"FAREWELL TO THE BLACK ICE TOUR"

What we had feared a few seconds after the end of For Those About to Rock in Bilbao has become official, as stated by the official website (acdc.com).

July 9, 2010

After criss-crossing the globe for over 20 months and playing to over 5 million people, AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour came to a close in Bilbao, Spain on June 28, 2010. The Black Ice World Tour took AC/DC to 108 cities in over 28 countries. AC/DC kicked off the tour on the heels of releasing their critically lauded album Black Ice, which soared to the #1 spot on album charts in over 29 countries around the globe. The Black Ice World tour was heralded by fans and critics alike, with the Chicago Tribune calling it “a celebration of all that is great about rock ‘n’ roll,” calling the band’s music as “Rock 'n' roll that outlasts time.” Earlier this year AC/DC’s Black Ice World Tour won a Pollstar Award for Major Tour of the Year.

Yes. According to Pollstar it was the major tour of the year with 1.8 million tickets sold. "No other act has reached 1 million. The band has grossed $177.5 million.". Pretty impressive....

So what now? ... ... We probably need a few more days of reflection...

AC/DC Italia in tears after the Bilbao show

The Vice President trying to fight post-tour depression with irony and sarcasm

The Secretary General feels lost...

The stoic melancholy of the President

THE KOSP ITALIAN SEDUCTION SCHOOL

Ok. We admit we haven't being doing our homework in Europe on this last leg of the tour... The thing is we got spoiled in Australia with too many girls, to the left and to the right... In Europe it's just harder to pick up. It's a fact. Besides, the Kosp apparently got into a serious monogamous relationship and even KK has slowed down his rockstar lifestyle. So we were left without mentors. But we promise we will get back to our training. Now that the tour is over we have plenty of time...

Most of the readers of the blog that we've met during the European Tour 2010 surprisingly told us that they really appreciated the suggestions from the KOSP. So here's a special technique for you developed during the tour.

THE AC/DC ABRUZZO'S PEACOCK ITEM

"PEACOCK—verb: to dress in loud clothing or with flashy accoutrements in order to get attention from women. Peacocking items include bright shiny shirts, light-up jewelry, feather boas, colorful cowboy hats, or anything else that makes one stand out in a crowd." from THE GAME

Believe it or not, the famous AC/DC Abruzzo flag, which has accompanied us around the world for almost 2 years during the Black Ice tour has also served the purpose of "peacock item". On several occasions we managed to pick up girls who got charmed by our Italian/Abruzzo flag, before and after the show (and even during the show). Girls (and sometimes even guys) cannot resist the temptation to make a comment about the flag so they initiate conversation. This is also an IOI (ie. an indicator of interest). After this you just have to employ the techniques you learned from the Kosp and KK to build attraction and to CLOSE the deal... The best time is after the show because you can take advantage of the post-concert euphoria... Unfortunately, now that there are no more AC/DC shows you will have to use your peacock item (flag, devil's horns etc.) at local cover band gigs...

Norwegian girl wrapping herself in the flag after the show...

French girl grabbing the flag at the Stade De France in Paris (later on the big screens during the Jack)

BILBAO 2010 - Is this the end?? (part 7)

"Nobody is gonna slow us down"

This was probably the most intense and powerful song of the Bilbao show. The last "Highway to Hell" of the Black Ice tour... We had to use the Devil's fork for this special occasion (Brian loves it!)

In the last few days we've been trying to accept the idea that the tour is over. Not easy. We'll give you an update on what happened to the crazy Abruzzo crew, including Orangus.

And we also have a special surprise from Brian himself. So stay tuned!

BILBAO 2010 - Is this the end?? (part 6)

"That boy has got the DIABLO in his fingers"

BILBAO 2010 - Is this the end?? (part 5)

During The Jack (with local groupie on the shoulders)

(Photo courtesy of Wholelottamonkey)

On the screens

The next generation of AC/DC fans wants more...

(Photo courtesy of uncle Michel)

BILBAO 2010 - Is this the end?? (part 4)

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (We Salute You)

Last song of the Black Ice Tour

BILBAO 2010 - Is this the end?? (part 3)

THEY SAID: LET THERE BE ROCK...

... AND THERE WAS ROCK!!

Angus's last epic solo in Bilbao...

AC/DC Live 28 June Bilbao, ES San Mames Stadium - THE END (part 2)

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

This is it. The Black Ice Tour is officially over. After 2 days from the final show in Bilbao it's still hard to accept it for AC/DC Abruzzo. The Secretary General realised it was the end when he woke up alone in his hotel room in Bilbao the day after the show. The President as soon as his plane touched ground in Rome. The Vice President when he put the Black Ice Album in his cd player after coming back to Abruzzo yesterday. Orangus... well, Orangus disappeared again...

The last concert in Spain acquired a symbolical meaning for the hard core fans maybe even more than Glasgow 2009, Perth 2010 or Wilkes Barres 2008. And most of them were at the show... In the end, although it might have looked like the same AC/DC show it wasn't. You could tell the band put some extra energy on stage for this final gig. And it was probably one of the best performance of the 2010 tour. Just take a look at the video below...

The San Mames stadium is a small and very old soccer stadium, around 40k people of capacity. And it was totally sold out for the show. It was hard even to see people selling tickets outside. It is in the city centre of Bilbao, so just imagine all the streets totally jammed with crazy Spanish fans drinking beer and doing botellon (less than in Seville though). And a lot of noise and pre-AC/DC concert chaos... (which we'll miss...) It reached the peak one hour before the show, since the Spanish fans prefer to go last minute... Total confusion outside...

But we got in and managed to make our way through the standing section. We ended up on Cliff's side, the classic AC/DC Abruzzo's spot, together with Marco of AC/DC Italia. And we watched the whole show jumping and shouting with the other fans. It was a very good crowd, not as hyperactive as for the best indoor venues in 2009 (i.e. Bercy, O2 Dublin or Milan forum) or Donington but it was pretty good anyway! Jumping, pushing and some crowd surfing too... As said before the performance of the band was one of their best.

It was a great night of rock'n'roll... Stay tuned because tomorrow we'll post more stories and two exclusive videos from the final show of the Black Ice tour in Bilbao...

BILBAO 2010 - Is this the end??

Many of the hardcore fans that we've met around the world gathered yesterday in Bilbao to attend the last show of the Black Ice Tour. For most of them, and for most of our readers, the big question is: is this AC/DC's last tour? Is this really the end? The truth is nobody knows the answer. Maybe not even the band. The only certain thing is that Bilbao 2010 will be remembered as another milestone in AC/DC live career. AC/DC Abruzzo was there and with the next posts we will tell you more about it.

PHOTOGALLERY