Review :: AC/DC :: In Concert - Black Ice Tour - Atlanta -Oct. 23rd 2009

You’ve seen it before.

In person, or on TV, you’ve seen it. The bell. The cannons. Angus' striptease.

But when the crowd's into it - and when Back in Black or Dirty Deeds cranks up – and Angus’ head starts swinging like a possessed bobble-head doll - it's as good as rock –n- roll gets.

And you’d be crazy not to be there. That’s what it’s all about. It makes good, good sense, as some have said.

Sure, the boys are in their 50s (singer Brian Johnson is actually 61); but age be damned; these riffs and rhythm are ageless – classics that travel the linage straight from Chuck Berry to Angus Young to you.

Johnson is a capable host and front man. He's having a good time. His voice gave out at the end (“This should be interesting,” he said before the high screech to close Highway to Hell during the encore, and proceeded to belt out mostly air).

Angus, of course, is Angus. He’s sold his soul, there’s no question. He might be a step slower; but a step slower for Angus is still rock-n-roll at it's finest. Shirt off; duck-walking, head bobbing, right arm pointing to sky…Angus is still Angus.

The song selection is nice. New and old. A good deal of old, and that’s good. Rosie and Let There Be Rock; etc...reminds you of the linage of Rock; and if the number of the kids in the audience is any indication, it will continue...

(One aside :: The crowd reacted when some old group photos flashed on the screen showed glimpses of Bon Scott. The band should do something more with that...Johnson is a capable party ringleader....but there's something to be mined there in the memory of Scott the crowd would enjoy.)

Here’s the set list
“Rock N Roll Train”
“Hell Ain’t A Bad Place to Be”
“Back in Black”
“Big Jack”
“Shot Down in Flames”
“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
“Thunderstruck”
“Black Ice”
“The Jack”
“Hells Bells”
“Shoot to Thrill”
“War Machine”
“Dog Eat Dog”
“Anything Goes”
“You Shook Me All Night Long”
“T.N.T.”
“Whole Lotta Rosie”
“Let There Be Rock”

Encore:
“Highway to Hell”
“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”

What you’ll like
• The intro cartoon, the stage set-up and production in general.
• When Back in Black cranks up – right through to Thunderstruck.
• The crowd with their light-up red devil horns and number of kids in the audience. (Don’t worry, AC/DC is more suggestive – with a slight edge - than raunchy, this is rock before it degrades into Buck Cherry debauchery)
• Johnson swinging on the Hell’s Bell.
• Angus’ strip tease.
• Whole Lotta Rosie and Let There be Rock at the end.
• Old photos of the band.

Your mind will wander when
• The band plays the songs from Black Ice. (Why Rock N Roll Dream and Smash N Grab aren’t the singles, I’ll never understand).
• Angus’ solo before the encore gets tedious. Never been a fan of his solos outside of the song framework (where they are brilliant).

You’ll scratch your head (or maybe cringe) when
• Video shots of women in the crowd are shown singing along to “The Jack” – that “jack” refers to venereal disease you know…seemed very odd. But I'm sure most in the audience haven't actually read the lyrics and and two versions, etc.