Guest blogger Michelle Wilson has been racking up massive rock and roll "frequent flyer" miles this year. She recently attended a doozie of a show and as always, she's filed a detailed report.
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CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: AC/DC's Back in Black
Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts / Melbourne, FL / 10.12.12
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| Classic Albums Live / 10.12.12 (Photos: Michelle Wilson) |
Craig Martin's Classic Albums Live series finished its
run for this season at Melbourne,
Florida’s King Center. And the boys in black sure did go out with a bang—a down-and-dirty,
in-your-face delivery of AC/DC’s 1980 blockbuster, Back in Black. This was the first record that the band would
release with new frontman Brian Johnson following the February 1980 death of
original singer Bon Scott. It has become one of the best-selling records of all
time along with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Michael Jackson's Thriller.
This show was all about
FUN. Guitarist Damian Arokium joined the usual suspects this time around,
including guitarist Dom Polito, bassist Joe Clements, drummer Rick Vatour, and
venerable vocalist Nick Hildyard, whose voice was in perfect pitch to nail the
Scott and Johnson vocals. The Polito/Arokium shredding combo was enhanced by the
lively antics between the two, channeling the true rock and roll spirit of guitarist brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. From my fifth-row vantage point, I certainly
could appreciate the general joviality taking place on stage. I have a sneaking
suspicion that Rick Vatour had a lot to do with it. I always enjoy CAL performances that
include Vatour, and not just because he is a dynamite drummer. His presence
always steps up the fun-factor a few notches, whether he’s throwing his
drumsticks or flexing his muscles, the crowd eats it right up.
The band took the stage promptyly at 8PM with Hildyard belting out the
gritty sounds of “Hells Bells.” For a fast-paced first set, fans rocked out to
the remainder of Back In Black. The
crowd was a bit more subdued than I expected for the heavy-hitting AC/DC
tracks, but CAL
delivered a rock-solid performance. Other noteworthy cuts included “Shoot to
Thrill” and “Given the Dog a Bone,” as well as fan faves “Back in Black” and
“You Shook Me All Night Long.” Polito, Arokium, and Clements delivered strong
backing vocals and great guitar/bass work on “What Do You Do For Money Honey”
and “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.” Hildyard playfully informed the
audience that Arokium only can be enticed out on the road for AC/DC
performances. For a guitar player of his caliber, let’s hope that changes and
we see more of him at future CAL
shows. In a graceful move, Hildyard also gave a shout-out and thank-you to
long-time King Center front-of-house engineer Richard
Tater, the key element to CAL’s monstrous live sound.
Despite delivering a spot-on re-creation of Back In Black, it was in the second set that CAL really was able to explode and expand on
the vast AC/DC catalog. Focusing on the Bon Scott era, CAL delivered a ferocious triple-shot from
1979’s Highway to Hell including the
title track, “Girls Got Rhythm,” and “Shot Down in Flames.” Other iconic
classics included “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” Whole Lotta Rosie,” with a
guitar pass-off from Arokium to Hildyard for a solo, and a crowd-rousing
rendition of “T.N.T.” Deeper cuts “Sin
City” and “Jailbreak”
were thrown into the mix, with “Thunderstruck” as the first encore and “Let
There Be Rock” as the show’s closer, arguably the quintessential anthem of the
Bon Scott era.
I’ll admit that I was not the biggest AC/DC fan in the world
going into this show. Truth be told, I despised them. But thanks to this
phenomenal performance, I now can tolerate them. Almost.
I am, however, a huge fan of Classic Albums Live and have seen
five of the six performances at the King
Center this season (I had
to draw the line at The Doors). I’m already looking forward to next season’s
line-up.
-Michelle Wilson
(October 2012)
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