BACK TO THE FUTURE (Hammersmith 2003 - PowerTrip 2023) Live in Indio, CA USA 7 October 2023

Was it real? Was it a dream? Apparently, it's all true! AC/DC is back! After 7 long years, with Brian Johnson on vocals and Cliff Williams on bass! Hard to believe, considering where we stood back in 2016 in Philadelphia...

After Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, and Judas Priest, the Powertrip stage trembled as AC/DC unleashed their roaring setlist that shook the core of every rock fan present.

The electrifying intro video led to the opening song, "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)," which sent shivers down our spines as it resounded across the venue, bringing back memories of the 2003 gig at Hammersmith, London, where we last heard it sung by Brian Johnson! What a great opener and perfect tribute to the 20th anniversary of this unforgettable show which changed our lives!

Besides IFYWB as the opener, the big surprises were "Stiff Upper Lip" (last played live in 2003 at Hammersmith too) and "Riff Raff" also sung by Brian live in front of a crowd (previously only played on VH1 in 1996). And then "High Voltage," and "Dog Eat Dog" sparkled bright under the desert stars.

Two tracks from Power Up, "Demon Fire" and "Shot In The Dark," made their live debut during the Powertrip set, adding a fresh flavor to the performance.

The PIT crowd was a whirlpool of energy, thanks to the fervent South American fans from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, etc. There was even some chanting, River Plate Stadium-style...

As the beats thundered across the desert, it was clear that Matt Laug made a substantial contribution to the AC/DC rhythmic machine with Stevie and Cliff in excellent shape. His striking resemblance, both in looks and beats, to Phil Rudd added a layer of solidity to AC/DC’s rhythmic structure, making the night a rhythmic journey to remember. Apparently, adding "Stiff Upper Lip" to the setlist was suggested to Angus by him... (We still hope Phil will be back soon).

The God of Rock n' Roll, Angus, in an elegant blue suit. And for the first time, full white hair! We confess we shed some tears seeing our rock idol back on stage after so many years. Maybe he was not as mobile on stage as in the ROB tour and with fewer duckwalks, still managed to rip the stage apart, especially during "Let There Be Rock." His fingers danced on the fretboard, conjuring magic that transcended through time and space. Thank God for giving us Angus!

Brian, though seemingly a bit tense, was the epitome of professionalism. His voice, still robust, soared high above the ecstatic crowd, a testament to his undying passion for rock 'n' roll. Of course, he is not the Brian from the '90s but hey, we are not the AC/DC Abruzzo of the Black Ice Tour either, are we?

In any case, considering what Brian had to go through in 2016, it was almost a miracle what we witnessed yesterday. There was a minor issue with the in-ear monitor which was promptly fixed by the crew during "Dog Eat Dog," but apart from that, nothing noticeable from the crowd.

The setlist was a marathon of hits, much longer than anyone anticipated, a delightful surprise that kept the crowd on their feet, head-banging to the rhythm of the rock gods.

And oh, the joy of reuniting with old comrades from Germany, Japan, Belgium, and beyond after such challenging times. The global brotherhood of rock ‘n’ roll was very much alive as we reminisced about past tours.

With a heart full of rock ‘n’ roll and a head reverberating with the night’s melodies, the AC/DC Abruzzo blog is back in business, ready to chronicle the next tour of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band. Are you ready?

VIDEOS
https://youtube.com/@matteoacdcabruzzo3445?si=rk1bcuVLw-KkM7To

PHOTOS
https://www.facebook.com/matteo.abruzzo?mibextid=ZbWKwL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN!

After 8 long years the road of rock 'n' roll led us again to a rendezvous with none other than Brian Johnson! With a hearty handshake Brian welcomed us with his usual kindness and charme. We told him how much we missed him and Ac/Dc and we thanked him for being back! We spoke about next gig in Indio, the setlist, about touring again and about the Italian ciambelle recipe mentioned in his biography...  We also spoke about wine, Italy, social media and much more. 

He gave us some great tips about some Italian restaurants in LA. And it was a pleasure seeing him again ready to rock in great shape.

