Angus Young, check your surroundings: Bibi is Missing

Alert to Bibi's followers: this post is written by the person who buys Bibi's food and provides her with a sumptuous lifestyle to which, I thought, she had become accustomed to the point of never leaving it. On Christmas night after protracted and heated discussion over seeing AC/DC in Paris in June 2010, Bibi ran out the back door, notwithstanding anticipated cold weather mixed with rain. (Bibi was born in the late spring and has never been in the cold, so I'm worried.) Signage has been put up in the neighborhood and an online lost pet service has been contacted. A couple of neighbors have reported sightings, so I'm encouraged that Bibi is lurking about, not yet having convinced anyone to fund a trip to Australia to meet Angus. I realize she's annoyed about the continued reluctance to promise a trip to Paris to see Angus and company, but just so you see it from my side: do you have any idea how expensive it is to send Bibi on the road? She's a bit of a diva at home and as a traveler, well, let's just say she doesn't travel light.

I will sub for Bibi in her absence, although I know my insights won't be as profound, witty or incisive. Her consuming love for Angus continues unabated, I'm sure, and she wouldn't want any AC/DC news to be left unnoted. Luckily, since the guys are on hiatus before the Australia/New Zealand shows in late January 2010, there may not be much that Bibi misses before her fervently hoped-for return. I know she would appreciate your wishes for a quick return, too.

AC/DC and Ironman 2

Bibi saw the trailer for Ironman 2--clearly the movie's producers recognized the value AC/DC music gave the first movie because the trailer for the next installment has not one, but two hits: Shoot to Thrill and The Razor's Edge! Can't wait! Maybe, maybe, maybe....Bibi can see Ironman 2 in Paris!!!!

AC/DC in Europe in Spring/Summer 2010!!

Bibi got her seemingly most unattainable dreamy wish this year: SHE MET ANGUS, rock god extraordinaire, she stood next to greatness for a few incredible moments. And sure, she was virtually incoherent, as could be expected in such empyrean company. But, maybe she can make a bold recovery because, YES, AC/DC will be in Europe in May and June, specifically Paris on June 18. So, the new year's resolution is set: save live crazy to get the funds to make this new dream come true. Stay tuned, Bibi watchers! She will keep you in the know.

First Anniversary: December 14 and AC/DC

One year ago today, Bibi saw AC/DC in concert for the first time. What a memorable event! I still can't believe that I finally got to see them live and in a relatively short period of time, got to meet all of them in person. Oh, and got to see them in concert four more times! Each one of the shows was special in its own way, although nothing can top the initiation I experienced last year. And, found out that today is Cliff's birthday, too! So, like his bandmates, it's no big deal to work on your birthday. AND, got turned on to a fantastic video from VH1, done in 1996, in which they play on a small stage, performing a diverse selection of songs, including Riff Raff, Gone Shootin' and Go Down--yes, Go Down! NEVER thought I'd hear it live--UNBELIEVABLE!!! Bibi has a tough time imaging anyone NOT loving Angus and of course, AC/DC, but once their toughest critic watched this video, no question they would be a huge fan, too. Angus is as always, incredible, but the small stage and close quarters seem to bring out the best in all the guys--fabulous!

Gracias, Mexico! Angus and Company were incredible!

Sunday, November 12, a night to go down in history! AC/DC (and for me, Angus in particular) rocked us all at the Foro Sol. Like the recent Gibson guitar blast says: "No-one wallops out the massive bone-crunching tone like Angus Young on his GibsonSG." And I mean he totally wipes away any doubts when he whips into whichever song they decide to play. Just to let you take a breath, no changes to the set list. Who cares???? The crowd was completely into it, young and older alike. I saw 8 year olds and some well into AC/DC's age range. Met some Mexican fans sitting around me--really cool people. The stadium looked over 3/4 full and no one let up in shouting, singing, screaming for the entire thing. No one in my vicinity sat down for any of it--it would have been emotionally impossible to sit down, really. The weather was clear and enjoyably cool. Really great night for a stadium concert. The crowd was lively going into the stadium and clearly, they were totally in adulation of the guys. Brian, once again just ate up the crowd´s reaction, and encouraged us to really let it out vocally. A funny thing happened in one of the later songs (the title will come to me any moment now)...Brian seemed to forget some lyrics, just looked out at us...we were singing anyway, so no big deal. Brian picked it up in the next line and as Angus was walking behind him, he casually, but deliberately bumped his hip into Brian´s backside, kind of like, whatever, dude! Bet they gave Brian hell over that one later. In You Shook Me All Night Long, Brian said ¨Mexican thighs¨which was kind of cool, I thought. The crowd loved it! A bit on the down side, the catwalk, way too long. I thought the stadium set up was not kind to the viewers in the stands either. We were just too far away from the stage. I had binoculars, but really. In Paris I had noted some questionable camera work--blurry, focused on nothing sometimes--but whoever it is--completely got the girl´s boob shot during The Jack. Will it be in the concert dvd? Inquiring minds want to know. Another unexpected quirk: apparently, after an event at that stadium, the officials close the metro and everyone has to find their own way home. Great system! Finally found a taxi that brought me back into town. No band sightings, but okay. I did get to meet them on the previous Sunday, will absolutely never forget meeting them, especially Angus. I just keep thinking that I might never get to see them in concert again and, well, you know....Bibi isn't ready for the dream to be over!

Mexico was wonderful! The history, the people were so friendly, too much to see and experience in five days!

Angus Young: You Shook Me All Night Long, or at least for two hours on November 12

No probs, Madame Angus Young, you know what I mean....AC/DC (and for me, Angus in particular) rocked us all at the Foro del Sol Sunday night. Like the recent Gibson guitar blast says: "No-one wallops out the massive bone-crunching tone like Angus Young on his GibsonSG." And I mean totally wipes away any doubts when he whips into whichever song they decide to play. Just to let you take a breath, no changes to the set list. Who cares???? The crowd was completely into it, young and older alike. I saw 8 year olds and some well into ACDC's age range. Met some Mexican fans sitting around me--really cool people. The stadium looked over 3/4 full and no one let up in shouting, singing, screaming for the entire thing. No one in my vicinity sat down for any of it--it would have been emotionally impossible to sit down, really.

The weather was clear and enjoyably cool. Really great night for a stadium concert. The crowd was really lively going into the stadium and clearly, they were totally in adulation of the guys. Brian, once again just ate up the crowd´s reaction, and encouraged us to really let it out vocally. A funny thing happened in one of the later songs (the title will come to me any moment now)...Brian just didn´t sing one of the lines and looked out at us...we were singing anyway, so no big deal. Brian picked it up in the next line and as Angus was walking behind him as part of the song, he casually, but deliberately bumped his hip into Brian´s backside, kind of like, whatever, dude! Bet they gave Brian hell over that one later.

I was at the guys' hotel on Wednesday night and the fans there told me that although the band had entered the hotel about 6 o'clock, at about 10 o´clock, no one had exited. I did go back after the concert, but it was really late. Apparently, after a concert or event at that stadium, the officials usually close the metro and everyone has to find their own way home. Great system! Finally found a taxi that brought me back into town. Anyway, no sightings, but okay. I did get to meet them on the previous Sunday. I just keep thinking that I might never get to see them again and, well, you know....

Mexico City if a wonderfully impressive place, so full of history, so lively, the people have all been so friendly, open and helpful! Will try to post more soon, but want the internet-verse to know that Bibi has loved it here. The concert was great, but Mexico City has been even better! Thanks, Angus, for giving me the idea to visit!

Mexico City, pretty cool

Bibi is here and ready for Thursday night, lame hotel internet situation or not. Have my ac\dc tickets, a general idea about how to get there. Mexico City is very pretty, a bit cool in terms of weather. Hope to meet up with some acdc.com folks today or tomorrow. There is country wide general strike today by workers in the electrical field, but so far no disruption for me.

OK, hope to report Thursday night, if not before!

Bibi Meets Angus Young, finally!

You could say dirty deeds were done dirt cheap on Sunday, November 8, when AC/DC rocked the house down with their high-power, explosive, exhausting show. Well, maybe not dirt cheap, but feeling that surge of anticipation when the house lights went down and you knew that FINALLY AC/DC's long awaited concert was about to begin, whoa, PRICELESS!!! The crowd reaction was intense: devil horns flashing, all our emotion pouring out in shouting, fist pumping, Bon Scott screams, and pure adrenalin. The song list was familiar to Bibi and alright! Angus and Brian were electric--Brian was working the crowd, Angus a whirling, duck walking, guitar god. Of course, the hits got the greatest roars of approval, but around me, no one sat down for the entire concert, there was just too much energy coming from the stage to settle down. It was a raucous, wild time, really loud--as God intended a rock concert to be--completely absorbing, life affirming, rock n roll will NEVER die kind of experience. As each song began, the crowd roar would drown everything out and then as everyone sang along, you could see Brian was eating it up, egging us on to total voice obliteration. By the time Angus blasted into Let There Be Rock, everyone was sweat-drenched, nearing exhaustion, but so ready to rock on with the greatest band on earth.

Began the evening with a meet n greet for some acdc.com folks, an experience in itself. What a great bunch of people!Got to show off my flag, too! I was so happy that Rolan coud go with me--he's a huge acca dacca fan, like me, and we had a great time! The evening did take a slight turn for the worse as I was walking to the car: a *x%$# person came up behind me and stole may devil horns! My voice was gone, of course, so when I yelled at him, couldn't hear me.

