AC/DC

## History

AC/DC is an Australian rock band powerhouse known for their electrifying performances and iconic guitar-driven sound. With a career spanning decades, they've solidified their status as one of the most influential and enduring rock bands in history, delivering high-energy anthems that continue to resonate with audiences worldwide.

The Australian rock group was started by two Scottish-born brothers in Sydney. Malcolm Young played rhythm guitar. His younger brother Angus Young, who’s known for his schoolboy uniform, plays lead guitar.

Over the years AC/DC has sold over 200 million records. They became the 9th highest-selling artist in the US and the 15th best worldwide.

## 1973- 1976

The group was first started by the two brothers Malcolm and Angus Young whose family had immigrated to Australia in the early 60’s,

In the early days band members came and went almost weekly, they did manage to recruit a lead vocalist Dave Evans and began playing gigs around their hometown of Sydney, with first ever gig at Chequers Club 31.12.1973.

In June of 74, AC/DC recorded their first single “Can I Sit Next To you Girl” with the b-side “Rockin' In The Parlour” they hired their older brother George Young to produce the tracks along with Harry Vanda.

When the single was released in Australia in July of 1974 it became a minor hit and a club tour soon followed.

While on that tour they meet a night club owner Michael Browning and soon after signed him on as their manager.  The band found the key to their success when their vocalist Dave Evans refused to go on stage one day and the band’s chauffeur, Bon Scott got the gig by default.

Once Bon’s throat shredding vocals mixed with Angus’s high voltage lead guitar riffs a legendary band was born.

Shortly after Bon joined AC/DC the band went into the studio to record their debut album “High Voltage” which was released in Australia in February 1975 and became an instant success.

The bands lineup solidified soon after when Angus and Malcolm recruited drummer Phil Rudd and a bass  player Mark Evans to join the band.

They returned to the studio and recorded “T.N.T”, which was released at February 1976 and helped cement the groups success in Australia.

However, no one outside of Australia or New Zealand had heard of them. While the band was busy recording their third album, their manager Michael Browning went to London to try and find the band a label outside of Australia.

## UK and Europe

They finally convinced the American label Atlantic to give them a deal in mid ’76. They released the album “High Voltage” as an mixed from the Austalian "High Voltage" and "T.N.T." in Europe.

By the end of that year the groups third album “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” was in record stores in Australia and Europe.

When they arrived in London to tour in Europe, they became an instant smash with the locals and despite the popular punk movement at the time, they had no problem filling the clubs all around , among others Marque club in London dozen times , and after playing at Reading music festival in 1976. later same year and bigger venues like Apollo and Hammersmith Odeon as well others .

in late 1976 AC/DC supported Richie Blackmores Rainbow on tour in Europe.

At that tour in Copenhagen , 12 years old boy from front row was in audience with his father .

That boys name is Lars Urlich and that concert changed his life trusing him to create his own band several years later - Metallica .

AC/DC follow up album “Let There Be Rock” also became a hit when it was released in March 1977 and was followed by a headlining club tour of Europe and an the support on Black Sabbath’s European tour.

The Sabbath tour didn’t last long though, rumor has it that Malcolm and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Bulter bumped heads and AC/DC was thrown off the tour.

After that, there where problems between Mark Evans and the Young brothers, so Mark quit the band and was replaced by Cliff Williams from Englands band Home .

The band made their first trip to America in the summer of 1977, they began the tour playing clubs and by the time it wound down they were playing arenas, opening up for REO Speedwagon.

They returned to Europe that Fall to headline their own tour and then came back to the states toward the end of the year to support KISS and Rush.

## 1978 - 1980 Highway to Hell

As 1978 dawned the group went back into the studio and recorded their next album “Powerage” which was released at the end of April.

Their popularity in England was growing in epic proportions so the band undertook the requisite headlining tour in Europe before returning to the States to open shows for bands like Aerosmith, UFO, Journey, Rainbow and Alice Cooper.

The band still was without a hit in the US but their underground following had steadily grown since they first toured America.

By the time their live album, “If You Want Blood You've Got It” was released in October of 1978.

But it was their next album that was poised to make the band international superstars.

With momentum pushing them steadily forward the band wanted to make the best album of their career so they enlisted the production of John “Mutt” Lange and entered the Roundhouse Studios and emerged six months later with “Highway to Hell”.

The title track was the band’s tongue and cheek answer to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”.

The album was released in July 1979 and sold well. The band hit the road in North America supporting bands like Cheap Trick, UFO and Ted Nugent and a Eurpean tour with Judas Priest as support.

On this tour the concert in Paris was filmed and released later as the legendery “Let There Be Rock” Movie .

