stade velodrome
12 Jun Paris, Stade De France
15 Jun Oslo, Valle Hovin
17 Jun Helsinki, Olympic Stadium
19 Jun Copenhagen, Parken
21 Jun Gothenberg, Ullevi Stadium
23 Jun Amsterdam, Amsterdam Arena
26 Jun London, Wembley Stadium
28 Jun Dublin, Punchestown Racetrack
30 Jun Glasgow,Hampden Park

BIRMINGHAM, UK NEC ARENA April 23, 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. Anything Goes
14. You Shook Me All Night Long
15. TNT
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. Let there be Rock
18. Highway to Hell

19. For Those About to Rock

AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICIAL REPORT

5 years of waiting but it was worth it! 20 shows!!! We finally quenched our thirst of Rock'n'roll for good!!!

AC/DC Abruzzo finally made it to Birmingham and attended the last show of the European Arena Tour knowing that this might be the last time that AC/DC play a small covered arena in Europe.We just loved the ambiance of these small and intimate venues with a small GA section and great crowd, something that cannot be found elsewhere in the world.

We had already seen AC/DC at the NEC arena, back in 2000 and we had very nice memories about that show. Get it Hot was played. Outside the arena we found again the same team of touts from Manchester including the "capo dei capi" who politely asked us to buy some tickets for him at the box office where apparently they released some seats. (???) We politely answered "ngulammammet"...

We also had the opportunity to talk to the person in charge of security outside the venue (basically confiscating goods from unofficial merchandise sellers). She was quite impressed by our dedication and loyalty (we had met her for the first time in Stockholm) than we chatted about the tour and the following legs… She confessed us that Italy was the toughest place for her but she was quite happy with her work and wth the compliments received by the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) which told her that it was the first time that no stalls with unofficial t-shirts were present outside the Forum di Assago before the show (normally it looks like Camden Town in London)...

Before entering the NEC we stopped for a while to contemplate the English "queues”. We were amazed by the geometrical precision of these lines. No barriers, no attempt to cut in. The best executed lines of the entire tour were in England, no doubt about it. Here they seem to form spontaneously wherever there is an entrance, a bus stop or a desk and there is something artistic in the way they develop in (almost unlimited) length.

Anyway, we got in the Arena, got our wristband and immediately occupied our spot in the standing section. This time we had to see the last song of the Answer’s set and then we prepared for AC/DC.

The venue was not sufficiently high for the regular screens and we knew that this also meant that the Donnington version Rosie would be there! The standing section was larger than in Manchester but there was just one level of seats. Sold out again!

The show started. We immediately saw that both Brian and Angus were as energetic as in Manchester. The crowd was much more responsive than in London, maybe more than Manchester. Angus used the catwalk even more than in Manchester. He really got into "stadium stage" shape. He was running and jumping like a fool. It’s a shame they have to stop for 20 days. We didn't take any photo during the show this time. Being our last concert we wanted to take advantage of every second. And we did it. We had a blast and our flag was risen also during FTATR as a sign or respect and gratitude for this fantastic tour.

Best song of the night: Let There Be Rock, which probably can be chosen as our favourite song for this leg of the tour. The true Bible of Rock'n'Roll played with incredible energy!!

And now? Now we get back to our pre-tour lives satisfied for this amazing experience which we will never forget.... AD MAIORA.

BABY PLEASE DON'T GO!

AC/DC ABRUZZO has made it!! We managed to take our flag from Oslo, Norway to Birmingham, UK. We thank the Gods of Rock’n’Roll who protected us through this rock'n'roll journey throughout Europe.

Obviously we were in Wilkes Barre for AC/DC comeback last October but it was the Arena Tour in Europe what we really wanted. We knew we had to do it. It was now or never! We put our careers and social lives on hold (from our family to our girlfriends), we were pitiless towards our bank accounts ignoring the world recession.

“Project AC/DC Abruzzo” finally got to the end of its first stage. The second stage, whose details we can't reveal at the moment, will start soon.