Of course, the next part, at AC/DC's hotel, led to almost total recovery really quickly. On Saturday night, David and Vanessa (acdc.com-ers from Denver) and I had met, had dinner at Hard Rock and just happened to visit the bar at a nearby posh hotel. While seated there, with a view to the front entrance, I thought I was imaging things when Phil Rudd walked in and scooted quickly to the elevators. But no, a few minutes later, I recognized two of the security guys from Europe with Brian and Cliff! Cliff and his companion got into the elevator, but Brian spent a few minutes with Vanessa and David. I felt like I needed to hold back, after all, I'd had my moment in Brian's sun in Amsterdam. Vanessa and David were ecstatic and I was feeling pretty good, too! So glad I was there!

After the concert on Sunday, a few of us gathered outside the hotel and YES, YES, YES, finally got to meet .... ANGUS YOUNG, ROCK GUITAR GOD EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!! Got to re-meet Cliff, got his autograph and also, really cool, got to speak to the elusive Phil and got his signature. The smallish crowd (maybe 15 of us) then got the thrill of a lifetime when Malcolm and Angus worked our line, one at each end, so all of us got both autographs and, when requested, photos with each of them! Bibi felt really honored that Ross, Malcolm's son, agreed to take the photo of me and his uncle. I could barely speak and at that, I can't say all of it was coherent. Guess Angus has gotten accustomed to that kind of behavior, though. I know others have mentioned this, but until I experienced it myself, I didn't really feel how Angus and Malcolm are so kind and gentle with the fans, so generous with their time and energy, especially after the incredibly energetic, body-punishing show. It meant so much to me that Angus actually listened to what I was saying and responded, although, of course, I was totally blown away that I was even speaking to him. Also, surprized that next to Angus and Malcolm, Bibi seemed like a giant.

Still processing the whole experience and treasuring my High Voltage cd cover that now bears the autographs of Cliff, Phil, Malcolm and Angus. Unbelievable!

Hope to post tomorrow night from Mexico City....hasta la vista, y'all!

Countdown to Sunday, November 8

Even the staid Houston Chronicle is in on it today: Prepare to rock, prepare to salute.
8 p.m. Sunday at the Toyota Center, 1510 Polk.

Maybe the acdc.com group that will be in town will get together; we'll see. Rolan can do my share of the drinking, right? It doesn't seem real, though, the day is finally almost here. Bibi is staying calm, though, and trying not to think too hard about all the upcoming excitement. LET THERE BE ROCK!!!

It's A Long Way to the Top...

...if you're waiting for an AC/DC concert! November 8 is just a bit over a week away and whoa, the waiting is definitely the hardest part. Steve emailed that the New Orleans show was hot! and loud! It's like Bibi has always thought: it's no good if it's not loud.

Been difficult getting over the loss of the cds, but thank the maker for computer music files and the Ipod. Have already replaced two of the key works: High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Will make do with copies of the rest until Christmas and make sure to send out a wish list for Powerage, Let There Be Rock, If You Want Blood, Black Ice (deluxe version), The Razor's Edge, Who Made Who, Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip, plus Live!, of course.

Of course, been thinking a lot about the upcoming Mexico City trip. It's finally cool weather here and I've been told it will be colder down south. Just hope I can determine the best clothes to take with me.

Hopefully, Bibi is sufficiently recovered to maintain more regular postings now. we will see...

Kicked in the Teeth Again: all my AC/DC cds were stolen today

Bibi's faith in humanity has been severely tested: all the AC/DC cds in the car were stolen today. It was a beautiful day, the top was down and when it was time to put the top up, all of them gone, gone, gone. The only one left is the one in the cd player, Highway to Hell. Will Bibi ever purr again? It's such a blow, like all the oxygen was sucked out of the environment. All you can say is: a pox on them! What jerks! Bibi was led to believe she lived in a safe neighborhood. Really wondering about that now.

can't write anymore right now; too depressing, thinking of rebuilding from this loss. (sigh)

It's a Long Way to the Top, If You Wanna Rock n Roll

Excerpt from a Buffalo, NY, paper:

As AC/DC returns to Buffalo, some thoughts on the band’s endurance
By Jeff Miers, News Pop Music Critic

Last week, Harper Collins released a book by veteran music journalist (and former Rolling Stone contributor!) Anthony Bozza, beneath the imprimatur “Why AC/DC Matters.” The book is a hoot, but it’s also more than just that — it seeks to undo decades of nasty criticism by claiming for the band’s musical legacy the highest of honors. According to Bozza, AC/DC’s primal art is fully actualized, its apparent simplicity belying the consummate skill beneath.
“You could argue that they’re a metal band and that metal fans are dedicated,” writes Bozza on his Web site ( www.AnthonyBozza.net ). “But AC/DC’s music transcends that. It’s much more primal and fundamental, which is the real case for their widespread appeal. There is a reason that Chuck Berry and all the forefathers of rock and roll started a revolution. It was because there was no denying the electricity of the music and the magnetism of the back beat. It spoke to, and continues to speak to, generations of fans. AC/DC’s contribution to music history runs parallel to that.”
Bozza raises an interesting point. For what feels like forever, the popular wisdom concerning AC/DC suggested the group was a heavy metal act. Most of the folks who’ve suggested as much must not really know what heavy metal is, but oh-so-clearly, AC/DC ain’t it.
In a nutshell, heavy metal is largely a European construct. It is grandiose music, delivered with incredible energy and volume, but its motifs are largely classical. It has virtually nothing to do with the blues. AC/DC, though the band hails from Australia and Scotland, is a proponent of American art forms — most clearly, the Chicago blues of the 1950s and ’60s, and the deepest strains of American rock ’n’ roll. The band has much more in common with the Rolling Stones than it does with Black Sabbath, for example, and its allegiance is to Muddy Waters, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, not Satan. (Har, har.)
If you took Chuck Berry’s “Carol,” say, and cranked it through a wall of Marshall stacks, you’d get something an awful lot like “Whole Lotta Rosie,” “Riff Raff” or “Problem Child.” The reason so many young people are succumbing to the swank and swagger of AC/DC’s bad boy boogie today is the same reason people fell for Jerry Lee, Elvis and Little Richard; the same reason proper English society was absolutely horrified by the Rolling Stones’ raw sexuality; the same motivation behind a million parents banging on a million teenaged bedroom doors and screaming “Turn that awful noise down!”
It’s the power of that back-beat. It’s got the life force in it.

Tuesdays are tough on Bibi

On acdc.com there was a poll asking for votes on which classisc song we would pick from the list below if it might be picked as part of the set list. Could vote for only one. Bibi voted for Who Made Who. Here are the results:

Live Wire [ 18 ] [17.48%]
She's Got Balls [ 3 ] [2.91%]
Problem Child [ 6 ] [5.83%]
Rocker [ 2 ] [1.94%]
Bad Boy Boogie [ 10 ] [9.71%]
Overdose [ 3 ] [2.91%]
What's Next To The Moon [ 5 ] [4.85%]
Kicked In The Teeth [ 4 ] [3.88%]
Walk All Over You [ 4 ] [3.88%]
Night Prowler [ 6 ] [5.83%]
Have A Drink On Me [ 6 ] [5.83%]
Given The Dog A Bone [ 7 ] [6.80%]
Put The Finger On You [ 2 ] [1.94%]
Evil Walks [ 1 ] [0.97%]
Flick Of The Switch [ 2 ] [1.94%]
Guns For Hire [ 4 ] [3.88%]
Sink The Pink [ 3 ] [2.91%]
Shake Your Foundations [ 3 ] [2.91%]
Who Made Who [ 8 ] [7.77%]
That's The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll
[ 6 ] [5.83%]

I've never heard the shaded ones, so hope none of them win. If they take one of the top three, then Who Made Who, Bad Boy Boogie and Live Wire have a chance which would be great with me. It's possible the post-er on acdc.com got the list from AC/DC, so we'll see, maybe as soon as October 16 when the guys hit the road again. The road to ... Houston!

It's All About High Voltage Rock n Roll

Some of Bibi’s favorite things…treats, naps, towels that smell like lavender, Angus Young, especially with really short hair. But, she’s not into housekeeping at all. EXCEPT: blog housekeeping. In this cat-egory, Bibi wants to give a meow-out to two lovely individuals, Denese and Jann. Jann is from down under and shared some great ACCA DACCA stories with Bibi the other day, to the amazement of Denese, who didn’t know of Jann’s AC/DC interest. Jann has even been to an AC/DC concert in Australia! Great talking to you!

Another bit of keeping everything straight: YES, the travel arrangements to Mexico City are complete! Angus, see you there! Bibi is so excited about finally getting back to her roots!

Yes, I know…where is the TDF for the last several days? We won’t even try to rationalize the absence of those critical posts, but now that the Houston concert tickets have been bought, maybe Bibi can settle down a bit—or not! Thing is, been listening to High Voltage again and how to choose? It’s still Bibi’s favorite.

Another way to put it: if I could have only one AC/DC album to explain to someone about AC/DC, right: Let There Be Rock. But, every time I play High Voltage (international release), I can just picture a really hungry, hot, new band that's ready to ROCK the joint down! It was my introduction to The Jack, Live Wire, Can I Sit Next to You Girl, Little Lover and High Voltage and each cut is so raw, so fresh every time I hear it. The level of talent and confidence they display in this first album--incredible! So, it's the second one I would have the uninitiated listen to, althought it’s definitely first in my heart. I’ve already named most of the album’s great songs, but if you haven’t heard it, you won’t realize that TNT and It’s a Long Way to the Top are also on this one. All fantastic, but I’ll focus on the TDF, already noted in a previous post devoted solely to HV: The crowning jewel among these rubies and pearls of rock gemstones is High Voltage. AC/DC is rarely given credit for lyrical styling, but High Voltage is a superb example of Bon Scott’s diamond in the rough, spot on writing gift. The winning hook is setting the song as a series of questions: from family, or (possibly) a girlfriend’s father, and maybe, one day, an interviewer: why I grow my hair, why I’m in a band, why I like to sing, why I like to play. Only one answer, one reason: the band does it for HIGH VOLTAGE ROCK AND ROLL!!! When Bon screams: wine, women and song, jeez, all the rock elements—words, drums, guitars--come together and the power the band generates with their music washes over us mere mortals as we’re swept up in AC/DC’s rhythm and drive into complete abandon to the moment.The free for all feel of the collaboration between words and music so evocatively conjures up the band's--and our--rock n roll dreams and adventures, real or only wished-for, that we’re inexorably sucked into a dizzy, wild tumble of right here, right now lyrics with no subtle meanings to confuse or distract us, scorching, pure guts guitar breaks exquisitely laid over heart pounding drums and aggressively hard as a rock bass and rhythm guitars. Just give yourself up to the sweaty, driving, good-time energy and love it, love it, love it. Whew…anybody for a cigarette? Before listening to High Voltage again…cranked up to eleven….

