Australian rock legends AC/DC return to London for the first of two sold-out gigs as the PWR/UP tour hits the capital’s Wembley Stadium. The band’s line-up has had many changes over the years, with this tour seeing the welcome return of County Durham-hailing Brian Johnson on vocals, who has recovered from the hearing problems that saw him replaced by Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose on their last tour. The iconic and only remaining founding member Angus Young is on guitar, with Stevie Young – nephew of Angus and AC/DC’s late rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar duties, Chris Chaney taking up bass and Matt Laug on drums making up the rest of the band.
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AC/DC @ Wembley Stadium (Kalpesh Patel)
After an incredible fifty-year career, the AC/DC brand is as strong as ever. Literally everyone is wearing some form of band attire, and the queues for tour merch – including flashing horns at £20 a pop – on Wembley Way are around the length of the football pitch inside the stadium.
Huge cheers greet the band as they arrive on stage. Brian Johnson in his traditional flat cap, and Angus Young in his trademark schoolboy style outfit and the quickly launch into If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It). Johnson rarely interacts with the crowd in between songs, perhaps choosing to rest as much as possible these days, but says “let’s pick up where we left off, have some fun, and play some rock ‘n’ roll” before the familiar riff of Back In Black kicks in.
This is mainly a Greatest Hits set, with Demon Fire and Shot In The Dark the only tracks from 2020’s Power Up that get an airing. They fit in well, but it’s the classics that everyone is here for, and this incredible setlist is certainly crowd pleasing. Loud chants of “Thunder!” can only mean one thing as the epic intro to electrifying classic Thunderstruck wobbles the famous Wembley Arch.
AC/DC @ Wembley Stadium
The stage production feels a little toned down compared to previous tours, but the lowering of a giant AC/DC branded bell proceeds Hells Bells. The pace of the show doesn’t really change. These are just timeless rock anthems that have inspired countless bands and given many of us sore necks as we can’t help but headbang along whenever we hear them, whether that be in a dirty, dingy rock bar or live in person in the glorious surroundings of Wembley Stadium. Shoot To Thrill, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and You Shook Me All Night Long are a joy to hear live.
The loudest reaction is reserved for Highway To Hell, as the delirious 70,000 in attendance bellow out the chorus at the top of their lungs as flames engulf the stage. A near twenty minute version of Let There Be Rock, with the energetic as-ever Angus Young giving the rest of the band a breather as he performs solo after solo brings the main set to a close. They return for an encore of T.N.T. and For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) before an impressive firework display signals the end of this explosive night.
AC/DC prove that age is just a number, delivering a thrilling performance befitting of their status as one the greatest bands of all time.
Review of AC/DC at Wembley Stadium on 3rd July 2024 by Will Maxwell. Photography by Kalpesh Patel.
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