AC/DC , SECC, Glasgow Sat 2nd December
Review by Glenn Robertson.

Well I travelled down to Glasgow and met up with a fellow rocker Diane from Dyce. Prior to entering the hall , I finally met up with Nikki Goff and Suzy Cue from Electric outlaws fame. After years of receiving Nikki's great AC/DC fanzine it was good to meet the author.

After the mandatory purchase of the program and T-shirts. (Programmes £10 , T-shirts ranged from £18) Diane and myself headed into the hall. Diane was lucky enough to get a prime viewing spot at the front , while I mingled with the crowd. The support band Backyard babies came on and did they set to a half-filled crowd, who were keeping with the old Scottish traditional of getting half-drunk in the bar.

The place was already electric, in anticipation of the appearance of the greatest rock band of time hitting the stage. It had been a long 4 year in coming since the Ballbreaker tour hit Glasgow and Aberdeen in 1996, but at long last the boys were back in town.

Back in the city where they where born, AC/DC took Glasgow by storm.
From the opening chords of You shook me all night long the place erupted with ecstatic fans chanting the songs word for word. Stiff upper lip the second number was introduced by the introduction of a giantic statue of Angus.

The video footage that was shown during Hard as a rock was hilarious, you just gotta laugh when greeted by the sight of tortoises , baboons , antelopes shagging and the humours cheesy postcard like cartoons were amazing.

The standards kept coming track after track relentless in their attack. Frontman Brian Johnson seemed really pumped up for the gig prowling around the stage and the catwalk belting out the words. Angus , will can you say , the man is a legend, The guitar god still churns out the riffs with ease , but the amount of Chuck Berry style duckwalks he performs has reduced through the years. Mal and Cliff still hammer out the riffs in robotic style unrelentling. Phil pounds the skins like a maniac and still manages to puff on a ciggie as he does it.

To my surprise Safe in New York City even sounded great done live , normally not my favourite track from Stiff Upper Lip. Bad boy boogie saw the famous Angus striptease with Angus paying homage to the city and the country he was born by revealing a striking pair of boxer shorts with the Scottish flag on them.

The place was already on fire when Brian Johnson invited everyone to rock by performing the track Get it Hot from the highway to Hell album. It was great to hear a track that is not always one of the normal tour favourites.

All the classics were performed , Hells Bell saw Brian swinging like tarzan from the bell , The Jack sounded amazing as the Glasgow crowd sang their heads off, Whole lotta Rosie was introduced by the appearance of giant inflatable woman that jived to the sound of Angus's wailing guitar. Back in Black was the perfect tribute to the Late Bon Scott with only the album cover being shown on the video screens through out.

Everyone was going down all the way when the stage was alight with flames flying out of the stage and the rigging during Highway to Hell. Hell's own little devil child Angus donned the horns and strutted his stuff.

Bonny an adaptation of a traditional scottish folk song was played as an introduction to TNT during the encore. The boys were home in Scotland and we all saluted them by chanting out the words. Brian , who had been absolutely amazing all night heralded the end of the show with sheirk of Fire as the cannons blasted during For those about to rock.

AC/DC we salute you , Haste ye back tae Bonnie Scotland.

The concert ended with the final blast from the cannons and the confetti like yellow and gold paper falling from trhe roof in a moneytalks fashion. Sweat dripping from the relentless 2 hour marathon of doing the Angus cha cha all night it was a final check of the merchandise stalls before arranging taxis and transport home.

p.s Thanks to Diane for the great time at the gig. Can't wait to see the pictures. Ride on.

Review by Glenn Robertson c/o www.crabsodyinblue.com

Pictures of Glasgow concert

Glasgow Herald Newspaper Review

Daily Record Newspaper Review

Scotland on Sunday Newspaper Review

Sunday Herald Newspaper Review

More reviews

Advert for the Glasgow Concert

Stiff Upper Lip Tour Special