AC/DC made their triumphant return to the stage on Saturday at Power Trip, commemorating their first performance in more than seven years with a few live debuts and songs not performed in decades.
You can see the full set list below.
The rockers came out swinging with the one-two punch of “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” and “Back in Black” before debuting “Demon Fire” off 2020’s Power Up. It was one of two live debuts from their latest album, as “Shot in the Dark” appeared later in the 24-song set.
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AC/DC also broke out “Stiff Upper Lip” for the first time since 2003 (according to setlist.fm) and busted out several songs that they hadn’t performed with Brian Johnson in over a decade, including “Riff Raff” (1996), “Dog Eat Dog” (2009) and the aforementioned “If You Want Blood” (2003). The band more recently performed the last three with Axl Rose when he briefly took over for Johnson in 2016.
Watch AC/DC Perform ‘If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)’
Brian Johnson Made His Long-Awaited Return to the Stage
AC/DC’s Power Trip performance marked their first show since Sept. 20, 2016, ending a seven-plus-year drought. But it had been even longer since they’d performed with Johnson, who was forced to bow out of the Rock or Bust tour due to hearing issues. The longtime frontman last joined his cohort onstage on Feb. 28, 2016.
The rest of the AC/DC lineup consisted of guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Matt Laug, who played in place of longtime drummer Phil Rudd.
How Did AC/DC Sound at Power Trip?
Anticipation for AC/DC’s Power Trip performance was sky-high, and following Judas Priest was no cakewalk. Nevertheless, the band rose to the occasion with a spirited two-hour-and-15-minute performance that succeeded in spite of its imperfections.
Johnson just turned 76, and returning to the stage at that age after a seven-year absence is a Herculean feat. His voice had its fair share of croaks and cracks, but he summoned the power when it counted most, supported by his bandmates’ backing vocals and spurred by the ecstatic crowd. The singer wore a cheeky grin as he boogied onstage, and several times he looked to the audience with eyes wide and arms outspread, as if he, too, could hardly believe the enormity of the occasion.
Watch AC/DC Perform ‘Shot in the Dark’
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Young, meanwhile, was the same live wire as always, strutting down the catwalk and writhing atop a platform that elevated him above the stage as he ripped a furious extended solo in “Let There Be Rock.” The band sounded especially hot on Bon Scott-era classics, delivering incendiary renditions of “High Voltage” and “Riff Raff.” They also crushed Back in Black album cuts like “Have a Drink on Me” and “Given the Dog a Bone.” And of course, it was hard to resist the primal thrills of mega-hits like “Hells Bells,” “Highway to Hell” and the (literally) explosive set closer “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”
It’s unclear what AC/DC has planned beyond Power Trip, but whether they just mounted a comeback or delivered a swan song, they did it with one-of-a-kind style and energy.
Watch AC/DC Perform ‘Back in Black’
AC/DC, 10/7/23, Power Trip, Indio, California1. “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”2. “Back in Black”3. “Demon Fire”4. “Shot Down in Flames”5. “Thunderstruck”6. “Have a Drink on Me”7. “Hells Bells”8. “Shot in the Dark”9. “Stiff Upper Lip”10. “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”11. “Shoot to Thrill”12. “Sin City”13. “Given the Dog a Bone”14. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”15. “You Shook Me All Night Long”16. “Dog Eat Dog”17. “High Voltage”18. “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be”19. “Riff Raff”20. “Highway to Hell”21. “Whole Lotta Rosie”22. “Let There Be Rock”23. “T.N.T.”24. “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You”)
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Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff
