That’s the Way I Wanna Rock and Roll!

It's the morning after the night before and as the dust settles on what was a fantastic night of Rock and Roll, I am left to ponder what I witnessed and to try and put the whole experience into a few, shamefully inappropriate words.

But sure, what the hell, I'll give it a go anyway....

First up – the complaints.

No 'Problem Child' and no 'It's a Long Way to the Top (If you wanna Rock & Roll)'. Seriously guys? I was convinced that at least the latter would make an appearance during the encore but it was not to be. Still, I tried to get a few people singing it on the way to our buses back to Brisbane, so that would have to make do.

OK, that's quite enough of all that whingeing, whining and complaining. Let's get onto the rest of the night!

The venue itself, QSAC, is worth mentioning. The acronym stands for Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre and was used for the 1982 Commonwealth Games. The original roofed stadium was intended to be the only permanent seating facility. The remainder of the stadium seating was built as "temporary" seating and was intended to be removed after the Commonwealth Games had finished but public opinion persuaded them to keep the stands.

As we made our way into the stadium through these massive temporary stands the sight that greeted us was incredible, with it looking like every other person had purchased Angus Young flashing devil's horns and were proudly wearing them everywhere we looked. The sea of flashing red horns was a beautiful thing to behold.

Having been to the same venue a while back to watch Ben Harper and Pearl Jam, it was with a little trepidation that we returned, having been none to impressed by the sound quality, the queues for the toilets and the extremely long queues for alcohol (mid-strength as always at concerts Down Under) but I am pleased to report that they had managed to get their act together this time around and everything was very accessible, even though there was probably an extra 15,000 at last night's gig.

Wolfmother were a very good support act and it was a shame that they only played for 45 minutes if only to marvel at the Sideshow Bob lookalike, Chris Ross, do his thing on keyboards. I'm not sure if he was playing it or dry humping it. Very entertaining.

Now Wolfmother are a big enough and well established band, especially here in Australia, so playing to such a big crowd on such a large stage probably was something that they were more than prepared for, so I think it is only fair at this point that I tip my hat in the direction of a young band of fellow Northern Irish men called The Answer who warmed up for AC/DC in 100+ stadium shows across the whole of North America – and this on the strength of their debut album. Fair play to youse lads and all the best of luck for the future!

Once Wolfmother departed, you could sense the anticipation levels rising, the air thick with excitement as the crowd got ready for the Main Event. Incidentally, I have never seen so many roadies descend upon a stage in preparation for a band coming on to perform.

This was going to be BIG.

I had deliberately stayed away from any reports of the show because I wanted everything to unfold before my very eyes, to drink in every last drop of it. We also had pretty good position standing about 20 metres back from the stage and to the right.

As Krissy and I stood there drinking our mid-strength rum and coke, I spied a long walkway stretching out from the middle of the stage to about 70 metres into the crowd. At the end, there seemed to be a small stage with lights and some equipment and we made the decision to get as close to that as we could.

Having been to watch the Foo Fighters last year and disappointed that we were unable to get tickets for the front section; we were thoroughly overjoyed when, during the show, a small stage came down from the ceiling close to where we were standing and the band played a 25 minute acoustic set from there, right on front of us.

Standing next to this and facing the main stage from a more central viewpoint, we were able to see the massive stage in all its glory, complete with two huge pairs of inflatable Angus horns sitting proudly on top of monumentally large walls of speakers at each side of the stage.

The stage was set, as it were.

Not long after that, the lights dimmed, the crowd went wild and AC/DC came on to explosions and fireworks as they burst into the song Runaway Train, taken from their recent album Black Ice. And blow me down with a feather, if the background of the stage didn't open up and a life size steam locomotive replica came bursting through as the band got ripped into their first song of the night.

All around us people – a lot of whom were really old enough to know better – started going ballistic, punching the air and jumping up and down like complete and utter loons. Needless to say, Krissy and I fitted in quite well.

This wasn't going to be big. This was going to be MASSIVE.

Rocking song after rocking song was belted out by the band with classics such as Back in Black, Hells Bells, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Shook me All Night Long all raining down on our more than willing ears as we, the audience, lapped it up.

Ah yes – the rain.

With the Brisbane sky overcast for much of the day (it does happen sometimes) in the lead up to the event and the promise of a shower or two in the evening, we were wondering if the rain would make an appearance. And when it finally rains in Brisbane, it really rains.

However, the skies opened up halfway through the show for one song and for one song only and served as a great way for the sweaty masses to cool down a little from their exertions. And then as soon as it had come, it left us alone again for the rest of the evening.

The song?

None other than Thunderstruck.

It was almost as if it was planned by the band - or perhaps a darker force was at play here?

Angus Young and Brian Johnson, aged 54 and 62 respectively were having a great time up on stage, running all over the place like men more than half their junior, playing to the crowd who were enjoying every minute of it. The energy being given off by the band was being fed back to them and multiplied by then some. It was a symbiotic relationship and one that gave us all what we needed to survive the two hours of mayhem.