Angus Young, We Salute You, in Houston November 8

Alright! I've got my tickets!!!!! Bibi can't deal with seats on the floor--my delicate paws, my lovely fur, and I'm a tiny little thing--so she likes seats in the lower level, a bit of a distance from the stage so there's a great view of the stage, the screens and of course, Angus's solo in Let There Be Rock, and that's what she got, on Cliff's side of the stage. SO FANTASTIC!!! Cousin Rolan says he's going with me and that's so cool because back in the 90's he and Michelle saw the boys at the Summit (now a Lakewood Church!!!). They had excellent front row seats, so these won't be the same, but I'm looking forward to hearing a comparison between that show and this one

Just before the hour struck when you could enter the ticket site, I was listening to 74 Jailbreak, Ain't No Fun, and thinking, really, it ain't no fun not knowing what seats you'll get. By the time I put in the cc info, it was School Days and really, it didn't matter to me that I was spending the money. I was going to see the boys again AND I was listening to a rocking song by them. I know, gushing fans, how lame! Just SO happy!

Even though today is Jimmy's fourth "anniversary" and Bibi is in a very reflective mood, he would have been so up for this whole AC/DC thing. Even if he really didn't like their music--can't imagine that, but he was a big Eagles fan--he would have been with Bibi in Europe and at the Houston and Mexico City concerts, she knows. Really miss him.

The TDF's have been on hiatus, but they should be returning very soon, so the vast readership should hang in there.

You Shook Me All Night Long says it all

Bibi has already praised Highway to Hell for the masterpiece it is and Back in Black has been universally declared one of the greatest albums ever composed. Even if we didn’t know the background of Brian becoming part of AC/DC and helping to create BIB, both as lyricist and lead singer, it’s one unbelievably great album. The fact that with BIB, AC/DC essentially came back from the abyss with songs that so cogently express everything they’re about and their absolute belief in themselves, Back in Black is astounding no matter how many times you listen to it. Brian’s voice complements the killer guitar riffs superbly, combination so incredibly alive, they challenge a listener to take issue with them. It’s like Angus, AC/DC personified, is in your face, saying: what??? The entire band declares: Bon’s not with us, but he will always be part of our music in spirit and with this album, we honor his memory; we will rock till we drop. Repeatedly, throughout the songs, they confirm this, but the last track of the album sums it up: rock n roll ain’t noise pollution/Rock n roll will never die. Purists will go one way or the other depending on their specific tastes, but Bibi says (so listen up) IT’S AC/DC—WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? Bon was a fantastic front man and AC/DC rocked with him. Brian is a great front man and AC/DC rocks with him, plus, we can’t get Bon back. Either one totally expresses AC/DC’s music credo: live hard, rock harder. End of argument, if you insist there is an argument that pits Bon vs Brian.

There are no weak cuts on BIB, although I don’t like a couple of them as much as I like all the others, but what (besides HTH) can compare to a work that includes You Shook Me All Night Long, Shoot to Thrill, Back in Black and Hells Bells, anyway? And, is there a finer natural two-fer in the world than Back in Black and You Shook Me All Night Long (they follow each other on the album)? Okay, there’s the Highway to Hell and Girls Got Rhythm sequence on HTH. For this album, for me, the TDF choice is so undeniable: You Shook Me All Night Long. I’ve actually heard people say: yeah, an AC/DC concert without YSMANL, okay. WHAT IDIOTS!!! Should they even be allowed to speak at all if they’re going to say stupid stuff like this? I don’t think so. What next? No HTH or beer at an AC/DC concert? Dogs and cats living together? Life without convertibles? Cats writing blogs? Men on the moon? Oops, okay, but you get the idea. Jeeeeezzzzz, some people!

The point is, the concept of a rock n roll good life would not exist without the exuberance, the sheer joy of living expressed by YSMANL. The joint threatens to crash down, the fans go even more insane, a roar almost drowns out the moment Angus and the SG give us the unmistakable, sparkling, opening notes. Phil joins in, just beating his drum kit silly, then Brian sings those immortal words: She was a fast machine/She kept her motor clean/She was the best damn woman I had ever seen. Beyond transcendent, to the sublime, and I’ve been there three times. The rest of the song celebrates the classic rock fantasy: guy meets hot girl. What makes this iteration of the fantasy better than most is, of course, AC/DC’s pure rock band talent and their humor, including considerable insight: Taking more than her share/Had me fighting for air/She told me to come but I was already there. Great, great song!

Bibi won’t be giving a blow by blow comparison between HTH and BIB, do it yourself and have a really good time, but try Walk All Over You and Touch Too Much vs What Do You Do for the Money and Giving the Dog a Bone. Excellent! Once you listen, I predict, you have to say that it’s a draw between the two albums. Each stands on its own as a testimony to AC/DC as the greatest rock band in the universe.

Brian Checks in with the Fans

I know everyone was wondering--at least Bibi was. acdc.com had this note from Brian today:

"It's an inside job that forced me to reschedule those upcoming 6 shows! Inside being the operative word here. My insides were giving me lots of trouble, ulcers and such. They were really uncomfortable and painful, which required me to seek immediate medical attention. The doctor's looked me over, poked, scanned and prodded all possible areas. In the end they gave me a clean bill of health, but insisted that I take a bit of time to recuperate and rest up. We've been touring non stop since this time last year and have a lot more touring to do. Thanks for all of the get well wishes and I hope to see you all again very soon."

So, maybe it's not so bad. Hope he recovers completely soon!

Angus Young Outstanding--as usual--on Jailbreak

Okay, okay, Bibi admits taking the weekend off and feeling kitty-blue Monday and Tuesday. Not that she’s stopped listening to AC/DC cds. However, she will point out that she has a very busy schedule: watching myriad specks on the floor or in the air—there are so many of them to observe and contemplate—and that’s not counting the odd sounds Bibi hears that have to be explored, keeping up with Hendrix’s coming and going, food breaks, grooming takes hours of her time, and kitten naps to keep up her strength, well! The day is just sooo full. It’s a wonder Bibi gets any time to herself at all, plus has anyone considered the difficulties Bibi has typing??? Her dainty little paws are just not designed for keyboards.

Watching Angus in the video clips for the new box set has taken a lot of her time, too, she admits it. He’s oh, soooo wonderful to watch in action!

To the task at hand, er, paw, whatever. Today’s selection comes from ’74 Jailbreak. It’s an extended play set, only five songs, released in 1984. The tracks were previously on a couple of AC/DC albums released in Australia. The songs are very raw-sounding, which fits since they were done at the beginning of AC/DC’s career and by 1984, AC/DC was sounding much more polished. I really like them all, especially the cover of Baby, Please Don’t Go, and Soul Stripper has the distinction of Malcolm on lead, he's hot—check both of these out--but my fave is Jailbreak. It was the lead single from AC/DC’s Australian Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976). Already noted, it’s rough and ready, tough and jagged, coldly raw. Bon’s tough guy voice is well-suited to the topic—life in jail or find a way to break out and live outside the cage promised by the court’s sentence. Angus’s self-assured, cocky lead sounds like he’s ready to come and get us, along with the rest of the boys (which they were at this time of their lives), the driving rhythm and drums rocking. Great lyrics, telling us a story, purportedly an acquaintance of Bon’s or maybe just a story, who cares? It sounds like a band ready to rumble and give you grief, if that’s what you want. Total, classic AC/DC! They should rock like this forever if Bibi had her way.

Angus Young Rocks--in his own infomercial!

For all the AC/DC shoppers out there, they're releasing boxed set--the deluxe version, a mere $199 before shippping--is in a working amp. If you go here: http://www.acdcbacktracks.com/pages/3999219/ you will see clips showcasing the contents. There are two FABULOUS clips that have Angus acually playing a few of the hits using the amp. In one clip, You Shook Me All Night Long and in the other, he plays the opening of Back in Black and Highway to Hell. It's cool because it's just Angus in the schoolboy outfit and his Gibson playing those immortal (three) chords. Since I know so little about music, it could be he's playing more chords, just making a little kitty joke. Needless to say, but here it is anyway, he looks adorable! And sounds fantastic!

The cds, dvds and vinyl album sound great--rarities like Crabsody in Blue, facsimiles of tour posters, AC/DC guitar pick, etc.--but guess I will settle for the less deluxe version one of these days after Bibi wins the lotto.

For those of you with lots of disposable income who want to give Bibi a really nice gift, though, here it is.

Let There Be Rock, part deux

It’s uncertain how much Bibi can write today—she’s still so buzzed from finding out that the Houston concert tickets will go on sale October 10! That date is a very significant one for Bibi, so she thinks there must be a very good reason that the original ticket sale date was postponed and finally set for this date. We will see.

