ACDC Tickets

Biography

Formed in Sydney in 1973, AC/DC are undisputed hard rock legends. Brothers Malcolm and Angus Young decided on the name ‘AC/DC’ after seeing the term on the back of their elder sister’s sewing machine and agreed it perfectly represented the raw energy they were looking for with their fledgling band.

After initial false starts and replaced band members, the band’s line up was established with the additions of vocalist Bon Stott, bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd after the Australia-only release of debut album High Voltage . By this stage guitarist Angus Young had also begun to wear his now legendary school uniform to perform on stage. This newly established line up went on to record the band’s second album T.N.T which featured early hit singles ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n’ Roll)’ and ‘High Voltage’.

After signing to Atlantic Records in 1976 and touring Europe, the label’s subsequent release of a compilation of tracks from High Voltage and T.N.T went on to sell over three million copies. The same year the band released Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, followed the next year by Let There Be Rock. Following the recording of the album, bassist Mark Evens was sacked, reportedly due to personal differences with guitarist Angus Young. Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams who made his debut on 1978’a Powerage and saw the band head in a harder direction.

In 1979 the band released their sixth album, bonafide classic Highway To Hell and cemented the band’s trademark sound – pounding drums, a signature guitar sound and high pitched vocals. On 19 February 1980, the band’s future looked unclear after the tragic death of singer Bon Scott who died of acute alcohol poisoning while the band while in London.

After briefly considering disbanding, the remaining members of AC/DC decided to continue as it would have been the wishes of their late frontman. After auditioning several prospective vocalists, ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was chosen to join the band. Johnson and the band completed the songs started with Scott that would become the classic Back In Black featuring such classic favourites as the title track and ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’. The album went on to sell 22 million copies in the U.S alone.

1981’s For Those About To Rock We Salute You was a critically acclaimed follow up, with the track ‘For Those About To Rock’ become a staple of the band’s live shows. During this period, drummer Phil Rudd was fired from the band with the sticksman’s reported drink and drug abuse causing huge tensions between him and Angus Young.

After a lengthy period of relative commercial decline, 1995’s Ballbreaker, produced by Rick Rubin, saw the band reunite with Rudd and 2000’s Stiff Upper Lip confirmed AC/DC’s return to the fore. The successive years included extensive touring including a historic show with The Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rock s for Toronto – which saw the band’s performing before an audience of half a million and holds the record for the highest paid music event in North American history.

On 18 October (Australia) and 20 October (worldwide) the band’s sixteenth studio album Black Ice was released. The subsequent 18 month ‘Black Ice World Tour’ saw extensive dates across North America with European dates coming in summer of 2009.