History & Biography Recording as early as 1974, AC/DC's brand of hard rock and boogie remains one of the world's most popular draws.
The band was founded by brothers Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar) and Angus Young (lead guitar), singer Dave Evans, bassist and saxophone player Larry Van Kriedt and drummer Colin Burgess in 1973. Evans and Malcolm Young were in Velvet Underground together, which should not be confused with its American namesakes. Burgess came from The Masters Apprentices. The two brothers, and most of their family, were immigrants who had left Glasgow, Scotland for Australia in 1963. The Young brothers were in Marcus Hook Roll Band together next. This band featured their brother George (ex-Easybeats). Malcolm had brought in the rhythm section into AC/DC before adding his brother, Angus. Evans was found through an advertisement in the newspaper. Born in Sydney and relocated to Melbourne in late 1974, the act's first gig was in Sydney on 31.12.1973. The name was suggested by the brothers' sister Margaret whose sewing machine (some say vacuum cleaner) featured an 'AC/DC' symbol, which stands for 'alternating current/direct current.' The idea was that the band's music is electrical. This was a glam act and covered Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and other rock and roll standards. Evans was replaced by Bon Scott because the band wanted to move away from the glam image. Bon Scott was born in Scotland too. He had migrated to Australia when he was six in 1952. Coincidentally, bassist Mark Evans auditioned for the band and joined in 1975. He stayed for two years and was fired for personal difference after the tour with the Sabs. His replacement was Cliff Williams from Home and bandit. Mark would be embroiled in litigation with AC/DC for several years. Burgess had been fired for being drunk on stage in February 1974, which is hypocritical given the other members interaction with narcotics and alcohol. The band toured as openers for Lou Reed in 1974.
The act opened for Black Sabbath in Europe in 1977 and the musicians famously did not get along. Let There Be Rock had different cover artwork in Europe and Australia. The band toured North America as openers for Reo Speedwagon. Subsequent touring had the band open for Rush followed by Kiss. Touring for Powerage included stints with Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Journey and Rainbow. Highway To Hell was produced by Mutt Lange. The band would headline with Def Leppard opening. Not coincidentally Mutt Lange would produce Def Leppard as the two bands shared management. The band reached great heights with singer Bon Scott until his death on February 13, 1980, which was attributed to an alcohol overdose. The follow-up album and tribute to Scott, featured singer Johnson and went on to become the biggest hard rock seller of all time at 21 million and counting. By 2007, it had sold 22 million copies just in the USA. AC/DC has shown an unwavering attitude throughout the years and while the albums might have lost their spark, live the band always plays before sold-out audiences. Malcolm Young had been in and out of the band for alcohol-related problems and Angus Young amuses his audience by appearing in his old school's uniform! The school uniform was the idea of Angus' sister, Margaret Young. Eager to make a splash, Angus would jump out of a phone booth dressed as superman at another gig.
After joining and establishing himself singer Brian Johnson proposed to record a blues solo album with Andy Scott from the Sweet recording in 1982. This never proceeded after being vetoed by the band's management.
At a 2001 show in Paris, AC/DC followed up its standard For Those About To Rock encore with a special rendition of Ride On clad in the uniform of France's national football team. Additionally singer Brian Johnson was pondering reforming Geordie for some pub shows. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced in 2002 that AC/DC would be inducted in 2003. Mark Evans and Bon Scott were listed as members alongside with the then current members. Evans would quickly dropped apparently at the behest of the Young brothers. In a bout of irony, Original AC/DC singer Dave Evans was touring Europe in the summer and autumn of 2003 with the German AC/DC tribute band Overdose. The band itself entered the studio to record a new album for Epic Records in 2003 after completing a string of dates with Rolling Stones. The band also played the SARS benefit show in Toronto that summer. The next benefit show was for victims of the Florida hurricanes in the summer of 2004. Also in 2004, AC/DC had an alley in Melbourne named after them. The former Corporation Lane was renamed AC/DC Lane in honour of the hard rock veterans. AC/DC’s DVD collection Plug Me In amassed sales of 600,000 units in less than a month in the autumn of 2007. AC/DC’s Black Ice was out at the end of October. The album’s first single was called Rock 'n Roll Train. The full-length was available with three different covers. The album was produced by Brendan O'Brien and recorded at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada. Embarrassingly, Black Ice was slated to be available exclusively at Wal-Mart in the USA! Chalk one up for corporatism.