As we bid adieu, the spirit of rock 'n' roll resonated stronger, the AC/DC Abruzzo blog now back in business, with tales of old, new, and legendary awaiting of the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world!

Stay tuned for more!

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA 2016 - Indio, PowerTrip 2023

  

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA 20 September 2016

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)
    Live Wire
    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 

    Problem Child

    For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

Seven years have whisked by since that night in Philadelphia, marking the end of one of AC/DC's most challenging and tumultuous tours. A journey sprinkled with twists and tough choices... AXL Rose, the "Problem Child" of Rock n'Roll, stood by his idol Angus Young to conclude the final dates of a tour embarked without Malcolm (RIP) and Phil Rudd, and which along the way, also lost Brian Johnson due to his hearing issues...

A lot of time has drifted since that Philly night, and those who were there recall the mixed feelings enveloped throughout that concert and following the last cannon shots of FTATR. After, Phil and Brian, Cliff was also officially out of the band. Was it really the end of AC/DC? That night we thought so... And this petrified us... We couldn't even post the final blog review of the show...

For seven patient years we waited, until the "miraculous" return of Brian in the new album Power UP and that of Phil Rudd... We navigated through a pandemic and problems and uncertainties but here we are again... AC/DC is returning at POWER TRIP and AC/DC Abruzzo will be there!

We were in Philly in 2016 and we will be in Indio in 2023. The year 2023 holds a special place in our hearts, marking the 20th anniversary of the memorable AC/DC gig at London’s Hammersmith in 2003, the concert that changed our life.... 

As we cruise down the highway, the horizon seems to echo with the promise of rhythm, reunion with old tour friends, and the indomitable spirit of rock that binds us all. The adventure has just begun, and we're bubbling with the hope that the Powertrip festival will herald a new chapter of live music for AC/DC, perhaps a world tour? Starting in Italy, maybe? 

In any case, the time has come to reopen the AC/DC Abruzzo blog.

VERIZON CENTER WASHINGTON 17 September 2016

 VERIZON CENTER WASHINGTON 17 September 2016

    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)
    Live Wire
    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)

OFFICIAL AC/DC ABRUZZO REPORT

After a memorable concert at the Madison Square Garden, a true legendary arena with the best acoustics ever for an indoor rock venue, we headed to Washington. In New York we met our old friends from AC/DC Belgium, Arnaud, Kaori and Hubby, the Germans and many more and we got to see an amazing show. Our impression was that the band played better than in Europe in summer. And Live Wire was another perfect gift to hard core fans, after Touch Too Much.

We were "sitting" in the floor section in New York just in front of the VIP section where Cliff's daughter, wife and MOTHER (apparently 95 year old) were spotted. Also, a lot of models and girls, maybe guests of Axl's ? Everything was great, except for the sleepy American crowd in their reserved seats... Truly difficult to understand for Europeans... Anyway, it was probably the smaller arena where we saw AC/DC during this tour so it was pretty cool for us.

Despite the fact that we were exhausted because of the 14 hour flight and the jetlag but we really had a good time in New York.

I Washington we met Tracy from Australia, Terry from AC/DC Family, Christian from Argentina and many more. The Verizon Center in Washington looked a bit smaller than the MSG and equally intimate. Before the show Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters showed up and sat just next to us. What a cool guy. He looked like a child in a candy store and rocked out during the whole show behind us. :D

Again a great performance from the band. TNT and Let There Be Rock were excellent. If You Want Blood and Live Wire were our favourite songs in the setlis. Angus was again in rock'n'roll trance and showed everyone, once again, why AC/DC should not stop with this tour...

For the first time ever we saw a sign language interpreter translating the songs during the concert. You can see in our video recording of IFYWB.

See you in Philly. Last show of the tour, and maybe of AC/DC...

AC/DC Live at Madison Square Garden 14 September 2016

Live Wire!

Finally we made it to the US and got to see AC/DC at Madison Square Garden for the first time. Amazing venue, amazing sound, amazing performance (especially Angus). The band seemed to play better than in Europe. Live wire was just a gem. Probably our favorite song in the set after If You Want Blood. Axl did a pretty good job as "guest singer", plain and simple... More photos and videos coming soon.

