AC/DC Makes An Iconic Return With Power Trip Festival

On Saturday at Power Trip, AC/DC triumphantly returned to the stage to celebrate their first performance in more than seven years. They gave a couple of live premieres as well as the classics they hadn’t played in decades.

The show kicked off with a bang, opening with the iconic “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” and “Back in Black.” AC/DC also introduced “Demon Fire” from their 2020 album, Power Up, as well as “Shot in the Dark,” both making their live debut during the 24-song set.

According to setlist.fm, AC/DC also performed “Stiff Upper Lip” for the first time since 2003 and numerous more songs, including “Riff Raff” (1996), “Dog Eat Dog” (2009), and the previously mentioned “If You Want Blood” (2003), that they hadn’t performed with Brian Johnson in almost a decade. When Axl Rose temporarily filled in for Johnson in 2016, the band more recently played the last three with him.

The Much-Anticipated Return of Brian Johnson to the Stage

After going on sabbatical for more than seven years, AC/DC performed for the Power Trip crowd for the first time since September 20, 2016. Even more time had passed since their last performance with Brian Johnson, though. The final time Johnson appeared on stage with the group was on February 28, 2016, after Johnson was forced to leave the Rock or Bust tour due to hearing problems.

Angus and Stevie Young on guitar, Cliff Williams on bass, and Matt Laug, standing in for longstanding drummer Phil Rudd, made comprised the remainder of the AC/DC band.

Performance by AC/DC at Power Trip

Particularly because Judas Priest had just performed, there was a lot of excitement for AC/DC’s Power Trip appearance. Despite a few flaws, the band put on a passionate and upbeat two-and-a-half-hour performance.

Johnson, 76, had a voice that occasionally cracked due to aging, but he still delivered when it counted. Johnson donned a cheery grin, appearing overwhelmed by the event’s gravity, supported by the backing voices of his bandmates and driven by a cheerful crowd.

The band rocked the house with hits from the Back in Black album, including “Have a Drink on Me” and “Given the Dog a Bone,” and they also included crowd-pleasers like “Hells Bells,” “Highway to Hell,” and the explosive set-closer “For Those About to Rock.” Angus Young, as always, electrified the stage, strutting down the catwalk and delivering a fiery solo during “Let There Be Rock.”

Whether this was AC/DC’s return or farewell tour, they delivered it with their distinctive flair and limitless energy. What lies ahead for AC/DC is yet uncertain.