When the band played A whole lotta Rosie, a massive inflatable Rosie appeared riding on top of the aforementioned locomotive. You certainly could say she had it all.

During the band's rendition of The Jack, Angus Young
turned his attention to performing an awkward and comical striptease that ended with him stripping down to an AC/DC-branded pair of boxer shorts. Where do I get my hands on those bad boys, I wondered? Actually merchandise stalls were everywhere and had I been so inclined, I'm sure I could have found a pair. There was AC/DC everything for sale.

He spent the rest of the gig with no shirt on - which was just as well considering how much sweat he was producing during his high-intensity performance. The sweat was lashing off him at a rate that had you thinking the aul' fella's heart would surely give in at any moment.

He later transformed the stage into the scene of a one-man jam session, when he spent a good ten minutes roaming around the performance space, runway and elevated platforms while kicking out a series of seriously impressive guitar solos to the audience's delight. Especially us, stood less than 10 metres from him at the end of the runway. So close were we that this photo was taken on my phone:

The crowd also got a taste of Black Ice, War Machine, High Voltage, and TNT during the dynamite gig.

When the band returned for an encore performance, the two large devil horn structures perched high above the stage became highly relevant as the musicians launched into one of their best and most familiar tracks: Highway to Hell.

The show ended with a bang. Well, several bangs actually. As AC/DC played For Those About To Rock (We Salute You), several cannons were pointed and "fired" towards the audience before a mini-fireworks display rounded out two hours of pure rock splendour.

Leading up to the event, I was a little concerned that I was getting way to excited about the prospect of watching these legends in the flesh. Surely when you build something up in your head as much as I had, I was setting myself up for disappointment and regret?

However, I am happy to report that this was – without doubt – the greatest concert that I have ever had the fortune to experience. A few years back I was lucky enough to see The Pogues perform a Christmas gig at the Brixton Academy in London and ever since, it has always been the benchmark for me and my concert experiences.

Sorry Shane, but Angus, Brian and the boys have knocked you off your perch and for this AC/DC, I salute you!

This blog was brought to you from my verandah with a few Peter Stuyvesants, a couple of glasses of ice-cooled water in the beautiful Brisbane sunshine and with the warm afterglow of a man who has realised a 25-year dream.

For those about to Rock......We Salute You!

Well Dear Reader, once again it has been an absolute eternity since I added anything to this corner of the internet.

Call it writer's block, a hectic lifestyle, a fear of the blank screen, a lack of motivation or a complete inability to get off my fat arse and write anything of note, or anything for that matter.

To be honest it was probably due to a combination of all of the above.

Anyway, here I am and I am ready to go. It's nice to be back and I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts as much as I do spilling them out onto the internet for all sorts of weirdos to peruse at their leisure when they're finally done surfing 'special interest' sites.

So, as I sit here on the balcony of our wee apartment, flexing my fingers, cold beer by my laptop and a full pack of cigarettes just asking to be consumed and with the music playing in the background, I'm finally ready if you are?

But first a sip of beer.

And maybe I'll spark up a ciggy too.

That's better!

So what is it that has me back on the internet frantically typing at my keyboard lest I forget any of the sentences before I get them out onto the screen?

Tonight my friends, in less than 6 hours I will be privy to something very special.

Very special indeed.

Tonight, I will be witness to something that I never thought I would get a chance to enjoy in my life. Something that I thought I had passed up the perfect opportunity to indulge in, back when I was studying in Belfast, some 18 years ago.

But patience is a great virtue and fast forward 18 years (and my, how that time has flown!) on a journey that has taken me to the other side of the planet; I now have a chance to make amends on something that I have regretted for much of my adult life.

For tonight, Dear Reader, I am joining 50,000 other like-minded people to watch that greatest of rock and roll bands, AC/DC, perform at the QSAC sports stadium on the outskirts of Brisbane.

To say that I am excited would be an understatement of the highest order. Christ, I'm getting nervous just thinking about it. Yes, the 'Rock and Roll Train' that are AC/DC will be playing, tonight, in my adopted home town. Yes, it's a Thursday evening and I've got work tomorrow – but to hell with all that, for tonight I will be living and breathing all things AC/DC.

I am one of those 'about to rock' and yes boys 'you can salute me' all you like for I know I will be returning my own salute of sorts, arms raised against the balmy evening sky as I head-bang to some of the greatest guitar riffs ever dreamed of by mankind and I cannot wait for you to 'shake me all night long'.

Now I understand that some of you out there think that this kind of music is an awful assault on the eardrums but I am here to tell you that 'Rock and Roll ain't noise pollution' and I can safely say that 'There's gonna be some rocking' tonight.

But it wasn't always like this for your humble scribe.

Oh no – AC/DC and I have been on a long journey together and it's hard to believe that back when I was a not-so-troublesome teen that there was actually a stage in my life that, unbelievably, I didn't even like rock and roll.

So what was my seminal moment?