THE ORANGUS DIARY - LIVE WIRE!

LIVE WIRE

Greensboro 27 August 2016 

It's a Miracle! I am crying... I can't believe it!!!!! If they waited 3 more days it would have been the best birthday gift ever. And they played it very well! Just after If You Want Blood, the best songs in the setlist. Maybe not their best concert ever, but surely one of their best live setlists. I can't wait to take my Gerundia to an AC/DC show. Today we booked her flight from Italy.

Thanks Kurt!

MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FROM AARHUS

 

Ceres Park, Aarhus, Denmark 12 June 2016 - TOUCH TOO MUCH

  Ceres Park, Aarhus, Denmark 12 June 2016

    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)
    Touch Too Much
    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)




While Matteo Abruzzo and Orangus are on a 12-hour bus ride to Dusseldorf discussing the after show meet and greet with Axl, Stefano is at the airport with Christian from Argentina and Nonno Alan from the UK. We all agree Aarhus was one of the best concerts of the tour. Despite all the challenges and problems of the this Rock or Bust tour, we are still here for AC/DC. And AC/DC is still here for the fans.

AARHUS

We got to the Aarhus airport the day of the show, basically a few minutes before the band’s private jet arrived. We reached the stadium a 8.30pm and got inside at 9.10pm. The access to the stadium was a nightmare, probably the worst organization/venue of the entire tour (after Imola 2015). Once tickets were checked you would be stuck in line with drunk people to get inside the stadium through tiny gates. With the usual Scandinavian "landscape" of drunk people, street fights and people urinating and dropping beer everywhere.

The venue was pretty small but we liked it. It was a small stadium with a capacity of about 30,000 people. Nice and intimate. The FOS looked packed but in fact there were lots of people coming and going (to buy beers or to go to the toilet) so we were not too far from the stage.

The band played very well from Rock or Bust onwards. You could tell everybody was more inspired than usual. After the energetic performance of Manchester the band was showing they could do even better. The crowd was “sleepy” as expected from a Danish audience. During the intro video the silence in our section was surreal.

Shoot To Thrill and Hell a Bad Place To Be were played very well. Then Thunder and Dirty Deeds, Damnation and Thunderstruck. High Voltage, came out better than before but we still think it should be dropped from the setlist. Rock’n’Roll Train (or Party Train, as Axl likes to call it) sounded better than usual but should be dropped too. Hell’s Bells, Given the Dog a Bone (very powerful) and then If You Want Blood, the new pinnacle of the concert setlist.

And when Axl said they were playing a song for the second time ever, we understood it was “Touch Too Much!”, one of the songs we were waiting for (the other is Gimme a Bullet). After Prague they played it again, and this time, much better than the first time (confirmed by both Spurky and Orangus). What a gift for hard core fans like us| Impossible to describe our feelings while being there.

Then TNT, Whole Lotta Rosie, and a fantastic version of Let There Be Rock with Angus ON FIRE! For the anchors we got to hear again a killer version of Riff Raff.

Aarhus was probably the best performance of the band in Europe 2016. We have felt the crescendo in the last few concerts after London and Manchester.

AXL ROSE

Probably this was Axl’s best gig with AC/DC. Axl has been doing a great job, no doubt about it. His voice is still excellent and he is getting more and more into the character of the AC/DC front singer. Thank God the chair is gone, and soon the cast will be gone too. In Aarhus he danced and walked for the whole concert. He spoke a lot to the crowd in between the songs. To tell the truth we also got to witness a couple of typical “Axl moments” such as when something was thrown on stage before High Voltage and Axl said “Let’s not get fucking stupid here”. Well, we felt the tension there but in the end he didn’t react too much. At the end of the song there was also some remarks regarding the security because, apparently, if we got it right, took away something without his permission (Orangus says he was referring to his sunglasses which were stolen “as a souvenir”).

Anyway, despite these moments of tension, Axl always seemed to be very committed and focused. He kept making witty remarks and comments, from his “ex wife” (before YSMANL) and to his “future ex-wife” (Shot Down In Flame)...

See you in Dusseldorf for the Grand Finale of the European Rock or Bust Tour.