Ciao from Birmingham

AC/DC Arena Tour - Europe 2009

18 Feb Oslo NO Telenor Arena (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
20 Feb Stockholm SE The Globe (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
22 Feb Stockholm SE The Globe (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
25 Feb Paris FR Bercy (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
27 Feb Paris FR Bercy (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
01 Mar Antwerp BE Sportpaleis (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
03 Mar Antwerp BE Sportpaleis (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
05 Mar Leipzig DE Halle 1
07 Mar Dusseldorf DE ISS Dome (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
09 Mar Oberhausen DE KoPi Arena (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
11 Mar Bremen DE AWD Dome
13 Mar Rotterdam NL Ahoy
15 Mar Dortmund DE Westfallenhalle
17 Mar Prague CZ O2 Arena (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
19 Mar Milan IT Datch Forum (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
21 Mar Milan IT Datch Forum (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
23 Mar Budapest HU Papp László Sportarena (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
25 Mar Frankfurt DE Festhalle
27 Mar Munich DE Olympiahalle
29 Mar Zurich CH Hallenstadion
31 Mar Barcelona ES Sant Jordi (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
02 Apr Madrid ES Palacio de los Deportes (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
04 Apr Bilbao ES el Bizkaia Arena (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)

6 Apr Zurich CH Hallenstadion
14 Apr London GB O2 Arena (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
16 Apr London GB O2 Arena (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
18 Apr Dublin IE O2 Arena (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
21 Apr Manchester GB MEN (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)
23 Apr Birmingham GB NEC (with AC/DC ABRUZZO)

MANCHESTER, UK MEN Arena, April 21, 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. Anything Goes
14. You Shook Me All Night Long
15. TNT
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. Let there be Rock
18. Highway to Hell

19. For Those About to Rock

AC/DC ABRUZZO OFFICIAL REPORT

AC/DC Abruzzo survived the horde of "touts” (or scalpers) who were in the area around the MEN arena and saw another great AC/DC show! We were quite impressed with their organisational skills considering that we have been almost everywhere in Europe. They were stratigically positioned at each croassroad on the way from the city centre to the Arena and were extremely efficient in buying any spare tickets from fans and in reselling at 4-6 times the face value price. They could communicate among themselves by phone and they called each other “colleagues”.  The "capo dei capi" seemed to be a coloured guy working just in front of the box office, with very polite manners and with a map of the arena in hands to show the customers where the seats were. Very professional. From time to time he would greet some police officer or local manager walking by... He was known and respected. A good "british mafioso"... You could actually tell we were not too far from the Old Trafford, the legendary football stadium where touts are abviously very powerful.

The MEN is a very nice arena. It looked very intimate (very small standing section). This time we chose to go for seats (Angus side). When the show began you could tell the difference from London. The crowd was much warmer (but definitely not as warm as in Dublin). The band , on the contrary, seemed more energetic than in Dublin especially Brian and Angus. At times Angus actually looked as if he was the same Angus we used to watch in videos from the Razor’s Edge Tour, especially during the duckwalking on Rock’n’Roll Train, Dirty Deeds and Thunderstruck. His hair is getting much longer. And he moves extremely fast! We loved when Brian pointed him when singing "Son of the Devil" and when he threw his cap away with his hand before screaming at the end of Dirty Deeds. 

Highlight of the night for AC/DC Abruzzo was Shoot To Thrill. We loved this song throughout the whole tour, although it was not one of our favourites. It was a very energetic performance. TNT was also very powerful and the audience seemed to like it a lot as well as Rosie (the crowd screamed so loud that Brian stopped singing at the beginning). The Brits definitely love this song!

Manchester was another “bonus” gig for AC/DC Abruzzo which wasn’t planned after the dates came out. There were several gigs that were added to our list simply because it wouldn’t have been ethical and respectful not to go after so many years of waiting. We kept going knowing that once they're gone, they're gone. CARPE DIEM. Open air shows won’t be the same for us. In stadiums we won’t be able to be so close to the stage, make eye contact with Angus, Brian or Cliff etc. so we tried to get as much as possible now.

And now we’re getting close to Birmingham, where the first part of Project AC/DC Abruzzo will come to a conclusion.

Stay tuned.

C'arvedom.