Little few bands can fill a 52 -year -old stadium in their career, much less play for a audience very populated by parents and their children, both generations that wear horns headbands of the red devil and cheer the 77 -year -old singer Brian Johnson, and the white hair guitar icon Angus Young, 70 years old.
But AC/DC did exactly that, touching 21 considerable and recognizable heaviness melodies instantly, most of them classic basic rock foods and cultural touch stones, represented with a power and passion that denies their many decades of service. Starting with “If you want Blood (you have it)” of 1978, Young, in his collegiate attire of Vela (Velvet Red for this show) with the recognizable Gibson SG in black and white, he took the stage to a thunderous appreciation.
The next was “Back in Black”, the song and the album that marked Johnson's main dish in 1980 to the alignment. The leader proved to be expressive and animated despite the serious hearing problems that left him aside for some years of fear, and a voice that, understandably, does not always have the support and power of the first days. The quintet played some clues of his last “Power Up” of 2020, but as expected and appreciated, the successes ruled, from “Down To Flames” to “Hells Bells” to the favorite of the last days “Thundrastruck”.
The main singer of AC/DC Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young act in the Rose Bowl on April 18, 2025 in Pasadena, California.
(Eric Thayer/for times)
The band's set, despite the relentless and strident perfection and the power of the rhythm section, was not a fast flow, with quite frequent dark stage breaks between songs. The second half of the performance of more than two hours proved to be the strongest: Johnson's energy was apparently renewed in this third entertainment of 13 for this Leg of the Power Up tour.
Fans encourage when AC/DC acts at the Rose Bowl on April 18, 2025 in Pasadena, California.
(Eric Thayer/for times)
The band's hardcore devotees may wonder if AC/DC can be a bit insensitive or simply motivated, as their career suggests. Other fans do not know or care about the background history of the alignment, which took their first devastating shift in February 1980 with the death of singer Bon Scott, 33. In less than six months, with the new leader Johnson, previously Brit Band Geordie, AC/DC launched what would become one of the most ford albums in history, “Back in Black” (to date) with Johnson with Johnson.
Like a Dickensian Andy Capp, Johnson is a super super rogue, a Blues Blues Blueman whose icing humor with a touch of scoundrel is not completely different from Scott's attitude, although the voices, inflection and presence of each man's scenario are clearly his. And loved as such.
The main singer of AC/DC Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young act in the Rose Bowl on April 18, 2025 in Pasadena, California.
(Eric Thayer/for times)
However, on February 28, 2016, in the middle of the Rock or Bust tour of AC/DC, the doctors told Johnson that if he did not stop performing immediately, he risked the total hearing loss. By May 17, 2016, the leader of Guns N 'Roses, Axl Rose, joined AC/DC as a filling vocalist for two dozen shows, a movement that surprised many and excited others. Apparently, nothing will stop the giant that is AC/DC. They are immediately a band of brothers, literally, founded by Angus and the late brother Malcolm Young, but also not. As the middle -aged concert cashier said: “Angus has to do with money and his brother [Malcom] Being the band's owner. “That said, they were the 10 of the fanaticth Show on several continents, although it avoided seeing the version of AC/DC in front of Rosa.
Johnson, his hearing problems managed, returned to the fold in 2019, and after the pandemic, playing live with AC/DC in October 2023. Curiously, one of the other bands that still fill stadiums is in fact weapons n 'Rosas. Even more exciting: Rose and guitarist Slash, Johnson and Young of American Rock, attended the Rose Bowl, his walk through the crowd promising thousands to gasp and shout the neck to see the duo.
But all eyes were on stage for the show of more than two hours. AC/DC has written Guar's songs about sexually transmitted diseases (“The Jack”); Great women (“whole Lotta Rosie”); Voraz meetings (“You shaken me all night”, “She has balls”); And, of course, hell (in abstract). All the songs are lush, and even with a new era of political correction, they are never offensive.
Despite any challenge of the health and wear of the members, AC/DC remains unstoppable and undeniable: the Young version of Chuck Berry's Duckwalk demonstrated its supernatural energy, as well as its expected and always long (10 minutes? 15?) Only during “Let Be Rock”.
Scott became infamous at least six songs on the set, including “Without City”, “Dirty Deeds Dured Dirt Cheap”, “Riff Raff”, “Let There Be Rock” and “Highway to Hell”, but they are a lot of part of the band of the band that matters not that Johnson has been singing more time than Scott. Another constant: the titles of songs of Ca/DC are often coexistence of beautiful mouts – “take a drink”, “Hells Bells”, “Rigid upper lip”, now so common in the vernacular language that AC/DC could have invented the phrases. At this point, who knows; Maybe they did.
A valid -level complaint in the band is also the secret (not so) for the strength of AC/DC and the continuous, deserved worldwide success: they make the same album each time. If you are not broken, do not fix it. And when things “break”, they get fixed quickly. Instead of the expected drummer Phil Rudd, completing the live alignment is drummer Matt Lay, with the band for two years; and the skilled bassist of the officer Chris Chaney by Jane's Addiction Infamy. He replaced Cliff Williams, who joined AC/DC in 1977. And there are two “young” on the guitar; Angus and his nephew, Stevie, 68, who replaced his uncle Malcolm in the band in 2014.
A multigenerational sea of fans with brilliant devil horns such as AC/DC works at the Rose Bowl on April 18, 2025 in Pasadena, California.
(Eric Thayer/for times)
So AC/DC will continue? Clearly, as long as they can. It is what they do. Will audiences, young and old fans continue to appear? They will do it. It is what they do. The world around 2025 could use two hours of a song that abuse the ears with 70,000 inhabitants of related ideas, celebrating the joys of the working class of Booze, Broads and Rock 'N' Roll. AC/DC is still the band to deliver that cheerful and bipartisan escapism. As Scott sang (and Johnson never has) in the Belter de Gaita “is a long way to the top (if you want rock 'n' roll)”, AC/DC really hit that upper part and remain installed there.
AC/DC made his audience a great service by having reckless enough as openers. Singer Taylor Momsen had a great presence on the mass stage, such as Cherie Currie of the 70s of The Runways, her perfect sensual voice, her dominant voice as genuine as her presence of positively magnetic scenario. Listened from a nearby seat: “I was completely impressed.”
Like AC/DC, the band is driven by the guitar and writes excellent songs, its approach to the perfect combination between accessible rock with the danger, volume and power of metal. It is a pity that AC/DC is so per book on stage, because a Momsen-Johnson duet would be a pairing for the ages.
