Not Sure Why This Isn't here....AC/DC Black Ice World Tour Review

[Macawmoses]

I posted this on the 8th Circuit, but for whatever reason not here. This is now an old review...but if you were interested in my concert going experience, AC/DC, or the tour itself, then read on. If not, intercourse  off :|

Just kidding, you should read too <3

Author's Note: This review details song selection and more from AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour. As such, if you are planning on attending a concert any time soon, this review in particular may not be for you. You have been warned.

Important Info:

Date: August 26th, 2009
Opening Act: The Answer
Venue: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Attendance: ~60,000
Number of Blinkey Angus Horns Sold: Tons

Being a huge AC/DC fan, I found Black Ice to be a tad of a disappointment. I gave it a 7/10, and while that may be a tad biased, I found little wrong with the album, but little particularly memorable. So, when I saw the band was headed to my back yard, at a steep $150, I was hesitant to head out. This brings up the question - did the band perform well, or did they disappoint, much like the namesake of the tour?

7:30 saw the dawn of the concert, and the near sunset. Fans poured in, completely adorned in AC/DC merchandise - t-shirts, horns, and more. The show started off with a couple of CH146 Griffon Helicopters flying lower over the crowd, almost immediately followed by three 431 Air Demo jets releasing streams of smoke for the crowd. Quite the start, as the noise was an interesting way to tell people to head to their seats - not that they would stay in them long.

A mere fifteen minutes later, the Irish rockers, The Answer, would kick off the "party". Their energy was quite impressive, actually, and their songs were relevant. If you haven't heard of them, they're sort of a modern, metal version of AC/DC, and they sounded great. My personal favorite from their set was a song called "Demon Eyes", and boy did it sound like something out of AC/DC's repertoire. The fantastic start abruptly ended as one of the two giant, inflatable Angus hats hit the ground, spraying the fans and road crew below.

Did I mention it was an outdoor concert? It was, and this first set was a pretty wet start. The Answer got soaked, as did many of the fans. Of course, that wouldn't dampen anyone's spirits. The show still ran on schedule, and AC/DC popped their heads out a mere ten minutes later then scheduled, obviously not wanting involved in the arduous process of cleaning the stage.

Unsurprisingly, the true show started with Rock N Roll Train - a cute video, followed by a massive train crashing through the stage, and the bands entrance. Oddly enough, it sounded far more impressive live then it did on album. Maybe that was because once the lights turned off, all you could see were about 30,000 blinking devil horns, or maybe because Brian actually sounded like he was on fire. Immediately following, we were treated with Ballbreaker (which had sound issues), and arguably the groups biggest hit, Back in Black.

In fact, the whole band really seemed fired up. Perhaps that is why the best song of the night was Thunderstruck, a fitting tune, and perhaps one that should have opened the night. They showcased their big screens with flashes of lightning, encouraging the crowd to sing along. Boy, did we ever. Drizzle came down, wrecking my 8th-Circuit notebook (I'm serious, yet again), but it all fit. The Jack, a tune that has an alternate version for live performances, was particularly stunning live. The simple verse was echoed all throughout the home of the Eskimos by fans and band, and we were awarded two stunning guitar solos...not to mention a strip tease by Angus, culminating in him mooning the crowd. Thankfully his AC/DC boxers, undoubtedly worth a fortune, held strong.

Unfortunately, by the time Dog Eat Dog came around, many a fan had been drenched, and lakes started forming all around the band, and fans. Some left - but mainly those that NEEDED to. Those with small children, sicknesses, and the like. Brian commented on it by saying "[Seeing you all out there] makes us feel proud", and "We must have mad someone in Canada off, as they're pissing on us."

The fans ate it up, admittedly, myself included. They knew they had us hooked - as the formula they have been flaunting for years was still a crowd pleaser, even down to Brian slow-trotting to the Hell's Bell to swing off of it. For whatever reason, the bulk of the fans staying fired AC/DC up even more - and all the songs, such as War Machine, TNT, and You Shook Me All Night Long, became twice as stellar as the previous ones.

On that note, the selection off of Black Ice surprised me - it included Rock N Roll Train, Big Jack, War Machine, and of course, the title track itself. Much like the aforementioned Train, all of the live versions sounded phenomenal compared to their album counterparts. Virtually all of the selections complemented one another, and did so on a level I've not seen at any concert (I've been to Warped Tour, Fleetwood Mac, Styx, Kenny Rogers, and more), and really showcased just how determined AC/DC was to please us - as did playing through the almost hail like conditions. However, it was sad to see that some former concert hits, primarily Money Talks, didn't make the cut. I would have loved to hear Who Made Who live, or even the Black Ice track Wheels. I was a litle disappointed, by the live rendition of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap made up for it.

Hell, the props were a highlight in their own right. The train smoked and steamed the entire night, the bell looked as daunting as ever, and Rosie herself made an appearance in blow up form. This, coupled with fantastic pyro truly made the show more entertaining then I had hoped. Even the videos - which ranged from a jet dropping the bell on a ship, to snapshots of female fans in The Jack, were truly magnificent.

By the end of the night, both the crowd, unmoved by the storm, and the Rock Gods were drenched. But both seemed quite content with one another. Fan wise, they had been given the show of a lifetime, complete with matching weather (the lightning bolts seemed to time themselves perfectly). Band wise, you could tell they were pleased with appeasing so many people. "This is fun" was spoken aloud by Brian, right before You Shook Me All Night Long. But, the end of the night would be highlighted with Let there be Rock, known for the flashy effects, brilliant solos, and an Angus going high into the sky to drop down and spin around whilst playing. He didn't get too high, likely out of fear of being thunderstruck himself, but the novelty of it was there. Then, we said goodnight.

But wait - after the whole stadium uniting together to rock out and party, surely an encore would be deserved, right? You bet. Highway to Hell jolted out within a mere minute, keeping the unmovable object that was the fanbase stone solid, and lighting them up like no song prior had. More energy yet. Finally, "For those About to Rock" bellowed out, complete with a 21 Gun Salute and some impressive fireworks. A perfect end to a darn good concert.

While the decisions of the band didn't always make sense, like playing Ballbreaker, or not shuffling Thunderstruck to start the set, the concert was still the best I've seen. Grading it, though, seemed to be an impossibility. However, I didn't find it that hard in retrospect. After all, keeping 50,000 fans in their seat (well, standing) through hard rain, gail winds, and the promise of lightning, is quite the feat, and one AC/DC did in stride. I may be a fan, but I admit their flaws...but on this night, I can't imagine how I could ever dock them. We, the fans, witnessed brilliant prop use, great song selection, and an undying band. Literally, this was the perfect rock concert. Let there be rock.

10/10

tl;dr:
Best. Concert. Ever.