Back In Black: Will They Or Won’t They?
Andy Copping, the organiser of the Download festival, has told radio station Xfm that a possiblity exists that AC/DC will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their landmark album, Back In Black, by performing it in its entirety when they headline this year’s event.
Classic Rock was the first to speculate on AC/DC’s Back In Black plans last December.
Asked by Xfm’s Ian Camfield whether Copping had broached the idea of playing Back In Black in its entirety, the festival chief said:
“Absolutely, of course. You just never know what might happen on the day. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s a possibility.”
A Facebook campaign has also been set up to ensure AC/DC play the album from beginning to end.
However, not everyone is so keen on the idea.
As Spinner is reporting, the AC/DC Fans forum has given the Back In Black rumours a mixed reception.
‘Jem’ wrote: ‘They would be daft to do this because, one it is a shit idea, and two [Brian Johnson] cannot physically do this, and three it is a shit idea.”
Another, ‘Windstorm’, commented: ‘It’s not an awful idea (though far from a good one). We’d only get to hear two new songs, Let Me Put My Love Into You and Shake A Leg, and let’s be honest, who really wants to hear Shake A Leg at this point in their career?”
It’s worth pointing out that on the ongoing Black Ice world tour, AC/DC have been regularly playing four of the songs from Back In Black: Hell’s Bells, Back In Black, You Shook Me All Night Long and Shoot To Thrill.
We at Classic Rock wonder if this adds credence to the rumour that Bon Jovi will be playing Download – because they could only do the 12th.
Bon Jovi’s summertime residency at London’s O2 arena is as follows: June 7/8/10/11/13/16/17/19/20/22/23/25. So the 12th is a notable gap.
I don’t understand why people would be negative about this. I seen AC/DC 3 times last year and Brian was in brilliant shape – Shake A Leg may push his voice to it’s limits but I’m sure he’d have a blast trying it and such is the fans relationship with the band we’re hardly going to boo him if it’s not nailed perfectly. As for the rest – how good would Have A Drink On Me sound infront of 100,000 piss-heads at Download?! AWESOME!!
duff idea… why not play some other classics/album tracks from the beano era rather than the same old same old….guns for hire, sink the pink, who made who, blahblah
Euan, Its not being negative. Its called being realistic. Even Brian has said that there are notes on SAL that only dogs can hear. It was 30 years ago for chrissakes, his voice is not the same as it was back then.
BTW, I totally agree with you about him being in brilliant shape but lets not try and make his head explode eh?
LOL Carlos, fair enough! Don’t want to do the great man in!
I fully agree with Big Al, I’ve said numerous times it’s a great shame that the band miss so much of the 80’s era out. Guns For Hire, Sink The Pink, Shake Your Foundations, Heatseeker etc. are great songs and I grew up listening to them. Any chance they could play for 4 hours at Download?! ;o)
rock in peace – soul stripper – jailbreak
suprise us with some gems
No thanks cant see AC/DC do that.Please play songs like Riff Raff, Live Wire, Down Payment Blues,Go Down,Sin City,If You Want Blood,Touch Too Much,Get It Hot,Evil Walks,Put The Finger On You,Sink The Pink,Who Made Who,Heatseeker,Ruff Stuff,Twos Up,Nick Of Time,Money Talks,Ballbreaker,Cant Stand Still,Hold Me Back……..AAAGH shit it will never happen.
I’d love to hear Shake a Leg at this point in their career, actually. Along with Stick Around, Hard as Rock, C.O.D., Shot of Love, Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation, Girls Got Rhythm, Rocker…
Why all the negativety about AC/DC? they fuckin rock-pure and simple-actually they are probably the band that best defines the word. But BON JOVI for Download? NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO please please no
It’s not that I don’t like the Back in Black album.. I just don’t like the fact that AC/DC seems to think that’s the only album they’ve ever done. Why can’t they play the entire Flick of the Switch album? Or ANYTHING AT ALL off the Flick of the Switch album? Their fans would go nuts.
AC fucking DC, play whatever you want. Ive travelled 5000 miles (on a plane that is!) just to see you this year. I am 38 and I have been listening to you since I was 16! The day Brian said ” WE SALUTE YOU ATHENS, WE SALUTE YOU….” that exact moment time stoped, just for those 5 secs. It was a life dream coming true. Thank you. Play what ever you want, just play!
I’m actually Windstorm in this article. Thanks to the author for throwing that quote in.
Anyways, @Baz, the reason why we tend to come across as ‘negative’ is because all AC/DC does is play the hits and ignore the great material they put out in the mid-80s and 90s
What I don’t understand is why they can’t play a good mix of hits and deeper album cuts. For instance, ZZ Top plays Gimme All Your Lovin’, Tush, etc.. but they thrown in gems like Party On The Patio for the diehard fans.
they are from my point of view the best fucking rock band ever and so nobody’s got anything negative to say that is valid
Hey John. Nobody criticized the music. The music’s great, they’re my favourite band too. But the setlist is lame and uninspired.
Carlos Fundingo, or whatever your name is. You sound like an uninformed oaf. And as for this Jerm character. Have you ever even heard Back in Black?
podcast – or whatever your name is. You sound like a fat, lazy bastard just randomly pressing buttons on your keyboard. Take a break – you don’t have to be a clown all your life…
I thought they already played the entire Back in Black album?
But really, at least it would be a change in the setlist, I guess. We all know there’s no way we’re getting Guns for Hire.
ac/dc headlining friday night at download! what the hell is going on there. apart from the fact that fridays at download in years past are shit (its usually full of alternative rock/radio rock bands), ac/dc should be closing the festival on sunday night. when i heard the mighty dc were playin download i ordered my ticket as soon as they went on sale but now i’m extremely pissed off. ;(
woah,calm down,i saw the cult doing love album live but they still did other songs after.
download last year was amazing with fnm headlining friday and i can assure you they are not shit.my fave band actually but thats besides the point.
how can it be a fact that a day determines whos good and whos bad,thats shit.ive listened to acdc since i was 15 im now 43 and my fave album is dirty deeds but i have no expectations of how it will be.they will decide and with the amount of fans they have,how can they please every single one.lets count ourselves lucky that they are there and we gonna get to see em.personally i cant wait x