After yesterday's post, with Bad Boy Boogie, Problem Child and Let There Be Rock out of the way, Bibi is left with Go Down, Dog Eat Dog, Overdose, Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be, and Whole Lotta Rosie to proclaim a to-die-for pick. If you’ve heard the cd, you’re pulling for your own fave, no doubt, and you know the difficulty of saying one of these is the best. I’ll put Whole Lotta Rosie in a category of its own. In its way, it’s up there with LTBR—a total Angus show, which means the whole band is just rocking it out to bring down the house. Once you’ve seen it in concert, you cannot separate it from Angus’s over the top and oh so great performance, along with the rabid crowd interaction. Talk about a number the crowd would howl and whine piteously for if they didn’t get it, WLR is one of those that makes an AC/DC concert unforgettable.

Dog Eat Dog has those wonderful lyrics that speak directly to Bibi: Dog eat dog/eat cat too, AND it has the cachet of having been selected to augment set list as part of the European tour. Hell Ain’t a Bad Place To Be is clearly an AC/DC favorite. From my limited research, it seems to always be in the set list. While both of them are very good and certainly deserve to be heard in concert, on this album, they cannot compete with the final two, Go Down and Overdose. Given the emotion of the day, noted above, guess a two-fer is selected for today's TDF.

So contrary to much of Bibi’s upbringing and education, Go Down has become a treasured favorite of hers. First, AC/DC opens the album with it, real in your face attitude, and it’s got all the AC/DC earmarks: ready to rock opening, chugging rhythm that won’t stop, Bon telling us about his way with women and in particular, the effect this one has on him: Ain’t no one I know that’s as good as you…you got the lips to make a strong man weak and a heathen pray and you can put together the significance of the title and the lyrics, right? Once again, the Angus break is sublime and the interplay between him and the rest of the guys confirms for us their monster strength as a cohesive band. Yes, Angus gets the solos, but it’s all about the band. BTW—for the very sensitive, the middle part of the song is Bon giving us a blow-by-blow commentary with Angus and the guys giving us the musical equivalent of the unfolding events, so you have to get over it or hit fast forward, although you would miss an excellent song.

Overdose--few would have attributed this song to AC/DC. The persona Bon uses is usually a love 'em and leave 'em player and here, he's in that tough situation of being enthralled by a woman who's become an obsession. His dilemna is a familiar one to most of us, but mostly unexplored by AC/DC. Bon's voice and the band's accompanying music betray the distress of the arrangement and at the same time, the attraction: But listen honey, I don't mind/You're a habit I don't want to break.

LTBR is one of those cds that, once it's playing, it gets replayed for days. Talk about feeling overdosed! It's a whole lotta album, so consuming, but hell ain't a bad place to be sometimes, and it feels so good when that problem child, Bon, and those bad (AC/DC) boys are boogie-ing! Crazy but it's true/Ain't nothing I can do.

Brian Johnson alert!

Whoa, I had seen a post on acdc.com a couple of days ago that hinted at this:


AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour, which was set to hit Phoenix, AZ on October 1, will be postponed to a later date. Subsequent shows in Las Vegas, Louisville, Kansas City, Des Moines and Milwaukee will also be rescheduled. The tour will resume on October 16 in Washington, DC. Lead singer Brian Johnson recently underwent a medical procedure and at the advice of his doctor is taking some time to rest.


Really makes Bibi pause and think about the way things work out. For a good bit of time, she really considered getting tickets for Las Vegas. Basic common sense prevailed, for once, on that one.
All she can say now is: GET WELL VERY SOON, BRIAN!!! And let there be rock in our AC/DC world again soon thereafter!

For Those About to Rock--in Houston, November 8

Seems to Bibi that she's been waiting forever, but IT'S BACK ON--at least according to the Toyota Center webpage! Tickets go on sale, Saturday, October 10! Finally, cat naps can now be anxiety-free again. The little claws were worn down to nubs with worry, too! Wonderful to have the gloomy thoughts that AC/DC might not come to Houston on their way to Mexico City blown away; I know the treats will be even tastier now!

So looking forward to seeing Angus, and of course, the whole band. THANKS, MAL!!!

There was a 92-decibel band, oh yes

Bibi knows you’ve been breathlessly awaiting her TDF from Let There Be Rock, but as I’m sure you understand, this presents an almost insurmountable difficulty. Just like Highway to Hell, this album is so full of the finest rock music ever heard, with the title song at the pinnacle of best of the best, how to choose just one? I made a tough choice on HTH, but had to include praise for all the tracks, right? From LTBR, I’ve already selected Bad Boy Boogie (an AC/DC credo if there ever was one) from a live album and for whatever reason, although Problem Child is very good, I don’t really like it. That leaves six to choose from and while some of them are not well known, I love them all. So, to make the TDF choice easier, this post is dedicated to the incomparable Let There Be Rock, the song. Tomorrow’s post will reveal my to-die-for selection from LTBR, as if the title song were not in the mix.

Believe it or not, Bibi didn’t own LTBR for some time after falling for AC/DC. Maybe, her kitty world being so vast, she’d heard of the song, but had definitely never heard any of the other cuts. When she attended the turning point concert in December, Bibi was unaware of so much AC/DC lore and custom, she didn’t understand a lot of what was unfolding on the stage before her, like Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be or Whole Lotta Rosie (with the de rigueur Angus chant), or incredibly enough, LTBR. In concert Angus delights us by cutting loose in this song with, not one, but two of the most stunning solos ever performed. Strange but true; I thought I had lived a very complete life up until that point in time. Oh, how little did Bibi know.

Not sure what triggered it, although now I wish I had noted the date that I bought the LTBR cd because my life changed on that day. LTBR, third on the album, is yet another of those trademark AC/DC songs that could topple the Great Wall of China with its intensely primal essence, it’s such an anthemic, rock till you drop, great, loud work. And make no mistake, the louder, the better! Focusing on the studio version (since the concert version is an experience and essay all on its own), one is immediately hit in the face with a commanding, blasting guitar riff and a throbbing rhythm section that introduce a creation myth: In the beginning, in 1955, man didn’t know about a rock n roll show and all that jive…Question: 1955 as the start date for rock? Because Angus was born in 1955? No, it's an homage to an AC/DC idol, Chuck Berry. He released his first single in 1955. The subsequent Tchaikovsky reference is a continued acknowledgement to Chuck. And the epic continues, leading us to the sublime: No one knew what they was gonna do/But Tchaikovsky had the news/He said - let there be light, there was light/let there be sound, there was sound/let there be drums, there was drums/let there be guitar, there was guitar/(Bon Scott scream) let there be rock. Then, we hear and can visualize the incandescence of the universe a-borning as Angus scorches us with a blistering, killer solo that obliterates everything that came before. Malcolm and the rhythm section jump in and Bon intones: And it came to pass/That rock 'n' roll was born. Bon continues the epistle with Angus and the guys coming in—again and again--with more, sizzling back and forth that just cooks it till tender! There was a 92-decibel rocking band/And the music was good and the music was loud. By the end, after being slammed around but good by that rocking band, you’re just exhausted from the emotion and excitement of what you’ve experienced. Not going to overwhelm you with minutiae, and my oft-repeated: Angus is soooo fantastically talented and underrated. BUT, if you haven’t heard this one, you are missing something truly significant.

Angus Young is Adorable and Ballbreaker is a pretty good album

While Ballbreaker (1995) is not one of Bibi's favorite AC/DC albums, it’s definitely worthy of being listened to more often than it is. It's got some rockers, some blues, but it seems almost workmanlike for the guys, like they're not having as much fun as they usually do. That said, it opens with the very strong and easily identifiable acca dacca work, Hard as a Rock. Bibi saw this song on the No Bull DVD and fell in love, all over again, with Angus. He’s so undeniably a guitar god, and when you see him lean into the microphone with Brian and he says, harder than a rock, you can only say: he’s sooooo adorable! In the cd version his voice is a bit more raspy, but when I hear it, I still say: Angus is sooooo adorable! I know, I know, how could Bibi think that when the song is such a limited set of single entendre lyrics? To be honest, I don’t really pay attention to the lyrics in this one. I like the guitars, the rhythm, the words are secondary to the image of Angus singing. Yet, HAAR is not the pick of the day. That honor goes to the title track: Ballbreaker. Again, not too focused on the lyrics—I think we all get the gist of them—but on the music. The sneaky opening notes going almost immediately into a strident repetition of chords (they’re really good ones) and every now and then, Brian repeats the title in his trademark shredded-throat way. It all fits: the delivery from Brian, the self-assured lead threading it all together into the magic that AC/DC creates when the band is working with such a dedicated focus. Give it a listen.

Bibi has really enjoyed purring on about her AC/DC TDFs, although waiting to find out about the Houston concert has been a trying and tiring experience. Just exhausted every day worrying about it. Plus, her delicate, right front paw has been in pain, requiring a cortisone shot today, making the typing even more difficult than ever. She only hopes all the sacrifice and effort will pay off with the announcement that, of course, there will be a Houston concert before Mexico City.

ARE YOU LISTENING, MALCOLM???? Really hard to keep my fingers crossed for so long, even metaphorically, since I’m a cat.

Night Prowler, one of the best

Somewhere a clock strikes midnight/And there’s a full moon in the sky…A rat runs down the alley…I’m your night prowler, I sleep in the day…your night prowler, make a mess o’ you…and there ain’t nothin’, nothin’, nothing you can do! WHOA! Kind of scary, but oh, so alluring at the same time! With those undulating blues licks accompanying the lyrics, just slinking through the secretive, velvety and enveloping night. Can’t talk about that aspect too much or enough—just f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s!! Once again, we realize that Angus is so under-rated as a guitarist. Yes, it’s the TDF fave for today, Night Prowler, from the iconic, will-stand-forever as the Rock of Gibraltar equivalent of a classic rock album, Highway to Hell. There may be some foolish, annoying idiots who would argue the point, but there are no bad songs on HTH. This makes Bon’s death even more poignant, this being his last album.
HTH is so important in the AC/DC canon, a set list rundown is required. They kick us into gear with the title track, HTH. There’s a reason that HTH, with its steely, jackhammer sound is the first encore at AC/DC concerts. It’s emblematic of what they’re all about: a bunch of guys who desperately wanted to play rock n roll and were willing to do whatever it took to do so. Taking their considerable talents on the highway to hell, studded as it is with obstacles of all kinds: innumerable one night stands, crappy hotels, low pay, evil managers, you name it. With a drive like theirs, nothing and no one was going to stand in the way of the goal: a stage, every possible night, to do what they love, play in a rock band. And here we are today, howling for more.
Next, the irresistible, pounding, cockiness of Girls Got Rhythm jumps out at us. For the long-time Bibi blog followers, this one almost replaced You Shook Me All Night Long on the memorial service song list—it’s that good; Walk All Over You, with Bon telling some lucky girl: I know baby I ain’t got much/Resistance to your touch, along with some blistering riffs from Angus; Touch too Much—She was taking her time/I was losing my mind—and those inimitable AC/DC lyrics: She wanted it hard, she wanted it fast, she liked it done medium rare…hmmm. This one would have been my pick if Night Prowler weren’t there. Then, Beating Around the Bush, with its stutter step guitar and raving mad break is a real contender for which song rocks the most on this album. Listen to it and the rest is up to (pause) you. Shot Down in Flames was added to the set list in Europe, and thank you, Malcolm! Ironic, coolly insightful about guys’ lizard brain thought processes, she was standing alone over by the jukebox…I said, baby, what’s the going price/she told me to go to hell framed by a no bs rhythm and searing lead by Angus. I know I say this constantly, and I won’t disappoint you this time, Angus just burns it up—a wonder the SG doesn’t evaporate in the heat his fingers create. Following this sizzler, we get a breather with the playful, dance-y, everyone-wins Get it Hot: Gonna have ourselves a party/just like we used to do/Get it hot/Get it hot…No one’s playing hard to get/Just a good old rock n roll…Got myself a sweet little momma/who’s got nothing to lose. Love the way the guys mix it up! If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) is another of the high energy, white hot rockers on offer and another of those songs you want to ask Malcolm about—why can’t it be in the set list? It’s criminal, there ought to be a law/Criminal, there ought to be a whole lotta law against NOT playing this one in concert. Love Hungry Man is a ballad (for AC/DC) and again shows off the versatility rarely acknowledged by the non-aficionados. Soulful, still got the solid rhythm section, the great guitar break, too. The album is completed by the almost sinister Night Prowler, today’s pick. You can understand how difficult it is to make the choice of one song over the others on this album, but if you took the opportunity to listen to all the tracks, you heard an absolutely, undeniably great set! Bibi, as you know, accepts few counter-arguments, and in this instance, she knows there will be none.

Angus Young: It was Love at First Feel (er, at first hearing your guitar playing)

Graaarrrgghhhrrr… Everyone, growl from deep in your throat: graaaarrggh and sing after me: Dirty Deeds and they’re Done Dirt Cheap! Then, let out a Bon Scott scream, yaaaaahh…yes, my fave to die for today is from this 1976 classic of bad boy behavior rampantly displayed. Love at First Feel, Big Balls (!), Problem Child are just some examples of the overall tone of the album. I really like LAFF with that unmistakable AC/DC good time message and humor, but the seal of TDF (to die for) has to go to either Rocker or There’s Gonna Be Some Rockin’ Tonight. The difference between the two that makes the selection tough is that Rocker is a more representative example of AC/DC rocking it (wanna jive, honey?) like a locomotive out of control, Angus ripping into his breaks with such intensity and headbanging abandon and TGBSRT is a kick-ass bluesy-rock jewel that starts off easy, showcasing Angus's genius riffs against the cocky confidence of the rhythm section.

How to choose? Bon’s in top wailing form in both. In Rocker, he’s on fire, along with the rest of the band: I’m a rockin’ rollin’ man/got slicked back hair/skin tight jeans/Cadillac car/and a teenage dream; in TGBSRT,he’s laid back, drawing out that Weeell, me and the boys are out to have some fun/Gonna put on a show/come on let’s go, pointing out that every night there’s a rock n roll Queen/Gonna quiver and quake/Gonna shake her thing. Don’t you wish you could be in the bar these guys go to? Man, what a great time would be had by all no matter which song is chosen. So, it’s Monday, I’ll decree both are winners! And who’s to argue with the decision making process? Number one: Bibi don’t take no back talk from nobody (although she usually speaks standard English) and D: both songs are so great, what’s the problem, dude?

BTW: I’ve mentioned Ride On (first recorded on DDDDC) before—what a great example of AC/DC’s range! It’s a booze-sodden, very personal lament about loss and loneliness; don’t listen to it if you’re already feeling down. But, don’t overlook it if you’re seeking complete AC/DC familiarity and you only know them as a rock out, head banging band. And, before I go, the song DDDDC is so completely, totally AC/DC all over: fun, mean, rude, kick you in the butt, rock n roll! The band’s aggressive and hot: grabs you by the throat from the outset, great riffs every time you think it can't get better. I love it, its attitude, its lyrics—I lead a life of crime…. You got problems in your life of love? --psychological insight, the key to being an effective hitman … that’s when the teardrops start, fella. Got a nagging girlfriend, but as one of today's oh-so-sensitive men, you ain’t got the guts… for a fee, I’m happy to be your back door man—we’re complicit in these crimes, right? I just know it’s Malcolm with that nasty, raspy voice: dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap. Yyyeeah. And that incomparable Bon Scott scream—fabulous! The whole album is a great listen, so do it!

Angus Young: Let There Be Rock in Houston, please

Sorry, sorry, sorry to the devoted readership! I had a pick for Friday, but was so dispirited about the will-there-won’t-there-be-a-Houston-concert that I couldn’t finish it. Today, Bibi is still not much consoled about this (hopefully) temporary set back, but I must carry on with my pledge to everyone needing to know the next to-die-for AC/DC classic. So, this post will reveal not only Friday’s selection, but one for the weekend, as well. I know you’re disappointed that there’s only one song for the entire weekend, just like your desk calendar (of cute cats?) that uses one page for Saturday/Sunday, but it will also allow Bibi to recharge. It’s been so stressful worrying about the Houston concert that additional naps have been required just to maintain a semblance of sanity. Be reassured, though, that Bibi has not gone off the deep end with the treats or catnip/alcohol in this time of dread and the litter box training has stayed intact.

Friday’s pick is from The Razor’s Edge, my least favorite cd. It’s played the least, but it will come as no shock to anyone that my fave is (and I am) Thunderstruck. And how could it be otherwise? This hard-edged, glorious rocking ode to wild, youthful abandon: broke all the rules, played all the fools, just blows you away! AND, Texas is mentioned! From its etched-forever-in-your-brain, meticulously played, guitar picking opening, to the booming repetition of the title and the primal chanting by Malcolm and Cliff, whew, it’s a rollicking, non-stop ride to and from Angus’s solo—he cuts loose with incredible confidence in that strong left hand and blasts away until Brian repeats those unforgettable lyrics: I was shaking at the knees/Could I come again please? Listen, just once—or better yet—see them play this in concert and you will, likewise, be Thunderstruck, by this one forever.

My weekend pick is from a live album, If You Want Blood. The one disappointment in this cd is that it does NOT include, If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It). However, that aside, this entire cd is well worth owning for any one song it showcases. They’re mostly monster AC/DC hits as well as being concert standards AND they are all superbly executed. If you’ve never been to an AC/DC concert, Bibi is oh, soooo sad for you, but your disappointment about this state of affairs can be somewhat assuaged if you get the dvd Live at Donington and this cd. I love all the cuts on the cd; AC/DC’s energy and in-your-face attitude is well-served, as well as their talent in sucking us inexorably into their rockin' world. So the winner is a tie: The Jack (Angus’s blues solo is out of this universe—it just wails) and Bad Boy Boogie, raw, wild, “gonna show you how good a bad boy can be.” No joking around, babe! BBB is no longer on the concert set list and that’s too bad. As much as we all love Brian, listening to Bon’s voice transforming BBB into that influence old people/parents obsess about when it comes to rock n roll, you can understand how they would worry. Parents of adolescents be warned: do not let your children listen to this song over and over. The spell cast by the lyrics and the music is irrepressible, all-entangling and unforgettable. You will never break the magic of these three chords—as Angus has said, they’re really good chords.

The Jack is true, old school AC/DC. Unrepentantly a guy song, it is such a cornerstone number, it’s not officially an AC/DC concert if this song is not played. I was set NOT to like it at the beginning of my AC/DC romance, I mean, c'mon, a song about an STD?, but the blues riffs and Angus’s virtuosity with them, making the song sound fresh each time he plays it, just will not allow such heresy. In this version, he’s particularly on--the SG giving us down and dirty blues every which way. You can hear and feel his devotion to the sound he’s creating--and it's fabulous! These days, it's also the song he does his strip to, and what I found amazing at the concerts was how he was still so focused on the blues licks, all the extraneous stuff aside. You could enjoy the fun, silliness of the onstage antics and still count on Angus do the song justice and allow you to just sink on into it. On this song, again, Bon comes through as the quintessential rock singer, feeling and revealing the pain and the glory of it all. EXCELLENT!!

