Welcome aboard. In the event of us crashing into a mountain, there's a life jacket under your seat. Put it on, come back to life.*
For those about to rock...
Let's start with AC/DC. A week ago Angus and I stood in the rain at the MCG with 80,000 of our closest friends to see one of the greatest bands of all time. I've explained before how much AC/DC means to me. One listen to two tracks, TNT and Back In Black, as a teenager made me an instant fan. We have DJ Dave Dubya to thank for that and it's a debt that can never be repaid. At this gig I was unsure what to expect. Malcolm Young passed away a while ago now, Cliff Williams (bass) isn't touring with the band, and neither is Phil Rudd or Chris Slade (both drums). Then of course there are the well publicised issues that Brian has had with his hearing and therefore ability to sing. He's also almost 80. As a result of the rain, we got there in time to see the last three songs from Amyl and The Sniffers. They were doing a great job in front of an enthusiastic crowd but were suffering from a muffled mix. Put them on your list to see at a headlining gig because I certainly will be. AC/DC started on time at 2030hrs. The setlist was well known and has had only one change for the Australian tour so far with the inclusion of Jailbreak. This is fair enough as it was released here in 1976 as a single (going to number 10), and is the final track on the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap album. Jailbreak wasn't released internationally until 1984 on the '74 Jailbreak EP. Let's get my minor gripes out of the way first. Stevie Young (rhythm guitar) has a tone that is way too clean. Yes, Malcolm played a relatively clean tone but there was always more drive than that. The intro to the first song, If You Want Blood (You've Got It), sounded thin. At times, Angus sounded like he was playing fencing wire through a cheese grater rather than his classic Gibson SG. That's when the sound team remembered to boost his volume for his solos. A number of times they forgot until about half way through. I reckon most of the crowd could've ridden that fader on the soundboard better than we experienced. Brian's voice; yep it's almost dead and buried. It was, admittedly, a lot better than our 2015 experience but clearly he's at his absolute limit despite the fact they've dropped the tuning a bit to help him out. Everyone knows all the words anyway and just seeing him having the time of his life was awesome. What was good? Pretty much everything else. The rhythm section of Stevie, Chris (bass) and Matt (drums) were absolutely rock solid and, given a few of the timing issues that Angus and Brian had, this was a good thing. Seriously though, they were magnificent. Angus Young, at 70 years young, ran around in the rain and still played like a madman. The crowd was more diverse than a diverse thing. Old folks, teenagers, little kids on their parent's shoulders, and everyone in between just rocking out. A big up yours to all the smokers though; bastards. For me, the best song moments were at the start of Whole Lotta Rosie when everyone chants, "Angus", and one of their most recent songs, Shot In The Dark. Given that a few weeks ago I had serious doubts that I would be able to even get to the gig, I had a great time. Nothing beats the best band in the world, in your home state, in a massive stadium, rocking out with your son.
AC/DC - For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) live - https://youtu.be/RtMGoU9NcMo
Six year search concludes...
I listen to a lot of music at home. You may have guessed. CDs, records, cassettes, the radio, and streaming. So I want it to sound good. Headphones are OK, some Bluetooth speakers don't do a bad job either. But nothing beats a decent stereo system. In days long gone now, having a decent hi-fi system was a source of pride and admiration. I knew which of my friends had parents with a decent setup, and which of them were lucky enough to have one themselves. It's out of fashion now with the advent of portable speakers and soundbars. In the mid 80s my parents bought a new stereo setup and the old one made its way into my bedroom. It was a fabulous experience and I held onto the system until the end of 2019. To be fair, at the end, the speakers were dead and the amp and turntable needed servicing but they still sounded great. And I gave it away. I gave a lot of stuff away at that time. I wasn't well and I realise that now. So, I've spent the last six or so years looking for a replacement for the lovely Sansui 771 receiver that had come into our family in about 1973. A couple of weeks ago one popped up locally. The guy selling it had a decent price on it and, after a chat, I found out that he has a passion for looking after old equipment. So I bought it. It wasn't cheap but it's amazing. The sound is warm, fat and like having a big hug. On a side note, I now have a nice mid 90s Yamaha receiver if anyone wants it! There's not room in my house for that much stereo gear!
Metallica - Seek and Destroy (live in Melbourne 2025) - https://youtu.be/XDXH2btvfV0
The end...
It's been an interesting couple of weeks. I got to hang out with my Dad, my son AND my brother. Despite a couple of mental and physical blips, I made it to and from Melbourne relatively unscathed. I've started in a new team at work and they are already amazing. The missing part of the puzzle is getting back on my bike and I'm hoping to start after my review with the chiropractor this coming week. To be honest, it's worrying me a lot. Not riding has left a huge hole in my life especially in terms of social connection.
Happy birthday to my Dad for yesterday. Here's a track for him.
Battlefield Band - The Rovin' Dies Hard - https://youtu.be/SL3Aj3ySr9c
Don't give up,
The Woozle
"When the war gets here
We're all gonna hold handsAll the Baptists and the Catholics
All the Marxists and the Fascists..."
Jesse Welles, Red, 2025
* thanks to Billy Connolly for that line.
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