As they entered 1980 their popularity was climbing and it appeared that the floodgates of superstardom were about to open for them, then tragedy struck.

On February 20th, 1980, Bon Scott’s friend Alistair Kinnear, whom he had been out drinking with the night before at UFO concert in London found Bon unconscious in his car. Kinnear rushed Bon to the hospital but it was too late, Bon Scott died.

According to official reports Bon had far too much to drink the night before and choked to death on his vomit because the way he was laying prevented him from breathing.

The band was devastated and didn’t know whether to carry on without their fallen frontman, Malcolm and Angus finally decided that Bon would want them to continue so they sought out a new vocalist to front the band.

They auditioned a number of singers before settling on former Geordie lead vocalist Brian Johnson.

## 1980 s - Back In Black

In April 1980 they traveled to the Bahamas with their new lead vocalist and producer “Mutt” Lange and began recording their next album “Back in Black”. By the end of May the recording was completed and the band took some time off. They regrouped on July 1st to perform a concert in Belgium. Not knowing how the audience would respond to their new vocalist, the band was apprehensive about the show, but as soon as they started into the first song the crowd exploded with cheers and whole heartedly welcomed Brian Johnson to the band. “Back in Black” was released at the end of July, 1980 and the band was not prepared for what was to come. “Back in Black” catapulted AC/DC into the big time.
The group’s popularity in America convinced Atlantic to issue “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” for the first time to U.S. A worldwide tour followed and then the band went back into the studio again with producer “Mutt” Lange to do impossible and record album to follow Back In Black.

New album , “For Those About To Rock We Salute You” was released in November 1981 it became an international success. The band then spent most of 1982 on a world tour supporting the album.
It would be almost two years before the band released another album. While they were recording the next album all hell broke loose within the ranks, when the dust settled Phil Rudd was out of the band. Eventually Simon Wright would be brought in to replace Rudd. The rest of the group carried on with the recording, this time not enlisting the help of “Mutt” Lange or any other producer for that matter, they decided to do it all themselves.

“Flick Of The Switch “ hit stores in August 1983 . With this album band did not reach the dizzying heights of success they enjoyed with “Back in Black” and “For Those About to Rock” but they had established themselves as one of the top bands in the world and to this day sell out arenas world wide.

## 1985 - 2000s Maximum Overdrive

The band’s next few albums also sold well but not spectacularly. “Fly On The Wall” emerged in July 1985. They followed up the next year with “Who Made Who” part greatest hits, part soundtrack to Stephen King’s “Maximum Overdrive”.

King who was a huge fan of the group asked them to provide the music for the film while they were on tour supporting “Fly On The Wall”.  The film and soundtrack only did moderately well, but it did contain a hit single in the form of the “Back in Black” classic “You Shook Me All Night Long” which the band filmed a new video for that

1988’s “Blow Up Your Video” was a major hit in some counties and once the band started their sold out world tour

But it was the group’s next album that would put them back on top.

Almost ten years to the day after the band had released “Back In Black” in 1980 they roared back with “Razors Edge”, which pushed them right back to the top of the charts world wide. Single Thunderstruck becomes mega hit topped charts worldwide.

They had an new producer Bruce Fairbairn and drummer Simon Wright was replaced by Chris Slade.  A monster world tour followed but it would be almost five years before fans got a new studio album from the group. In 1992 the band did release a live album recorded during the “Razors Edge” tour, but it wouldn’t be until 1995 that fans would get a new full-length studio album.

In mean time AC/DC released the single “Big Guns” for the soundtrack to Arnold Schwarzenegger film, “Last Action Hero”.

During the recording of their next studio album the band reunited with former drummer Phil Rudd. They enlisted Rick Rubin to produce the album

The resulting album “Ballbreaker” came out September 26, 1995 and spawned the hit single “Hard as a Rock”. An enormous world tour followed with the band selling out arenas the world over.

AC/DC would once again take five years to release a new studio album.

In November of 1997 they gave fans a treat in the form of the “Bonfire” boxset which contained studio out-takes, demos and live recordings featuring Bon Scott.

Before he died he used to joke with his bandmates that if he ever did a solo project  he’d name it “Bonfire” so when the band decided to release this tribute boxset they felt it would be another tribute to Bon to use the title for the release.

a new album Stiff Upper Lip came in February 2000 and album heralded as the band’s return to their heavy blues riffs.

The record buying public was receptive by the end of the year the album had gone platinum in some countries. A grueling world tour followed. The band once again sold out arenas world wide and proved that even after all of these years they still knew how to rock .

## 21 st Century

In late 2001, the band released a home video/DVD of the “Stiff Upper Lip” tour, recorded in Munich, Germany.