AC/DC was touring the United Kingdom and Ireland in the spring of 2009 with Thin Lizzy in tow as support. AC/DC was next touring Australia for the first time in 8 years where ticket sales set new national records. AC/DC singer Brian Johnson underwent surgery in September of 2009 thus cancelling all touring activities for October. The band was still scheduled to hit South America in November. AC/DC: Iron Man 2 soundtrack the collection of the band’s material used on the film landed at position #1 on several charts including Germany. AC/DC’s Live At River Plate was a live DVD from the Black Ice world tour. It was shot in December 2009 and released in spring of 2011. AC/DC singer Brian Johnson was to undergo wrist surgery in February of 2012. His previously announced solo tour was therefore cancelled. AC/DC would also release Live At River Plate on November 16th, 2012 as a three-disc red vinyl or a two-CD package featuring multiple covers. The live record followed 2011’s Live At River Plate DVD. Early AC/DC singer Bon Scott would be honoured with a statue in Kirriemuir, Scotland, his birthplace. AC/DC would record a new album beginning May, 2014 in Vancouver, Canada. An album featuring guitarist brothers Malcolm and Angus Young predating AC/DC was being reissued. The album by the Marcus Hook Roll Band, Tales Of Old Grand-Daddy, was out on June 2nd, 2014 on CD, vinyl and digital download. Oldest brother George Young formed the band. On 16 April 2014, following media reports that the band may be retiring due to Malcolm Young having had a stroke and being unable to perform, Brian Johnson announced the band was not retiring and would still gather in Vancouver in May. AC/DC subsequently announced that Malcolm Young would be taking a break from the band. AC/DC singer Brian Johnson climbed the stage at Billy Joel’s March 21st concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City and performed the AC/DC song You Shook Me All Night Long. AC/DC was at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada working through July with producer Brendan O'Brien. Media was reporting that AC/DC might have recruited Stevie Young, the nephew of guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, to take Malcolm's place in the band. Stevie was spotted in Vancouver. AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd would release a solo album, called Head Job, on August 29th, 2014. AC/DC would release a new album featuring eleven tracks, called Rock Or Bust, on November 28th, 2014. Malcolm Young was not returning and was replaced by his nephew Stevie Young. Malcolm’s family confirmed that the guitarist suffers from dementia. AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was missing from the band’s video shoots in London in early October. The band recorded videos for the first two singles of Rock Or Bust with stand-in Rob Richards of Shogun and Adrian Smith’s solo band. The singles were Play Ball and Rock Or Bust. Several reported that frontman Brian Johnson had said the drummer was absent due to a family emergency. AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was not present during the filming of the videos for Play Ball and Rock Or Bust in October 2014 in London, England. Bob Richards, who had played with Shogun, replaced him. Ostensibly, Rudd had a family emergency. However, he was also missing from the band’s latest promotional photos. Phil Rudd was charged in November by New Zealand police with attempting to procure a murder in late September. Rudd also faced charges of possessing methamphetamine and cannabis. The murder charges were subsequently dropped. However, hearing dates were set for February of 2015 for reduced charges of drug possession. AC/DC was touring Europe beginning May. The band would play at the 2015 Grammy Awards. According to Britain's Q Magazine, Malcolm Young who was diagnosed with dementia forcing him to leave AC/DC had additionally undergone operations for lung cancer and a heart condition requiring a pacemaker following 2008's Black Ice album and tour. AC/DC and Jack White would headline the 2015 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival. The 2015 edition would be held over the April 10-12 and April 17-19 weekends in Indio, California, USA. AC/DC’s North American tour in support of Rock Or Bust would kick off in August of 2015. Following his departure from AC/DC due to dementia, cancer and heart condition former AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young spent over eight million dollars for a waterfront property in Palm Beach, Sydney, Australia. AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd entered a guilty plea to charge of methamphetamine and cannabis possession in a New Zealand court as of Tuesday April 21st. He also pled guilty to one charge of threatening to kill. A second identical charge was dropped. Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was sentenced to eight months of home detention after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and possession of drugs. He was originally facing heavier sentences. The drummer had threatened a former employee and apparently attempted to hire someone to kill the man. AC/DC has re-hired Chris Slade to drum. Rudd was subsequently arrested again for breaching his home detention conditions. The management of the Chicago Cubs major league baseball team filed a complaint about the condition of the field at its Wrigley Field following a show by AC/DC there on September 15th of 2015. Reportedly, pieces of the turf were dug out during the show supposedly causing members of the Cubs to make multiple errors during games. AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd lost his appeal after being sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court for threatening to kill and drug possession. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be - The Story Of Bon Scott was a play that ran in the winter of 2016 at The National Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. The stage show narrated the story of Bon Scott's life.
