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!!!
Showing posts with label ac dc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ac dc. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, October 2, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
AC/DC (Angus) Showcases Past Videos
Back in the day, we did have cable and it makes you wonder what I was watching on tv if I didn't see any AC/DC videos. (It could be that Bibi wasn't actually around back then, but let's not get into that time continuum-physics thing on this blog.) Anyway, before the Black Ice Tour began, Angus apparently did an hour-long show on MTV reviewing some of those videos. You can see the first part of the program, with Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Let There be Rock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAvI-ZYqTsw&feature=related . Bon is so wonderful in Let There Be Rock, what a face! The camera loved him! DDDDC captures the raw, live quality AC/DC has always had and their wild fan appeal that transcends specific time periods. whew--that sounds really heavy.
Since Bibi doesn't have cable now, we will never know what the rest of the hour was like. But Angus seemed really game in terms of delivery and odd bits of patter. I'm sure that if I spend hours and hours trolling the web, I could find the rest of that show....hmmm, maybe later, if I'm not busy napping or watching specks on the floor.... or studying my physics books, Aristotle, you know, the usual. Will let you know.
Since Bibi doesn't have cable now, we will never know what the rest of the hour was like. But Angus seemed really game in terms of delivery and odd bits of patter. I'm sure that if I spend hours and hours trolling the web, I could find the rest of that show....hmmm, maybe later, if I'm not busy napping or watching specks on the floor.... or studying my physics books, Aristotle, you know, the usual. Will let you know.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Finally, they're on their way!!!
No, not the aliens from outer space that established the monolith we saw in 2001: A Space Odyssey, who would be revisiting us in order to fix the economy--since apparently no one on earth can figure out how to do it. (Bon Scott scream here) MY TICKETS FOR THE PARIS CONCERT!!!!!!! are on their way!!!! (another Bon Scott scream here) One day, will I say: "Angus, we'll always have Paris"? All I can think is: "HIGH VOLTAGE, HIGH VOLTAGE, HIGH VOLTAGE ROCK AND ROLL...WINE, WOMEN AND SONG...." Big problem, though. I'm leaving for DC at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning and the tickets will be arriving while I'm gone. Now that David is no longer with us as guardian of my neighborhood, will I have to depend on those downstairs neighbors? What if they're arrested again and aren't home when the tickets get there?
I will figure this out, though, as I've figured out other things in this house like: what's with this litter box situation, is there any way to get a feeding schedule set around here, and what does a cat have to do to get treats every now and then? When will the cleaning lady--who comes by too infrequently--get with the program about me? Although she is appropriately deferential when I deign to make an appearance, so alright.
A mention on the AC/DC tour revenue: AC/DC will bring their Black Ice World Tour back to North America for another leg of dates this summer, playing stadiums and arenas. Since starting its tour in late October, most (??) of AC/DC's North America dates sold out. From October 2008 through March 2009, the band grossed $49.1 million from 36 concerts that drew more than 561,000 fans, according to Billboard Boxscore.
I will figure this out, though, as I've figured out other things in this house like: what's with this litter box situation, is there any way to get a feeding schedule set around here, and what does a cat have to do to get treats every now and then? When will the cleaning lady--who comes by too infrequently--get with the program about me? Although she is appropriately deferential when I deign to make an appearance, so alright.
A mention on the AC/DC tour revenue: AC/DC will bring their Black Ice World Tour back to North America for another leg of dates this summer, playing stadiums and arenas. Since starting its tour in late October, most (??) of AC/DC's North America dates sold out. From October 2008 through March 2009, the band grossed $49.1 million from 36 concerts that drew more than 561,000 fans, according to Billboard Boxscore.
Monday, April 6, 2009
US Tour Dates Set for Summer 2009
The acdc.com News page says: Click here to see AC/DC's Black Ice North American Leg dates. Additional concerts will be announced shortly.
