There are few rock bands on this planet that can command a packed stadium like AC/DC. On Sunday, the band played Princess Auto Stadium for their final Canadian date on the PWR/UP tour, and it was an unforgettable evening of pure rock and roll.
Warming up the crowd was The Pretty Reckless, a rock band from New York fronted by Taylor Momsen. For those who don’t know, Taylor was formerly an actress most famous for her role as Cindy Lou Who in Jim Carrey's "The Grinch," but that soft spoken child has grown up into a badass rock and roll woman. Their sound is a bit of a mixed bag, primarily hard rock with some grunge, blues, and country elements, with heavy riffs and gritty vocals. Taylor is a great frontwoman, delivering a solid performance while commanding the stage and hyping up the crowd. I really like her vocal style; it’s very husky with a touch of grunge, and she can absolutely belt it! I appreciated the shout out to the ladies as well, always fun. I’ve seen them three times now opening for AC/DC, and it would be cool to see them in the future in a more intimate setting.
THE PRETTY RECKLESS IS:
Taylor Momsen: vocals
Ben Phillips: guitar
Jamie Perkins: drums
Mark Damon: bass
SETLIST:
Death by Rock and Roll
Since You’re Gone
Follow Me Down
For I Am Death
When I Wake Up
Witches Burn Make
Me Wanna Die
Heaven Knows
Going to Hell
About You
Quick story time. I owe a lot to AC/DC. They’re the band that got me into music; I remember my mind being blown hearing "Dirty Deeds" for the first time at school when I was 10 years old, and shortly after, buying my first CD at a used book store, a copy of Live at Donington. When I became a concert photographer a few years ago, I never thought I’d get my camera in front of them, even though it was a dream. So getting the approval email on Saturday night after just arriving at a campsite in Ontario, I was in shock. From there, it was a wild 24-hour dash to get my ass to Winnipeg! But walking into that photo pit and standing there as the lights dimmed was totally worth it and an absolutely insane moment for me.
How do I even write a review about this show? As a longtime fan, it was fantastic from beginning to end. I could talk about it all day, but I’ll try to keep it brief and touch on the main points I enjoyed. But I urge any fan of rock and roll, or hell music in general, to experience AC/DC live if you have the chance.
The show started with a screen intro that they've been using for the whole tour, with some tweaks to display Winnipeg and the stadium name. Then AC/DC blasted onto the stage with the start of "If You Want Blood" followed by their massive hit, "Back in Black." At this point, I got chills. Brian Johnson and Angus Young both took turns rocking down the long catwalk going into the pit, interacting with the crowd, which was a sea of light-up devil horns. The catwalk is a brilliant touch, allowing them to get further into the pit, and they both took advantage of it all night. I have to say, Brian and Angus appeared to be having a fucking blast, loving every moment of it. Brian especially was very interactive and had so much energy, it was infectious.
Next up on the setlist was "Thunderstruck" which sent a massive roar through the stadium as soon as that iconic riff kicked in. "Hells Bells" featured the classic AC/DC branded bell lowering from the top of the stage. "Highway to Hell," a favourite of mine, had a wickedly evil laugh by Brian that I absolutely loved, Angus running across the entire length of the stage with his guitar, and of course, fire! One of my favourite little moments about Angus, is how he ends every single song with a small jump at the end.
"Sin City" had a couple of fun key Angus moments, from him rocking the solo using his tie to contributing a bit of backup vocals with two simple lines of "and snakes/snakes take" which was delightful. Some songs just hit extra hard live and "Jailbreak" was one of them, I've now had it stuck in my head all week (no complaints). From there, it was into the song that started it all for me, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," with the stage turning a very cool green colour. The low "dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap" line gave me chills once again.
The energy remained high through "High Voltage" but the crowd completely exploded with the start of "You Shook Me All Night Long," the entire stadium singing along at full volume.
To close out the main set was "Let There Be Rock," which was all about the guitar mastery of Angus Young. The legend ripped through a solo for a solid 19 minutes (a reviewer next to me timed it), rocking down the catwalk, onto a platform that elevated into the air, playing away on his Gibson while confetti rained down on the crowd. A magical moment.
After this, the band exited, there was a brief moment of darkness with the AC/DC logo across the screens, and the band returned for their short but sweet encore. "T.N.T.," another favourite, had the stadium echoing with the crowd loudly chanting "Oi! Oi! Oi!" The night then sadly came to an end in the traditional AC/DC way with "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)," featuring a row of cannons repeatedly blasting to calls of "FIRE!" from both Brian and the crowd. As the final notes rang out, fireworks lit up the sky over the stage, a perfect ending to a fantastic show.
Leaving the stadium with a massive smile, I was reminded once again why this band means so much to me and so many other fans. Decades into their career, AC/DC still delivers a powerful, high energy live show. They are clearly still doing it out of love, and the fans return that love back. If you get the chance to see them, do it.
For those about to rock, we salute you!
AC/DC IS:
Angus Young: guitar
Brian Johnson: vocals
Stevie Young: rhythm guitar
Chris Chaney: bass
Matt Laug: drums
SETLIST:
If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)
Back in Black
Demon Fire
Shot Down in Flames
Thunderstruck
Have a Drink on Me
Hells Bells
Shot in the Dark
Stiff Upper Lip
Highway to Hell
Shoot to Thrill
Sin City
Jailbreak
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
High Voltage
Riff Raff
You Shook Me All Night Long
Whole Lotta Rosie
Let There Be Rock (epic solo time!)
ENCORE:
T.N.T
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
AC/DC | Photos: Rae Chatten @raerocknroam
