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Hazardous air quality and 80-degree heat could not keep AC/DC fans away from Camp Randall Stadium on Sunday night. Hours before the show, Regent Street became a sea of black T-shirts as thousands gathered for the band’s first Madison show in 25 years.
The Aussie rock legends returned — albeit a bit grayer — with a crowd-pleasing, two-hour-plus set featuring 21 songs and nearly every hit fans came to hear. Led by co-founding guitarist Angus Young and longtime vocalist Brian Johnson, alongside rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Matt Laug, the band showed it could still command a stadium more than 50 years into its career.
The Camp Randall show was part of the North American leg of AC/DC’s “Power Up” tour, named after the band’s 2020 album. With the band promoting the run as a chance to “Power Up for the Last Time,” many fans viewed Sunday’s concert as a rare opportunity to see the rock icons in Madison again, perhaps for the final time.
Madison resident Brad Jelinek remembers AC/DC’s last Madison performance “going hard” at the Kohl Center in 2001. This summer’s show was an opportunity to relive that experience before the band hangs it up.
“I can’t believe they’re still at it,” Jelinek said. “It feels like this is kind of a send-off.”
AC/DC opened their set at Camp Randall with “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It).”
Despite the 25-year gap, AC/DC hits like “Back In Black” and “Thunderstruck” have become fixtures at Camp Randall, echoing through the stadium as rallying cries for Badger fans on game days. AC/DC’s catalog is full of these ubiquitous, arena-ready rock anthems, built on Young’s thunderous riffs and Johnson’s singalong choruses, making the band’s music as perfect for a live setting as it is for radio and gameday affairs.
Devil horns were prominent during AC/DC’s set at Camp Randall on July 19. Many fans wore light up devil horn headbands and fans made the symbol for devil honrs with their hands as they rocked out.
It’s an enduring quality of the band’s biggest songs that anyone can point to: even if you’re not so familiar with the band, you’ve most likely heard the songs, somewhere, and you can probably sing along.
Before the show, one song kept coming up when fans were asked what they were most excited to hear: “Highway to Hell.” For concertgoers Anthony Feller and Mara Matovich, the chance to see a song they’ve been familiar with for years in a stadium of fans was part of the appeal.
“I think everyone knows the songs, but it’s a whole other experience to see them live,” Matovich said.
Brian Johnson has been the lead singer for AC/DC since 1980. He took over the role after Bon Scott died that same year.
The band wasted no time establishing the tone for the night, breaking into opener “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got it)” and “Back In Black” with the energy of a group far younger. Dressed in his trademark schoolboy uniform (shorts and knee socks) Young sprinted across the stage while Johnson stalked the catwalk, feeding off the crowd’s enthusiasm.
The night hit another gear when Young’s unmistakable “Thunderstruck” riff echoed through Camp Randall five songs into the set. The latter portion of the show belonged to Young, who did his signature duck walk — low squat, guitar forward, as he charged across the stage on one foot — all while ripping into guitar solos that showcased the guitarist’s enduring showmanship.
Angus Young points to the sky at the end of a song as the crowd cheers during AC/DC’s stop at Camp Randall as part of their Power Up Tour.
He took to the elevated catwalk platform for “Let There Be Rock,” where he got cheeky, even using his tie to shred on his guitar chords at one point. While the extensive solo on “Let There Be Rock” tested the patience of some concertgoers, with a few fans beginning to file out before the encore, the band quickly regained momentum.
AC/DC returned to close with “T.N.T.” before ending the night fittingly with “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You),” complete with a fireworks show and cannon fire. Even after more than two hours on stage, the band showed no signs of slowing down, a testament to the stamina they bring to these performances.
Maybe Sunday’s show was the last time AC/DC will play in Madison. If so, Johnson made sure the show ended on a fitting send-off in his final message to the Madison fans.
“Thank you!” he shouted. “We salute you, Madison.”
Brian Johnson sings to the crowd during the opening number for AC/DC at Camp Randall.
At 71, Angus Young is the sole continuous member of AC/DC. He was one of the band’s founders back in 1973.
Two fans sport their light up devil horns as they wait for AC/DC to take the stage at Camp Randall.
Brian Johnson passionately sang some of AC/DC’s biggest hits like “Back in Black,” the second song of the band’s set at Camp Randall.
Brian Johnson and Angus Young rock out during “Back in Black,” one of AC/DC’s most famous songs.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source captimes.com ’
