I am a die-hard AC/DC fan. I have been since I was a kid. The first album I listened to of theirs was Back in Black from 1980. I immediately fell in love with Brian Johnson’s voice, Angus’s ripping guitar solos, and the steady, powerful rhythm section comprised of Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd. Since then, AC/DC has been my favorite band.
I’ve seen AC/DC three times since 2008’s Black Ice tour. I obtained a whole new admiration for the band when I saw them live. They put on the greatest show I had ever experienced. The second time I saw them was during their first wave of the North American Rock or Bust Tour at MetLife Stadium in Northern New Jersey. Again. They put on an absolutely phenomenal show. That time, I had seen them after going to see other famous bands such as The Who, Motörhead, Aerosmith, and so many more. Even then, after the other experiences I’ve had, AC/DC put on the greatest show I had the pleasure of experiencing. The third time I went to see them was recent, about a month ago to be exact. This time, Brian was not on stage because of his hearing issues, so Axle Rose took over on the vocals. I had originally been skeptical, but had heard good reviews about Axle’s performance with the legendary band.
When I first heard that Axle Rose was filling in the vocals for Brian Johnson, I was very skeptical. Previously, I thought that Axle was cocky and Arrogant, and that he would clash with Ac/DC who was more of an organized effort. However, as time went on in the tour, I heard more and more good things about “Axle/DC”.
Finally, the time for the concert had come. I went with my favorite concert buddy, my mom. And before you think, “Wow he’s a mama’s boy”, not necessarily. My mom is the one who got me into AC/DC. Just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover. Anyway, we went to the concert, and of course, I was ecstatic. I was seeing my favorite band for the third, and possibly final time! Most people only get to see them once, or not at all. I definitely consider myself lucky in that respect. We sat down and the opening video had begun. It was the same one I had seen at MetLife Stadium, but I still enjoyed it. Once the video ended, they entered the stage. Angus’s guitar struck through the roaring crowd like a sharp knife through a steak. Then, Axl entered. He sounded fantastic. I was not just pleasantly surprised, but very excited that he fit in so well. In fact, he sounded closer to the Bon Scott era of AC/DC than Brian Johnson, which was a one of a kind experience. Ale fit well with AC/DC. He did what was asked of him, but didn’t take too much attention away from Angus. Needless to say, Axle got my seal of approval for AC/DC. His take on the classic songs were a nice change of pace, especially for someone who had only seen the Brian Johnson era. This was the closest I would get to the Bon Scott feel. All in all, I’m glad they picked Axle. Although, I do hope Brian recovers. He has the one of a kind voice that can’t be replaced with Back in Black, For Those About to Rock, and of course, Rock or Bust.
Thank you Axle for letting AC/DC finish the tour, and thank you AC/DC for all of you heart racing, adrenaline pumping music that has been my favorite for years.