Will these dates include Texas? If there were a good chance that at least one of the additional dates would be in Texas, I would pass on Detroit, which is my current choice. Not sure the personal funds situation can absorb Detroit tickets and airfare if there turns out to be a show in Houston, San Antonio or Austin. And what about the possibility that AC/DC will play Mexico? It's too much decision making under uncertainty by April 11!
Will these dates include Texas? If there were a good chance that at least one of the additional dates would be in Texas, I would pass on Detroit, which is my current choice. Not sure the personal funds situation can absorb Detroit tickets and airfare if there turns out to be a show in Houston, San Antonio or Austin. And what about the possibility that AC/DC will play Mexico? It's too much decision making under uncertainty by April 11!
So, big leap of faith, I'll wait for more concert dates rather than take a life-threatening chance in Detroit. Even if I had to go to Arizona, site infamous for the time a "fan" threw a beer on Angus, it would probably be cheaper and easier than Detroit or Grand Rapids. I know my Ann Arbor relative is breathing a sigh of relief--like she reads this blog.
It was an anxious night of making this decision so Bibi will nap extensively today to recover. Couldn't find any online articles about the Bilbao concert, although the guys probably rocked the house down. Tonight is the re-scheduled concert in Zurich--I did email the electric company in Switzerland about "no power in Switzerland on Sundays for concerts"--and the reply was that of course they have power in Switzerland on Sundays for whatever purpose. So the mystery of "technical difficulties" that caused the re-scheduling of the Zurich concert remains.
The boys are back in town--soon!
Omigod, omigod, omigod!!! The announcement we've all been breathlessly awaiting has arrived!!! Although it's a short set of dates, AC/DC will be in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, Michigan in August, so I plan/hope/pray to be there. Here's the complete list:
Foxborough, MA
Gillette Stadium
07/31/09
E. Rutherford, NJ
Giants Stadium
08/16/09
Detroit, MI
Palace of Auburn Hills
08/18/09
Grand Rapids, MI
Van Andel Arena
08/30/09
Tacoma, WA
Tacoma Dome
09/02/09
San Jose, CA
HP Pavillion
09/04/09
Los Angeles, CA
Staples Center
09/06/09
San Diego, CA
Sports Arena
09/08/09
Anaheim, CA
Live Nation Honda Center
Foxborough, MA
Gillette Stadium
07/31/09
E. Rutherford, NJ
Giants Stadium
08/16/09
Detroit, MI
Palace of Auburn Hills
08/18/09
Grand Rapids, MI
Van Andel Arena
08/30/09
Tacoma, WA
Tacoma Dome
09/02/09
San Jose, CA
HP Pavillion
09/04/09
Los Angeles, CA
Staples Center
09/06/09
San Diego, CA
Sports Arena
09/08/09
Anaheim, CA
Live Nation Honda Center
AC/DC in Bilbao, Spain,
Have seen a few posts about last night’s concert that thundered through Bilbao, Spain (northern Spain, Basque area). The show was fantastic—if the Youtube videos are any indication. BTW: If you’re interested in a mini-course on everything about AC/DC, try the sources I mentioned previously, as well as acdcbelgium.blogspot.com—you’ll get up to speed before you know it—and—you’ll love the experience.. Thanks to Bedlam in Belgium, found a making-of video for Anything Goes, second cut from Black Ice: loved it! Have watched it over and over. Not only does it have lovely, fleeting views of that most enchanting city on earth, Paris, but right off, there’s Angus! The guys are being driven to Bercy stadium to film footage for the video. He’s such a character—he charms us right away with tidbits: “I don’t talk much before 12.” I mean, who does, really? Later in the video, we see him backstage just before the Highway to Hell segment of the Bercy (Paris, February 2009) concert, putting on the devil horns, he points to his face, and, typically deprecating about himself, “Pretty as ever. You can’t buy beauty like this.” How adorable!