Who Made Who: good question, great album

Web factoid: Without a doubt the most famous [Gibson] SG user, Angus Young, made the SG's beefy low end and biting highs a vital ingredient of his legendary rock riffing. Hmm...as my loyal readers accept, I know almost nothing about how music happens. It’s only through long, innately and immensely enjoyable hours of listening and reflection that I’ve figured out a few things about how the incomparable AC/DC sound comes into being and who does what. That factoid came from an online guitar magazine, so they must know what they’re talking about, right? I mean, universally agreed, Angus is an incredible guitar player and he could play any guitar well (witness his performance with the Rolling Stones on Rock Me Baby), and it is gratifying to see that this source views Angus as the most famous SG player, not Pete Townshend. Sign of the times, I guess.

In any case, this brings up the Pick of the Day from… Who Made Who. Like a shot, the readership asks: is this a trick question? Because you obviously think my favorite on this album is You Shook Me All Night Long. For the uninitiated, Who Made Who is an almost compilation album for AC/DC. The guys have always resisted the concept of a greatest hits work; it’s against their artistic credo to imply that their greatest hits have already occurred. So why did this collection of new (3) and past masterworks (6) come about, then? It was for a movie, Maximum Overdrive, at the request of writer/director Stephen King; if you’ve seen the movie, ‘nuff said. The movie stunk, although the music was great.

Anyway, back to YSMANL. Due to events we won’t go into here, a few years ago I developed a list of songs to be played at my eventual memorial service. First song selected: You Shook Me All Night Long. Over time, the list has evolved. The songs are all great, an eclectic mix, just like me, from Ella to Jimmy Cliff and Johnny Cash/Hank Williams, depending on which version of I Saw the Light SZG picks. The constant in the list is the centrality of YSMANL. What a killer tune! You can dance to it, rock out like a wild person, celebrating the vitality of the greatest rock band on earth, and by extension, celebrate the fullness of a life well-lived.

BUT, no, this isn’t my favorite on Who Made Who, after all. So, yes, it was a trick question because my favorite of the new material on this album is Who Made Who. It exemplifies what the SG factoid puts out there: the beefy low end and biting highs of the guitar as Angus rips into every one of the riffs with that implacable, will-not-be-denied attitude. You are totally swept away by the force of it, allied as it is to the rest of the band’s input. Yes, it’s loud, pumping and unrepentantly insistent—if you’ve got it cranked up to the right level—that’s the way God intended straight-on rock n roll to be played or heard. In this, AC/DC and God agree. At the same time, there’s humor and a playfulness to what they’re doing that is impossible to resist. WMW is a standout in terms of the lyrics, too—AC/DC goes existential, examining that age old question: where do we come from? Who made us? Too cool and so outstanding because the song created is a dance-y, almost pop song with the rhythm section back there just working it, so no mistake, it’s AC/DC. Brian’s whiskey voice carries the whole thing to another level when he asks: “Ain’t nobody told you?” Profound in sensibility, yet light in delivery, and so pleasing to the ears.

This CD is great, in general, since it has YSMANL, the iconic hits, Hell’s Bells and For Those About to Rock, the dubious, but way memorable lyrics of Sink the Pink. Just love this song! Find myself singing it sometimes: “Gimme water, gimme wine/Gonna show you a good time” over and over again. And, can’t go without hyping Ride On. Bon Scott never got credit for being a master lyricist, not only for tough, loud rock songs, but for the occasional dark, gritty, man-alone-against-the-world ballads like this one. He’s so real: all boozy, in a days-old shirt, smoking another cigarette in a dark, smelly, no name bar, whiskey bottle not so full anymore. Angus and the SG bring it, the blues licks underscoring Bon’s lament. Whoa, down and dirty! If you don’t know this side of AC/DC, check it out.

Angus, Bedlam in Houston! Please tell Malcolm you have to come to Houston!

Last night on acdc.com there was a panic among some of the folks, me included.  The Dallas and Houston dates were no longer showing on the list of upcoming concerts!  Today, this message was posted on acdc.com--and the dates are still not back on the list of concerts:  One bit of business between now and then:  if you're interested in tickets to the Dallas and/or Houston shows, the AC/DC Fan Club On-Sales for each show have been delayed.  Stay tuned to the News on ACDC.com for more information.

Yes, I emailed the Toyota Center and 107.5 right away, asking for information.  Now, one of the other acdc.com members says that he spoke to someone at Toyota Center this morning who said the ticket sales and maybe the concert were on hold so the tour schedue could be reviewed.  Agonized Bon Scott scream here. 
What a letdown it would be NOT to see them in Houston before the Mexico City concert.  In fact, I think today is ruined, at least I sense a dark pall over the day.  After a hopefully restorative nap, Bibi will struggle to finish the pick of the day though, since I know the faithful who read this blog were depending on it.  These kitty shoulders will somehow bear this huge burden of possibly dashed hopes as long as necessary.  Maybe if some treats were offered, the positive mood Bibi usually maintains will be revived and salvage part of the day.  We will see.

AC/DC at the Stade de France in 2010?

If you believe even some of the things you find on the web, it's been reported that AC/DC will be back at the Stade de France in the spring. I won't hold my breath, since there's no money for this sort of trek across the Atlantic, but WHOA!!! wouldn't it be so cool to see them there again? Maybe Bibi would even get there early this time. Already know where they stay in Paris, so no sweat on that count, which is a plus, too. Will keep you posted and who knows what the new year will bring, right?

Up to My Neck in You, Angus Young

In a vain attempt to stay calm in advance of ticket sale day for the Houston concert, I’m initiating a new series: My Current To-Die-For AC/DC Song and Why It Should Be Yours

First question: if it’s your to-die-for song, how can you have a different one every day? Good question! You are so right—how to move on to another song when, for example, today’s pick, Up to My Neck in You, is so, so, so perfect? Answer: for the purposes of this exercise—I said from the outset that it was one taken up in vain, since we all know it’s IMPOSSIBLE to be calm in this pre-purchase interval—I will force myself to change the cd in my car to another outstanding AC/DC selection every day. From each of those CDs, I will target my favorite song and let y’all know why you should be as taken with that song as I am.

As much as I love the entire Powerage track list, my favorite has to be UTMNIY, and why not? It has everything: powerhouse opening, tough pounding rhythm section blazing out at us from the get-go, Bon’s no nonsense delivery echoing words that ring true with all of us: Well I've been up to my neck in trouble/Up to my neck in strife/Up to my neck in misery/For most of my life /I've been a fool/And you know what a fool can do. Whoa, don’t we know the feeling all too well? Then, after the second verse, well baby my time is due/oh it’s way overdue, Angus just pours it on mercilessly with his extended solo…geez, no prisoners taken. Everything Angus does in the solo reinforces what Bon’s singing: his reluctant acknowledgement of surrendering to the power she has over him. He reveals that she can make him suffer and at the same time, the great feeling she may bestow on him (if everything’s going well). Baby you were too good, too good to be true/What you've got no one else could do/Now I'm up, I'm up to my neck in you/Yeah you came along when I needed you/Oh I'm up to my neck in you
And give Phil huge credit, the drum work supporting the solo is unbelievable. Okay, Phil’s great throughout, but I never noticed the superbly well-fitting, so necessary quality his drumming brings to the AC/DC sound as I do in this song.

Next question: if this song is so great, why don’t they play it in concert? Excellent question! Answer: when I finally get to meet Malcolm and/or Angus and I get past the incoherent mumbling section of the event, plus the courage to question the wisdom of the set list, I will find out. I only discovered UTMNIY relatively recently and I’m the poorer for it, but since that mind-blowing moment, I’ve talked about this song—and not just to myself—nonstop. History shows that it may or may not have been played in Houston on Sunday, July 2, 1978, when AC/DC opened for Aerosmith. (I know, I know, what? ?Aerosmith??) On acdc.com, one of the members said he was at an AC/DC concert where the song was played. Will check that out.

For now, suffice it to say: Up to My Neck in You is one of the best of the best. Excellent rhythm section, drumming by Phil Rudd outstanding; Angus’s solo is longer than in many of their songs and a fantastic extension of the words. He’s so into it, visceral, energy pumping riffs, with a playful, ironic attitude, you can just see him spinning, duck walking around the stage, reveling in the fantastic band interplay AND, the words, truly emblematic of the human condition! Thanks once again, Bon Scott! Let there (continue to) be rock, AC/DC!!

AC/DC Let There Be Rock--in Houston, November 8

omigod, omigod, omigod!!!!! Unbelievable, incredible, and finally!!! November 8 Houston! Bibi was feeling a bit under the weather and then...found out about the upcoming visit from the boys and aaaaaagggghhhh----extended Bon Scott scream here!!! Will it come to pass, will I be able to say: Angus Young, finally we meet. What a great, fantastic bit of news!
Guess I was more successful than I thought when I spoke to Malcolm's son in Amsterdam in June about this. A Houston concert, just for Bibi. That's the way I will remember it. Doesn't matter now that i won't see them in Las Vegas. No way I was going to pay to go to Dallas or Austin, but I was worried that I would see them only once more in Mexico City if they didn't play Houston.
There's gonna be some rocking on November 8, for sure! AND--Toyota Center to top it off--so cool! Reliant is okay, but now that I know what an AC/DC concert is, Toyota surpasses Reliant as a concert venue by a long shot. Another cool thing: December 14 was a Sunday and so is November 8. Whoa, coincidence or fate? What could this signify for Bibi?
Anyway, the Highway to Hell continues, so thanks, Angus for finally setting the date! Can't wait for the bad boy boogie you'll bring to us all. LET THERE BE ROCK!

