Let’s Hope Final Night time Wasn’t AC/DC’s Final American Live performance

AC/DC closed out their 2025 North American Energy Up tour with a commanding present in entrance of a packed home of fifty,000 followers in Cleveland Wednesday night time.

This is hoping it will not be the final time they go to us.

For a lot of the previous decade, it was fairly affordable to imagine we would by no means see the legendary Australian band onstage once more. AC/DC excursions have grown few and much between over the previous century. There was a seven-year hole between the 2000-2001 Stiff Higher Lip and 2008-2010 Black Ice excursions, and it took one other 5 years for them to mount the 2015-2016 Rock or Bust tour.

The Rock or Bust tour, as we have documented extensively previously, discovered the band besieged by well being and different points. Solely two members of AC/DC’s five-man 1994-2014 lineup had been on stage on the last live performance – bassist Cliff Williams and guitarist Angus Younger. And Williams had already introduced his imminent retirement previous to that present.

The 2017 dying of Angus’ brother and fellow founding guitarist Malcom Younger solid much more doubt on the band’s future. However the remaining members of that aforementioned lineup – Angus, singer Brian Johnson, Williams and legally troubled drummer Phil Rudd – received again collectively within the studio the next yr to report the (superb) Energy Up album as a tribute to Malcolm.

The band did not launch the album till 2020, at which level the COVID pandemic had put a halt to most excursions. AC/DC lastly returned to the stage in 2023 for a one-off look on the Energy Journey pageant, with a lineup of Younger, Johnson, Williams, Stevie Younger (Angus and Malcom’s nephew) and drummer Matt Laug instead of Rudd.

Learn Extra: AC/DC Leaves Dallas Thunderstruck

Three and a half years after the album’s launch, the band lastly launched the Energy Up tour with a 24-date European tour. This spring they returned to North America for a 13-date tour, which concluded final night time – and now you are all caught up.

So what occurs subsequent? In a month the band will start a 15-date summer time tour of Europe, and… that is all we all know.

AC/DC has been notably tight-lipped about their lineup modifications and plans. “I’m not answering that – why ought to I?” Johnson mentioned in 2022 when Eddie Trunk requested him if AC/DC would play dwell once more. “I can not reply that. I’ve been informed to not by everyone. It’s the official line. …If I say one factor, it’ll be blown out of all proportion. You simply can’t afford to speak now. There’s an excessive amount of blabber on the web.”

Equally, it is affordable to imagine that Williams got here again for the Energy Up album as a tribute to Malcolm, and to the Energy Journey present for an opportunity to carry out with Johnson another time. However these are assumptions, not info.

We additionally do not know why Rudd returned for the album however not any of the exhibits. It might be because of the authorized troubles that presumably saved him off the Rock or Bust tour, however once more, that is only a guess.

There was nothing in final night time’s present that recommended there was any want for Johnson or Younger to retire anytime quickly. Johnson’s voice has taken on some comprehensible put on over the many years, however the 77-year previous singer nonetheless has greater than sufficient to get the job completed, and he is making higher selections with what he is received left than some a lot youthful well-known rock singers.

As for Angus? The 70-year-old guitarist stays an unbelievable power of nature. Whereas his nephew, drummer Laug and new bassist Chris Chaney (68, 57 and 54 respectively) saved the rhythm part locked down in a decent huddle close to the again of the stage, Angus prowled, preened and kicked all types of unholy ass all around the large stage all through the night time, culminating in a 22-minute model of “Let There Be Rock” that featured two separate large guitar solos.

Let’s assume – all the time harmful, admittedly – that the Energy Up tour ends after these European dates. AC/DC has by no means been into biggest hits albums, and even touring with no new studio album to advertise.

In some unspecified time in the future age has to meet up with them, proper? Are they going to interrupt that cycle and return on the highway with no new album? Or will they head to the studio first, and in that case are we taking a look at one other half-decade absence? If that is goodbye, are they gonna inform us upfront?

To be clear – these are questions, not complaints. AC/DC has earned the proper to do regardless of the hell they need to do, and to inform us about it at any time when they please. They owe us nothing, and this tour and album have been a welcome shock and reward. All we will actually do is apologize for being egocentric and wanting extra.

Watch AC/DC Carry out ‘For These About to Rock (We Salute You)’

AC/DC Could 28, 2025 Cleveland Huntington Financial institution Subject Set Checklist

1. “If You Need Blood (You’ve got Received It)”2. “Again in Black”3. “Demon Fireplace”4. “Shot Down in Flames”5. “Thunderstruck”6. “Have a Drink on Me”7. “Hells Bells”8. “Shot within the Darkish”9. “Stiff Higher Lip”10. “Freeway to Hell”11. “Shoot to Thrill”12. “Sin Metropolis”13. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Prepare”14. “Soiled Deeds Carried out Grime Low cost”15. “Excessive Voltage”16. “Riff Raff”17. “You Shook Me All Night time Lengthy”18. “Complete Lotta Rosie”19. “Let There Be Rock”20. “T.N.T.”21. “For These About to Rock (We Salute You)”