Told a couple of you about a new link, http://acdcfannation.com/ . One of the things acdc.com has done right is this series of videos about the fans. Many of my friends, acquaintances, relatives, think this AC/DC fascination of mine is more than just a little outré; once you watch these two fannation videos, you’ll see I’m strictly one of the only plain vanilla, conservative fans. Cool parts include Abruzzo, the Italian AC/DC fangroup and a fan who dealt with his alcohol issues through his AC/DC devotion. (Malcolm, Angus’s brother and co-founder of AC/DC, is a recovering alcoholic.) A number of the other fans come across really strongly in their own inimitable ways: the ones from Japan, some with their outrageous AC/DC tattoos, some with fashion and dental issues, and all share a common trait with me—an intense, insistently declared, unapologetic love for the greatest live band in the world.
Told a couple of you about a new link, http://acdcfannation.com/ . One of the things acdc.com has done right is this series of videos about the fans. Many of my friends, acquaintances, relatives, think this AC/DC fascination of mine is more than just a little outré; once you watch these two fannation videos, you’ll see I’m strictly one of the only plain vanilla, conservative fans. Cool parts include Abruzzo, the Italian AC/DC fangroup and a fan who dealt with his alcohol issues through his AC/DC devotion. (Malcolm, Angus’s brother and co-founder of AC/DC, is a recovering alcoholic.) A number of the other fans come across really strongly in their own inimitable ways: the ones from Japan, some with their outrageous AC/DC tattoos, some with fashion and dental issues, and all share a common trait with me—an intense, insistently declared, unapologetic love for the greatest live band in the world.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Great to meet you!
Hello, I’m Bibi and I love, love, love Angus. Yes, that Angus, or as I think of him: the incomparable lead guitar god from AC/DC. Of course, I love AC/DC: their music, their straight-up, kick ass attitude about rock n roll, their grit and absolute, unwavering dedication to giving us a shake you all night long level of performance every time they take the stage. I think and talk about a lot of things—myself, for example, a fantastic subject-- but also a whole range of fascinating subjects that shall be revealed over time. Since I saw AC/DC in concert for the first time on December 14, 2009, though, it’s all about them and particularly Angus, as you will see. I was most definitely thunderstruck.
As everyone in the free world knows, AC/DC is on a so long- awaited world tour after an extended absence in support of their newest album, Black Ice. Having completely laid waste to the US and parts of Canada late last year—this is when I first saw them in concert on that fateful day--they are currently blazing across Europe, leaving their ecstatic fans exhausted but satisfied—at least until their summer outdoor concert venues begin in May. The guys are up for a short break in early April from their outrageously full concert schedule and will continue their world domination throughout the summer months, culminating in what will very likely be a rock til the stadium comes crashing down in Glasgow on June 30. (Did you notice that U2 wisely won't begin their European tour until AC/DC finishes their tour?) The fabulous, incredible, unbelievable thing is: I plan to see them in Paris on June 12 and in Amsterdam on June 23---Bon Scott type scream here, yes!!! Paris in June...and AC/DC...whoa! The tickets are bought, the reservations all made, the excel file with the outfits planned out is in process…omigod! Also have gotten in contact with Marc in Paris and we’re planning to meet, I’ll finally meet his children, catch up with Jessica—bet the pregnancy will not even have an effect on her; some people! Still hoping that Raymond will be able to come to Paris or at least to Amsterdam to experience AC/DC's effect on thier loyal following.
I've discovered several like-minded AC/DC fans on the web, particularly AC/DC ABRUZZO, an Italian group of fans that has followed the guys for some time now, but for this tour have already seen them in the US and in many of the European cities so far. Their blog is really well-written and they seem like a nice bunch of obsessed guys. There's also the gang that talks on all kinds of AC/DC stuff at acdc.com. Hope to run into some of these folks in Paris and/or Amsterdam. I've followed their comments and concert reviews with avid interest. Another site: AC-DC.net has the best listing of online articles and reviews--great way to follow the group across Europe, links to AC/DC merchandise, including a book which seems to have been written by the guy that owns AC-DC.net--fantastic work!
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