Slow Day for News of Angus Young and AC/DC

Tomorrow is the hugely anticipated AC/DC concert in Winnipeg, Canada--I'm even excited for the lucky fans that get to see this one! In the meantime, it's been a slow few days for fresh AC/DC and Angus news, but today, I heard of this video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU4lDmsPgno&feature=related, basically, what if AC/DC played the Hokey Pokey. A comedian named Jim Breuer sings the song as if Brian was doing it. He does an excellent imitation of Brian and the video comes off really funny. I do wonder if people outside the US, AC/DC included, know how the Hokey Pokey is such an integral part of an American child's upbringing, though. Hope so, or the whole enterprise might come off as just bizarre. Apparently, Brian and Cliff are familiar with this guy's work, because Youtube has another video of him onstage at House of Blues with Brian and Cliff backing him up. Once again, it's truly impressive that AC/DC take themselves and their fame so lightly. A cool bunch of guys!

While I was finding this video clip, just happened to see three or four others of interviews with Angus, a couple with Angus and Malcolm, where, again, the guys demonstrate what approachable and down to earth people they are. The stories of their early days are so unself-conscious and when they talk about their approach to song construction, delivery, so unassuming and matter of fact. What's not to like about them? Plus, Angus is always so quick to point out the funny, humorous parts of the road to fame and the process of making music, along the way, making fun of himself, sometimes. Just adorable! Malcolm always seems so serious and kind of scary, but he spills some of the best glory days' stories.

For the last birthday, got Maximum Rock and Roll and am in the process of filling it with color-coded post its that mark significant dates and events, like band membership changes, tour names and dates. Two-fold objective: fill in the discography that I've begun and work on improving the Maximum Rock and Roll index. The book is a very good source for learning a lot about the band, but it sometimes reads like a laundry list of every scrap of a story ever heard about AC/DC, even if it's only a scrap and doesn't really fit in the paragraph or chapter, and they really could have used an editor with expertise in syntax. The pictures are an interesting collection, if not the best pictures of the band. Angus was much more of a cute poster boy for the band than these pictures suggest--why not show some of those pictures? He's still a good looking man; the book could really benefit from some better pictures. But, I do like the book and really enjoy reading and re-reading it.

If you get a chance, check out that video. It's funny!

Kicked in the Teeth Again: AC/DC in Dallas in November

Can you even believe this? Dallas on November 2! WHERE IS THE HOUSTON DATE?????? Bibi was feeling really low about this. Started watching Criminal Minds and--really, there is a deity out there somewhere that adores Bibi because the scene begins with an eighteen wheeler coming toward us, radio set on ROCK AND ROLL TRAIN!! To hear Brian's voice, hear Angus's riffs, (all the guys, of course) playing the opening song on this tour, well, it was just what I needed to restore my hopes!! This has got to be a positive omen for the impending Houston concert announcement, right? Let there be rooooccccckkkk!

Tune in tomorrow!

Ain't No Fun Waiting Round for my next AC/DC concert!

Bibi has been feeling out of kitty sorts--AC/DC withdrawal, if you will. Mexico City and November 12 seem sooooo far away. Have been reading online reviews of the US-Canada tour and of course they have all been raves, except for an idiot now and then who includes snipes at Angus's guitar work or Brian's hoarseness; jeez, what sour grapes! Like anyone even knows their names! In any case, ran across this funny blogpost sent to a Canadian radio station of a dedicated mom and daughter team on their way to the Moncton concert on August 6:

FLIPPED CAR? DON'T CARE. MUST... GET TO... AC/DC
Hi, well I have a great AC/DC story for you all.
I'm from Five Islands Nova Scotia, (about an hour and a half from Moncton) and me and my mother were on our way to AC DC at 10 in the morning. We were driving on a dirt road (Lynn Road) on the way to Moncton, the road was being grated and was in terible shape....when a gravel truck who was turning into a pit, hit the side of my car and we lost control and ended up rolling the car into the ditch, it ended up on the roof and we crawled out, left the car there and hitchhiked to NB ...
I just wanted to show what serious fans we are, i'm sending you guys a picture of the car and a few pictures of us at the concert. A Buick was deffinaty worth the show, we would both do it all again!
Whats a car a car any way
it was the an expereince of a life time !!!
- Thanks Kristyn & Annette Walton

Can't see being that calm and collected, but I am a cat, so different parameters, but I do admire them!

The AC/DC North American Summer Stadium Tour Begins

Even though there were apparently no set list changes, THEY'RE BACK and that's the important thing. Comments and reviews indicate that Angus and Brian were really energetic and Angus stole the show (news on what planet?), and that Anvil could have been better. Wasn't that what their movie was about? In any case, they're in the US, in the news (from the pics, looks like Angus's hair is longer and Malcolm got a hair cut) and none too soon, I will see them again. WIthout a set list change, guess Las Vegas is not a reality. With a set list change and I win the Lotto, okay, I'm there. Fingers crossed!

As my vast readership understands, this blog is all about BIBILOVESANGUS, basically about Bibi and Angus. However, in this house, the person that doles out the food and treats keeps talking about someone named Sarah. "Sarah wouldn't like to see you on the table," "Sarah would be unhappy that you annoy Hendrix so much", Sarah will probably bring her cat with her at Christmas." Truth be told, once Bibi's sensitive and beautiful little ears hear the word "Sarah", she tunes out, but don't mention it to the keeper of the treats, okay? Who is this Sarah anyway? Some kind of princess? Did she invent cat treats and hold on to the patent? Does she have a direct line to Angus? Is she familiar with the AC/DC discography? Why should she care if I'm on the table or not? I wouldn't care if she were on the table, as long as she didn't crowd me off. But, I digress. What I wanted to say--on MY blog--is that for the last few weeks, all I've heard is that Sarah's birthday is coming up and lots of attention has been given to the selection and purchasing of suitable gifts, appropriate acknowledgement of the date, blah, blah, blah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. sheesh! And now, the day, July 29, is finally here, thank the maker, right? So can we get back to talking mostly about me and Angus, important stuff, now? Bibi will even say: Big Happy Birthday shout out (meow out? purr out?), Sarah--whoever and wherever you are. Now, where are those treats--or did they get put in the presents that Sarah was sent?

AC/DC: They Shoot to Thrill

I’ve tried to figure out why I like AC/DC so much. Watched Shine a Light last night (Martin Scorsese concert film about Rolling Stones; RS executive-produced the film) and found their performance to be flat and unexciting. The Jack White and Buddy Guy segments with them were notable and near the end, there was some excitement and energy, but otherwise, too mannered, too polished, too “done this so many times before”.
If you are ever lucky enough to see AC/DC in concert, you won’t believe the energy and “coming to get you” attitude. Every song, they play like there’s no next song, ever. Sure, you know the material, but when they perform it, WHOA! Back in Black is killer-fantastic, Whole Lotta Rosie is CRANKED UP; The Jack is incredible….OK, name one of their hits and AC/DC delivers a rendition that promises: if you want blood--you've got it! Each song will be very close to the album version AND it will be just jumping, screaming, all the way out there LIVE. They really, really do get it hot! By the time they play Let There Be Rock, Highway to Hell and For Those About to Rock, the fans are in serious sensory overload (the earth is shaking, my mind is aching, won't be faking it) and at the same time begging: more, more, more, please!!
Of course, it's the entire rocking band that does this, but listening to Angus play those unforgettable guitar riffs and solos, watching the duck walking and running all over the stage--a high voltage performance that steals the show every time! He is and will always be a guitar god live wire for me.
In Vegas, if the set list has been augmented by Sin City, when they play it, the MGM concert venue will explode like Krypton in Superman's story. Would be so cool to be there for those fireworks, n'est-ce pas?

Man looks in mirror and sees--Angus Young!

Funny article about men's summer city shorts:
I have never considered shorts an item of fashion. As far as I'm concerned they don't even count as being all-the-way dressed. They're fine when you're on holiday in a country where your status as a tourist makes you unsightly anyway, but they're far too jaunty for any sort of formal occasion – a wedding, say – where your role as a middle-aged man is to bring everybody down a little bit.
The shorts aren't that revolutionary: flat-fronted and slim, in a dark grey herringbone fabric. They look like my suit trousers, only shorter; they reach to just below the kneecap. I pair them with a polo shirt. "How do I look?" I ask my sons. "Like you're wearing a school uniform," says one of them. He isn't wrong. When I put on the jacket of the aforementioned suit, I instantly recognise the man in the mirror as AC/DC guitarist Angus Young.

Well, I think: he should be so lucky as to look like Angus.

It may be hard waitin' round to be a millionaire, but it's really tough waiting for the Black Ice Tour to get back on the road. Particularly hotly awaited/debated: the US Summer Tour set list. I've been listening to Let There Be Rock and Powerage a lot and really, so many great, under-played songs: Go Down, Bad Boy Boogie, Overdose, Rock n Roll Damnation, Gimme a Bullet, Sin City, Gone Shootin', Up to My Neck in You, Kicked in the Teeth--well those are just about all the songs on those two albums that the boys haven't had in the most recent set list, so the problem is huge. There are so many great songs in their discogpaphy, there's no way they can play them all. If I had to, my top three additions to the set list would be Girls Got Rhythm, Sin City (Cliff would have a bass solo), and Live Wire (or High Voltage). Like anyone's reading this, but if someone in the AC/DC management is, stick that in your fuse box and include them in the summer tour.

See you there, Angus! AC/DC in Mexico City, November 12, 2009

YESSSSSS!! I got the tickets! This should be fantastic and why not? With AC/DC playing, how can it be less than unbelievable? And with Austin now on the concert date list, how can Houston be far behind?

Already had some on the negative end of the spectrum comment on the wisdom of paying to see them in Mexico when they will be so much closer in Austin. phhhttttt....let's think about that....Austin (a place I've always thought was overrated) vs Mexico City (have never been there, the Aztec calendar I've always wanted to see is there, along with the ruins I've heard about and seen in movies, it's a foreign country)....hmmm, is there a contest here?