At the 11th March 2003 are AC/DC enter the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame and In the same Year play as support for the Rolling Stones at big Open Air Gigs at the Toronto Rocks Festival DVD publication "Live at Donnington" finished the year 2003.

Exept the DVD release "Family Jewels", March 2005,  with many rare AC/DC stuff, it was very quit about the Band. Only Brian Johnson and Cliff Williams are sometimes guest stars at benefit concerts.

After 8 and a half years longtime waiting AC/DC release their new Album 'Black Ice' in October 2008.

A 2 year long The "Black Ice World Tour" goes 2008/2009 from North Amerika to Europe and back to North- and then South Amerika.

2010 there are also in Australia and Japan, before the Tour ends in Europe on 28.06.2010 in Bilbao (Spain).

AC/DC plays at 170 concerts in front of more than 5 million people.

In May 2011 the Live DVD / Blu-ray "LIVE AT RIVERPLATE" from the last "Black Ice Tour" was released. "LIVE AT RIVERPLATE" was recorded during 3 concerts 2009 at River Plate Stadion in Buenos Aires - Argentina.

## Rock Or Bust 2014 - today

After many rumors since the last Tour the band joined in spring 2014 the studio in Vancouver to record a new Album.

But without Malcolm Young he was ill and replaced by his nephew Stevie Young,

Stevie replaced Malcolm through the Tour 1988 too.

In September 2014 the band officially announced that a comeback for Malcolm is not possible because he had dementia.

n October the band was invited to the video shooting in London for the new single from the new Album Rock Or Bust. Fans from all over the world are coming to welcome Stevie as a new member in the AC/DC family. But at the video shooting was the next shocking news, drummer Phil Rudd doesn't come to the shooting and must be replaced by a double .

The release of the new Album Rock Or Bust started at the end of the year and jumped in many countries to #1 in the charts.

Phil Rudd, who was involved at the Rock Or Bust recordings, is after missing at video shoots and photo shootings no longer in the band, he was charged in New Zealand for different things and can not travel.

Chris Slade, a not unknown guy for AC/DC fans (Razors Edge Album and Tour, Big Gun Single) replaced Phil in February 2015.

After a lot of back and forth the Rock Or Bust Tour started in April 2015 in America and Europe, at the end of the year in Australia.

Unfortunately, the tour did not go as planned in 2016, Brian Johnson had to go to England for the funeral of his best friend on February 29, which is why the Kansas City concert was brought forward from February 29 to 28, 2016.

This was the last concert of AC / DC with Brian Johnson as a singer, since he was then no longer allowed on stage because of hearing problems.

After many rumors and speculations, it has been confirmed that Axl Rose of Guns N Roses will finish the tour as a guest singer with 13 concerts in Europe and 10 in North America.

Even after the Rock Or Bust Tour AC / DC is not spared bad news, on October 22, 2017, George Young passed away at the age of 70 years.

The biggest shock came on November 18, 2017, when news quickly spread that Malcolm Young, the founder, maker, boss, and heart of AC / DC, died at the age of 64.

After rumors of band members being sighted in early August 2018 at the recording studio in Vancouver, Canada and an alleged video shoot in early February 2020, a dream came true for many AC/DC fans in September 2020.

On November 13th, 2020 the time had come and POWER UP was released with the cast of Angus Young, Phil Ruud, Cliff Williams, Brian Johnson and Stevie Young. Becouse of Covid 19 pandemic world tour and concerts did not happen.

For the 2023. at 8 th october in California AC/DC will headline Powetrip festial along Metallica . Guns And Roses and Iron Maiden

Story continues ,,,

AC/DC Biggest concerts in the world :

Moscow music and peace festival july 1991. over 1000000 ( million ) visitors ( AC/DC , Metallica , Pantera etc )

Toronto SARS concert july 2003. AC/DC plus Rolling Stones 500000 visitors

#### AC/DC Discography ( studio albums )

Here is a discography of AC/DC's studio albums by year of release:

1. 1975 - "High Voltage" (Australia)
2. 1976 - "T.N.T" (Australia)
3. 1976 - "High Voltage" (International)
4. .1976. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap ( Australia )
5. 1977 - "Let There Be Rock"
6. 1978 - "Powerage"
7. 1979 - "Highway to Hell"
8. 1980 - "Back in Black"
9. 1981 - "For Those About to Rock We Salute You"
10. 1983 - "Flick of the Switch"
11. 1985 - "Fly on the Wall"
12. 1986 - "Blow Up Your Video"
13. 1990 - "The Razors Edge"
14. 1995 - "Ballbreaker"
15. 2000 - "Stiff Upper Lip"
16. 2008 - "Black Ice"
17. 2014 - "Rock or Bust"
18. 2020 - "Power Up"