8 posts tagged “ac/dc”
We are going up to the Birmingham NEC tonight to see AC/DC one last time on this run of Arenas. We jump in the motor and make good time up to the NEC. I haven’t watched a gig here actually sat with the audience for a while. It is like something from the seventies, I guess I am just so spoiled with the O2. We are fannying getting jacket potatoes and hot dogs and manage to miss the animation at the beginning, which is a shame. The seats are great though, just to the left of the stage. Of course we are on familiar territory again which is what we want. It is hot, feels like there is no air conditioning again. I have always been hugely impressed that Angus uses the same Gibson SG from start to finish on each show. Every song off Back in Black still sounds magnificent, I find myself taken back to a mythical high school where it is always the summer term and we are meeting the girls after school.
We make it in time for the spectacular opening, which never loses its appeal and seems to have more pyrotechnics than ever. I am always blown away that they throw “Back in Black” into the set so early, it takes a lot of balls to do that, proves to everyone their total confidence, that they know they have so many great songs in the armoury. Angus is ferocious tonight. I am genuinely blown away by how much they can put into this, every night they deliver flawless show after flawless show, two and a half hours and it remains spot on, one hell of a machine.
What can I say about a show I have seen several times already and which sticks to the script as tightly as the band have stuck to their rock and roll formula for 36 years? Well the crowd is impressive; every one of them down there has their fists aloft. There are a few younger kids in from when I last saw them in 2001, there are even some attractive women. I still fall for “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place to Be” and “Shoot to Thrill” Things really get started though after Angus strips during “The Jack” Now we can motor proper. “War Machine” comes with some more impressive animation with Angus piloting a Lancaster bomber that is dropping sexy rock chick cheerleaders. “Let There be Rock” is absolutely magnificent, Angus’ guitar playing beyond anything I have witnessed before. The footage of the band performing on the big screens looks like classic film from a seventies TV show like The Old Grey Whistle Test. For all of their pyrotechnics, this still feels like a stripped down rock and roll show.
And so another AC/DC show rolls into action, that iconic animated film which is still pretty dark and chilling and hitting every schoolboy fantasy along the way, heralds the arrival of that great steam locomotive crashing through the backdrop and the band launching into “Rock and Roll Train” When they drop into “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place to Be” It is really underway and everyone realises just what a joy it is to behold this band right here right now.
The set is a perfect mixture of all their classic songs with a healthy smattering of new tunes. Plenty of duck walks from Angus with his fist in the air, Brian running down the catwalk cheering on the crowd, reminding them just what a great party they are at. We get the strip during “The Jack”, Brian leaping for the bell rope during “Hells Bells”. The crowd are all captivated by the new inflatable Rosie that straddles the train, and those authentic looking cannons that roll up and fire during the finale of “For Those About to Rock”
Today we had presentations from Columbia in America, always something to look forward to. Their president Steve Barnett talked to us about AC/DC, a new bunch of Emo kids called Boys Like Girls. Matt Kearney, a new singer songwriter Brandi Carlisle and the mighty Bruce Springsteen. Plus we get to see Kelly Roland in the Flesh. After lunch Simon Cowell joins us to present Leona Lewis who performs two numbers "Over the Rainbow" and a brand new song that clearly demonstrate why she is clearly the biggest talent to have emerged from X Factor and how she will set the world alight later this year. Pete Edge from J Records introduces us to a live performance from Mario and then Clive Davies returns to introduce us to Barry Manilow before going on to talk about Aretha Frankiln and Whitney Houston. I get to spend a bit of time with Pete Edge listening to some of the songs Daniel Merryweather is working on for his new album and there are some real beauties in there. Then we head off to the Celine Dion show.
Celine is the reason we are here in Vegas. She is one of the biggest artists signed to Sony/BMG having sold a staggering 170 million records. Getting everyone down to see her show at the Coliseum, which has been running for a staggering four and a half years underlines why she is such a huge artist. The place is packed out on a $200 ticket with everyone from cuddling pensioners to young kids down to see the show. The theatre was built to house this production and what a production it is. From the moment a figure appears to descend this never ending staircase from the stars, everyone is awestruck by the scale of this show. This is the biggest stage, the longest line of high kicking chorus girls and the most famous songs in the world. The theatrical tricks leave us stunned. The way Celine seems to change from one costume to the next in the blink of an eye is better than any illusionists trick, she has her chorus flying suspended by God knows what across the stage.
What grounds the whole event is the woman herself. Away from the show stopping numbers she has a warmth and humility that is beyond belief considering the number of shows she must have performed here. It is her connection with the audience that is as much a clue to her fame as her incredible voice. I can't help but be carried along by songs as infectious as "I Drove All Night" and her rendition of "River Deep Mountain High" has to be seen to be believed.
Afterwards we all get to spend time with Celine. I am so impressed with how down to earth she is. She gives a big thank you to all of us and takes time to say hello to every label head from around the world, often getting her photo taken with them. I guess that is how you get to sell 170 million records.
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