AC/DC was forced to postpone the ten remaining dates on the U.S.A. leg of its Rock Or Bust tour as of March 8th. Singer Brian Johnson had been told by his physician to either immediately cease giving concerts or risk a total hearing loss. Original singer Dave Evans threw his hat into the ring offering to return to the boogie metal act citing fan demand. It was rumoured that AC/DC had already replaced Johnson despite the singer’s intention to continue as soon as possible. Johnson was apparently feeling used and treated like a hired gun despite his many years in the band. A rumour had it that Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses was also replacing Brian Johnson in AC/DC and had been part of rehearsals in Atlanta, USA. In the meantime, GNR played a one-off show at the Troubadour club in Los Angeles. Rose was confirmed as AC/DC’s US and European shows’ frontman in April. Axl Rose broke a bone in his foot after slipping on stage during the band’s show at the Troubadour club. He had an inserted plate and screws, but the band was not cancelling any shows despite Axl being in a cast for four weeks. Rose had joined AC/DC for its touring line-up and was performing sitting down. After losing a drummer and a singer, AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams also announced that he would retire after the band’s current tour. He stated, "it's the right thing." He was 66. He had first joined the band in 1977. Former AC/DC bassist from the ‘70s Mark Evans joined Australia-based boogie rock band Rose Tattoo. George Young, the brother of AC/DC co-founders Malcolm and Angus Young, died at the age of 70 in October, 2017. He was also the band’s early producer and co-song writer. Malcolm Young died at the age of 64. He was suffering from dementia and a stroke for the past three years. He followed his brother George by a month. The Australian government was commemorating AC/DC's 45th anniversary by releasing a collection of coins featuring the band in late 2018. Money talked and the band regrouped in Vancouver to record a new album. Angus Young donated $19,260 CAD to the Alzheimer Society Of Ontario after hearing about a fan called Steve McNeil fundraising with skating for the cause. Young’s brother and former band member was stricken with the disease. One-time AC/DC bassist Paul Matters died in October. He did not play on an album, but toured with the band in support of its debut.
AC/DC released a single called Shot In The Dark, which was taken from the band's Power Up (a.k.a. PWR/UP) album. The album was out on November 13th. All was forgiven, everyone was friends again, money had to be made and the line-up was Brian Johnson (vocals), Angus Young and Stevie Young (guitar), Cliff Williams (bass) and Phil Rudd on drums. Singer Brian Johnson reported he had circumvented his hearing loss. AC/DC’s new album, Power Up, in the meantime featured the contribution of Stevie Young on second guitar beside Angus Young. It landed at the top of the UK and at least 17 other countries’ charts. The Royal Australian Mint was commemorating AC/DC’s 50th anniversary in 2022 with coins featuring guitarist Angus Young. An AC/DC-themed festival was to take place in Perth, Australia on May 7th 2023. There was to be a musical procession and other attractions in Fremantle. Original AC/DC singer Dave Evans was commemorating his former band’s 50th anniversary by touring in multiple countries playing early AC/DC tracks, as well as cover versions the act would play. Evans was with the band from 1973 to 1974 and had more recently offered to rejoin when Brian Johnson was unable to tour in 2016. AC/DC recruited drummer Matt Laug to play with the band at the Power Trip festival in October 2023 replacing Phil Rudd. No explanation was offered. Laug was a member of Slash's Snakepit when his band opened for AC/DC. This was AC/DC first concert in seven years. It emerged that Rudd was selling off his drums, AC/DC gear and memorabilia and donating the money to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. His partner Toni was dying of breast cancer. Colin Burgess died in 2023. He was 77 years old. AC/DC’s Power Up European Tour was taking the band through Europe in the spring and summer of 2024. The band included bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Matt Laug. Opening act was The Pretty Reckless.
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