Los Angeles was treated to the final night of AC/DC’s North American leg of the Rock Or Bust World Tour. An estimated 50,000 fans were in attendance at the sold out show, a crowd that knows what they are in for at an AC/DC show. For over four decades, the band has cultivated a sound as uniform as the Ramones’ and as unchanging as the original formula for Coke. This strategy continues to work because AC/DC has power, momentum and wit - and it requires no update or variation.
The band’s show featured a striking stage design that incorporated video pieces, a giant inflatable “Rosie” and fire fueled cannons. The 20-song set featured many of the band’s metallic standards--from “Shoot To Thrill” to “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” to “Thunderstruck” to “T.N.T. to “For Those About To Rock”--AC/DC delivered at the usual face-melting volume.
Despite illness and turbulence that forced changes in the group’s personnel for this tour, all five musicians fit seamlessly into the AC/DC mold. This is not easily accomplished as the band’s songs require as much from the rhythm section as they do from Brian Johnson’s pig-squeal vocals and from Angus Young’s needling, keening leads. The songs they construct leave enough room between the guitars and drums to create great momentum and lift. For a group that prides itself on brute force, it’s amazing what a subtle sense of space they have in their sound.
The Los Angeles crowd was multigenerational, with grade school-age kids, grandparents and everyone in between singing along to "Hells Bells," with gusto. AC/DC’s magic allows them the ability to continue to hold onto its longtime fans while attracting new ones. The entire stadium was lit with devil horns the entire evening and was the perfect ending to an incredible tour for this incredible band.
Text and photos by Kevin Estrada
*Disclaimer: The words expressed in photo blog reviews do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Music Connection Magazine.