How did I change from being a spotty teenager going to my first ever concert to sing along with that Norwegian pop act, Aha, (oh the shame of it) to a spotty man in his 30's freaking out because he is finally getting to realise his dream of seeing AC/DC live?

Indulge me in a little walk down memory lane if you would please. It won't take long.

The school summer holidays in my home town of Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, were a frustrating time for a pre-pubescent boy. Yes, we had nine long, glorious weeks off from school and yes, it didn't get dark until after ten in the evening (a fact that is hard to believe, now that I am living in a country where it doesn't stay light much after seven, even at the height of summer.)

The thing was though – there wasn't much for us to do to entertain ourselves back in those days. The fancy leisure centre that now sits at the foot of the town was only a town planner's wet dream at that stage.

Although the new leisure centre must have been gratefully received by Ballyclare's previous leisure centre – the sheep tied to the lamp post at the Town Hall....

Auch – I know it's an old joke but we're indulging here!

The two tennis courts in town saw a helluva lot of action in the weeks before, during and after Wimbledon but 2 tennis courts and no booking systems meant for a frustrating day of waiting for all concerned in my hometown. For that reason alone, I can safely say that we're going to have to wait a while before a Ballyclarian graces the Centre Court.

But I digress.

The other thing that we all did as boys running about with long days to fill and way too much energy to burn was play football. And lots of it. We were always playing football. We would get up early in the morning (not surprisingly a lot earlier than if we were having to get up for school), make a picnic and then go down to the local park and kick ball.

All day long.

Every day of the week.

For hours on end we kicked a ball around, pausing only to eat our sandwiches and to lie in the grass telling silly stories, taking the mickey out of each other. They were great times indeed.

One day, however, the football picnic was rocked (quite literally) by a new addition to the experience. My best mate at the time, 'Browner,' had received a ghetto blaster for his birthday. It was a big behemoth of a beast that he would lug down to the park to play some tunes on as we played our football. No fancy IPods and docking stations back in those days.

On the first day, he brought two cassettes (Google it for those that are two young to remember) that his cousin had lent him. These were 'The Number of the Beast' by Iron Maiden and 'Back in Black' by AC/DC.

I can still remember to this day when I heard Back in Black's opening track 'Hells Bells' for the first time. The moody bell and then the haunting opening riff.....

I was hooked.

Completely.

To this day, this remains one of my favourite albums of all time. And I am not the only one who would seem to think like this. Back in Black went on to be the world's second-best selling album of all time, shipping no fewer than 45 million copies world-wide, a figure bettered only by Michael Jackson's 'Thriller.'

To say it had a profound effect on me is again an understatement that does not do justice to what happened. The rest of the summer was spent obtaining - by hook or by crook – everything that AC/DC and Iron Maiden had ever produced. Suddenly bands much heavier became 'must haves' in my small but burgeoning record collection.

Aha were confined to the annals of my own short history. So much so in fact, that the next concert I went to watch, just a few short months later were New York thrash metal band, Anthrax, at Bangor Leisure Centre. (Oh yes – la de da Bangor had a leisure centre.)

Incidentally, Saturday just passed, I got to see Anthrax again at a festival here in Brisbane. Strange how the world re-connects every now and then, isn't it?

Ever since that summer, I have been into rock and to be honest, I cannot see a time when the sight and sound of a rock band performing live on stage will not get my heart pumping and my blood racing. It is just One of Those Things.

So tonight, I am going to watch the daddy's of them all, AC/DC, playing to their 'home' crowd.

And therein lies a thing about this vast, great country that I now live in....

Australia unashamedly adopts anyone and everyone who Makes It and has anything to do with their country. What other country could seriously lay claim to a band formed by three young brothers from 12,000 miles away in Glasgow, Scotland and are now fronted by a Geordie from Gateshead in the north east of England?

Jimmy Barnes, Russel Crowe, Crowded House and don't even get me started on Northern Ireland born actor, Sam Neill.....they've all been claimed as home-grown Aussies.

In fact, the other evening, I saw a television interview with Colin Hay, the lead singer of Men at Work, (they of 'Do you come from a land Down Under' fame) and there he was 'Och Aye'ing' to his heart's content. The guy is from Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland for goodness sake!

But that's the thing about Oz. It is a complete melting pot of people from all walks of life and all nationalities all clubbing together to make this such a fantastic place to live. If only they could move it a bit close to Northern Ireland and then we'd all be a lot better off for it....

Rather fittingly, as I draw these musings to a close, 'For Those About to Rock....We Salute You,' has just come on the IPod and seeing as that's what I am about to do, I'll love you and leave you as I go to don my AC/DC 'Highway to Hell Tour' T-shirt circa 1979 and warm up my neck muscles for some serious head banging before I go to 'Beat Around the Bush' with AC/DC.

AC/DC – 'Have a Drink On Me'!!

This blog was brought to you by Pure Blonde Low Carbohydrate beer, a pack of Peter Stuyvesant Classics and of course the entire back catalogue of that finest vintage of rockers, AC/DC.