Honestly, some people! They obviously don't get adventurous cats that want to explore and see some of the world...and AC/DC. Bibi's come a long way already, LaPorte to Houston--talk about light years' of difference right there--Paris, Amsterdam and now, Mexico City. Bring it on! Along with another Houston concert, of course!

Tomorrow! AC/DC Tickets for the Mexico City Concert

I've bought the second acdc.com membership in preparation for buying the Mexico City tickets--now, just worried about the m-moment of buying the tickets tomorrow! FINGERS SO CROSSED!!

Bibi will let you know asap!

Bon Scott, Long May He Be Remembered

It's Bon's birthday--he would have been 63.

Watched a 28-minute video of an AC/DC from 1977 last night. Kept saying, just one more song and you've got to stop, until, the entire video had played. Bon and Angus just would not let me go. They played Let There Be Rock, Rosie, TNT, Rocker to a seemingly comatose audience. Angus was all over the stage and eventually in with the audience. Bon danced and sang his heart out--fabulous! He'll live on as long as AC/DC, that's for sure. After all, isn't the song we all wait for Highway to Hell?

We won't ever forget you, Bon!

Angus Young: Let There Be Rock, essential guitar god

Enrique (from Madrid, met him outside AC/DC’s hotel in Paris the day after the June 12 concert) sent a link for Angus’s scorching Let There Be Rock performance at the Punchestown show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Td0j59Ze8

As you know, Angus is Bibi’s favorite and watching him play Let There be Rock at a concert is just one example of why. He’s a complete guitar god up there on the riser—his usual place during the first solo; in the rain or not, fabulous fingers flying, yet with a focus that is amazing to behold. It’s such a cool effect when the spotlights are on him, bathing him with a golden glow and sometimes his image is gone and all you see is a confluence of the lights, like a sun that’s so bright that you have to squint your eyes to look. You can’t turn away because you hear the fantastic guitar and you want to see how and where it's coming from, so you keep watching until Angus reappears out of the light, always playing, never missing a beat, having a great time performing. Watch any Youtube video of LTBR, you’ll see what I mean; you won’t be able to look away from that small, yet incomparably bright sun up above us all.

Check it out.

Angus Young: I Know It's Only Rock n Roll, but WOW!

I was explaining to a cool person today that I love to get projects and then just really focus on those projects until I'm full; happens that right now, AC/DC (especially Angus Young) is my project. My fascination can be explained by a tiny fragment of Michelangelo's ceiling work. The gap between Adam's and God's fingers--that's how I see the creative process that makes AC/DC's music so special. How do they cross that small and yet crevasse-like span from their initial ideas for songs to something like Thunderstruck or Highway to Hell or Let There be Rock or Little Lover or Night Prowler? How do they put the bits of guitar riffs, snatches of words, all those years of being on the road and the experiences they've had into songs that are so full of electrifying energy and indelible images and sounds into a segment of 3 to 5 minutes? How do talent, ability, guts and guitars backed by drums transmute into something that brings so much joy to so many different kinds of people that do a countless number of different kinds of work, have different levels of education and don't even speak the same language? AC/DC puts it all together and they are AC/DC, greatest rock band on earth with Angus Young, guitar god. Others put their music together and they're Band Nonentity or (fill in the blank, don't want to start any wars).
Anyway, then we started talking about Dylan--amazing that I got back to work at all. How do I put all this into a 30-second meeting with Angus? When and if that momentous meeting happens. Just babble incoherently while someone takes our picture and hopefully I get an autograph? Of course, it could be like that cool person said: they don't know how it happens either. And as someone in the band has said before when we try to make their music deeper than it is--it's just rock n roll. Don't you just love it?

South of the Border: Angus Young & Co, November 2009

One of the acdc.com members posted the huge news today: AC/DC is scheduled to play in Mexico City on November 12!!!! YES!!!! Bibi goes south of the border for the first time in her life--or for the concert of a lifetime?

Have checked the flight and hotel costs and although there is absolutely no money, honey, for anything besides essentials--that's what happens when you take the European Grand Tour in these economic times--well, drastic measures will have to be taken to get this within the realm of possibilities.

Will do some tourist-type research to get an idea of where to stay, then where would AC/DC stay, and costs associated with a very short list of sights to see while there. Do I take a chance on visiting The Ruins? (That book wasn't great, but it was really scary in parts.) Can I convince any of the fam to go with me, at least to the city, if not the concert?

In the meantime, holding fingers crossed for an added Houston concert. Either way: Angus Young, finally, we meet--concentrate really hard on this--it could happen!

Back to the Daily Grind--Without Having Met Angus Young

I knew it had to come, right? The letdown blues after the huge rush of the AC/DC European Tour/Bibi Prowls Around Europe swing. Especially since one of the primary goals: meeting guitar god Angus Young, wasn't met. This can only mean that my quest to do so must continue. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of my life...oops, I'm watching Casablanca, so getting carried away. What I meant to say was, we'll always have Paris and Amsterdam and--don't start thinking I've gone all rat street crazy--I'm convinced that AC/DC will add more dates to their US tour and/or the purported Mexico-South American segment of their world domination and then, I will meet Angus.

Face it: lots of saner people than me have more outrageous dreams and hopes than mine to meet Angus. So, pre- and post-BPAE I steadfastly and in complete sincerity maintain that I will meet him and I won't embarrass myself royally like I did with Ralph Fiennes, although, to my credit, I bet he still remembers the fan that brought up his sex scenes in a movie.

Life in Houston has been hectic, hot, and costly--the darling car just required $1400 as a form of devotion today--and so the sense of being under a heavy shroud since I got back is all too with me. Life without the anticipation of seeing the guys in action in the near future, adds to my palpable feeling of oppression. There are no real plans for seeing AC/DC during the US/Canadian dates, although I did say to luci_martini that if they came to Toronto (her city), I'd be in touch. Especially with the recent car expense, funds would basically have to fall out of the sky to even consider a trip to Galveston, much less an AC/DC concert.

The saving elements have been the emails from the AC/DC fans I met during the trip, the fantastic photos they've sent, their really positive energy all focused on AC/DC. Reading the email has brought back all the great moments, fabulously mild weather, wonderful sights and memories...THANKS, you guys!!!

After the June 23 Concert, follow-up

I went back to AC/DC's hotel after the concert and my new friend, Tom, told me that the band had already gone in for the night. He was so downcast about not getting Malcolm's autograph, I saw AC/DC's head of security standing outside the hotel and encouraged Tom to speak to him, just in case there were something that could be done to get the signature. Guess he felt sorry for Tom (maybe me, too) and he told Tom what time the band would be leaving the hotel the next day. I went to my hotel and found that I could get a double room for the next night, but I couldn't get any flight change info from KLM because their computer system was down. Decided that was a sign from God--had to go home. sigh

Tom and I have emailed since I got back and he told me that he did take some time off from work and did manage to get Malcolm's autograph, plus a picture. He also posted some videos on Youtube--pretty good depiction of the excitement and fantastic music at the concert. Also got an email with photo from Eric, who sat next to me at the show. Will work on posting the latest pics!

Amsterdam Arena, June 23, 2009

What a show! The audience was really into it which made it even better. I met some new AC/DC fans--for some it was their first AC/DC concert. I told them they were in for the experience of a lifetime and the guys did not let us down! They were in top form and just rocked us all night long--or at least for about two hours. Highlight for me was Thunderstruck--I had my Texas flag with me and the crowd around me encouraged me to wave it around, but especially during this one. I had a pretty decent seat which helped make this show a bit better for me than the Paris show where we were directly in front of the stage, but given the stage set up, pretty far away. No changes in the song list, so I knew what to expect, but for the newbies around me, they were blown away. It's really cool that AC/DC never seems bored with performing. Although I knew what was coming, it was amazing how fresh the material seems each time AC/DC plays it. The camera work was way better than in Paris and all the closeups showed each of the band members working hard for us, but at the same time, you could see they were having a great time. Brian was mugging to the crowd in his inimitable way--you could see the crowd surging around the stage every time he came close to them. Angus drove us all nuts, too, his unbelievable guitar work just amazing. The screens gave us a great view of Angus's expressions--he was grinning sometimes, while he played--really looked like he was having a fantastic time wowing us. I'd been told that the sound quality in the Arena was bad, but I didn't hear any problems. It was good and LOUD, but no distortion or cut outs apparent. For both the Paris and Amsterdam shows, Angus played the Let There Be Rock (first) guitar solo on a large square platform at the end of the runway from the stage so that he's about center of the stadium playing field. Then a riser comes up from that platform above the crowd where he amazes us all with his ability to play anywhere. At the end of that portion, a huge explosion of confetti erupts, showering those around the platform. Really cool effect!
The downside of knowing the song list is realizing that as each song is played, we're closer to the end of the concert. I really felt it this time--more than in Paris--but even so, nothing can top the sequence from Let There Be Rock through For Those About To Rock in terms of pure rock showmanship and bravura. What a fantastic, unbelievable rush! The crowd was wild, singing with all the hits, jumping up and down, cheering non-stop. This can only mean that I will see them in concert again, right? Since I didn't get to meet Angus, all the more reason to figure out when the next concert date for me will be.

In the meantime, the European trip was a great one for me--got to see some old friends, family while I was there--and with their help, had the wonderful, unforgettable chance to meet both Brian and Cliff. Both of them were such accessible guys, so down to earth and genuinely happy to meet the fans. I can't make a distinction of which one was "better" to meet; they were both truly lovely to meet. I got both their autographs and a picture with Brian. Just to let you know how personable he is, though, Brian not only gave me his autograph and was very patient with the star-struck fans around him, he hugged and kissed me, saying: Thank you, darling, for being here. What a guy!! I'll post the picture asap!