1991 was a hell of a year for AC/DC. They had just released their album “The Razors Edge” and with this album they proved a hell of a lot. They proved that they could still not only stick to their guns delivering the no frills hard rock that they did best, they also proved that they could still cut it and be modernly relevant. AC/DC wasn’t your ordinary classic nostalgic rock band. AC/DC was very much alive and will and showing the new dogs just how to play the game. I had been an AC/DC fan for a good while but for some reason never managed to catch them live. When this tour came to Atlanta my junior year of high school, I wasn’t about to let this one slide.
King’s X opened the show and I can remember totally rolling my eyes when I heard this. Seeing them live was another thing. These guys didn’t get nearly the respect they should’ve got but my buddy and I were blown away at how great they sounded. They were so loud and Doug Pinnick’s voice was ear shattering. We were loving every minute of it. Sitting through an opening act can be painful but we loved these guys. All I remember is that they closed with “Over My Head” and the next day we went out and bought their album “Gretchen Goes To Nebraska.” Mission accomplished on their part.
When AC/DC took the stage opening with “Thunderstruck”, the place went absolutely ape shit. The stage was ginormous and full of ramps, stairs and lights but the real show was Angus Young and Brian Johnson. Those guys are like the Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of hard rock. The show was like a huge ass greatest hits show covering all the bases. As a teenager, I remember feeling like I was seeing and hearing something really special when they dipped into the Bon Scot era doing songs like “Sin City”, “Jailbreak” and “High Voltage.” I always thought that Brian Johnson did the Bon Scott stuff with class all the while putting his own spin on things. Those classic songs mixed with later classics like “Back In Black”, “Shoot To Thrill” and “That’s The Way I Wanna Rock N’ Roll” made for one hell of a show. I totally remember that song after song was like getting slapped in the face. When they kicked into their big hit at the time “Money Talks”, these huge blowers blew AC/DC dollar bills everywhere. Alas, we were so high up they went over us and onto the lower levels.
While I remember the stage set and all being really huge, it’s the memory of the music that remains ingrained in my head. There is nothing that I can think of that sucks about an AC/DC show. They put out a live album from this tour called “AC/DC LIVE” and I still listen to it from start to finish to this day. AC/DC has had some pretty amazing tours since then but for some reason this tour will always remain a personal favorite. Maybe it’s because it was my first or maybe it was that the band just seemed to be firing on all cylinders. A great concert is a great memory that stays with you forever and this show is just that.
AC/DC Atlanta Setlist
Thunderstruck, Shoot to Thrill, Back in Black, Fire Your Guns, Sin City, Heatseeker, Who Made Who, Jailbreak, The Jack, The Razors Edge, That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll, Moneytalks, Hells Bells, High Voltage, Are You Ready, You Shook Me All Night Long, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Whole Lotta Rosie, Let There Be Rock
Encore:
Highway to Hell, T.N.T., For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
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