AC/DC Wembley Stadium 26th June 2009 - Part 1

View from the pitch

So less than 24 hours later after the stunning Chickenfoot gig here we are at Wembley Stadium on another hot sunny day.

First up The Answer. They have been lucky enough to support AC/DC right across the globe indoors and now outdoors. What an opportunity for a young band. With a set culled from their new cd Everyday Demons with only the last song from Rise. Demon Eyes and On and On came over very well and we look forward to seeing them in Oxford in December.

Next up the Subways. Replacing Thin Lizzy at the last moment they were totally rubbish. 50 minutes we had to stand there. Each song sounding like the last. Nothing different. On totally the wrong bill. If I ever see them again it would be too soon!!

Gigs like this are different. You all go to pay homage to rock giants. You sing along, jump up and down with total strangers but it is a celebration of our love for them and their music. Iron Maiden at Twickenham was exactly the same. The anticipation for tonite made even more by the lack of tickets for their recent indoor shows and realisation that it is probably their last tour and English performance.
AC/DC was my first arena gig way back on the 18th of October 1982 at Wembley Arena with Y&T in support of their For Those About To Rock cd!! This was my 9th time in seeing them. As the lengthy cartoon started fever pitch was reached and as the full scale locomotive burst through the back of the stage and Angus cranks out the riff to Rock n'Roll Train the place goes nuts!! Brian Johnson is off straight down the lengthy walkway down the centre of the stadium (leading to a platform in the centre of the stadium!!) Next up Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be. No let up from band or crowd.
The Setlist was the same as for the recent shows plus Thunderstruck and Dog Eat Dog.
We got in no particular order.
5 off Black Ice(Rock n'Roll Train, Big Jack,War Machine, Anything Goes and Black Ice)
4 off Back In Black(Back in Black, Shoot To Thrill, Hells Bells and You Shook Me All Night Long)
and Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Shot Down In Flames, The Jack, T.N.T., Whole Lotta Rosie, Thunderstruck, Dog Eat Dog, Let There Be Rock with encores of Highway To Hell and For Those About To Rock.

Highlights all of it really. Enormous light rig. Perfect sound, screens, a locomotive, The Bell(for which Brian took an enormous run up and swang around like a 10 year old not 61!!) an enormous blow up Rosie sat on the train and the cannons at the end.
Brian sounded very good I have to say. Great frontman and only a few wheezy vocals in a 2 hour plus very sweaty show.
The band(Cliff, Phil and Malcolm) did not miss a beat, even during Let There Be Rock when Angus did a stunning 10 minute solo on the platform. On other tours they have slowed it down a bit but as the whole crowd watched Angus they kept up a monstrous beat in a purple light. Stunning.
Angus? What can we say? He duckwalked, he stripped during The Jack (yes we cheered a 54 year old man who wore a schoolboy uniform and stripped!!!) and his geetar work was stunning. Some of the best ever.

During the mayhem of For Those About To Rock a sudden realisation of this is probably the last time of seeing them came over me and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Wow. After 2 hours and 7 minutes they were gone. No goodbyes(as ever) but will their stadium shows in Australia(back home) early next year be the end. I expect so and what a legacy of stunning shows right till the end.

The last 2 nights were just off the scale. Totally different but just showing live music at its finest.
I can't score this one. It needs no score!!
ME

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