acdc encyclopaedia.indb 1 26/08/2008 17:50:52 The AC*DC Encyclopaedia by Malcolm Dome and Jerry Ewing A CHROME DREAMS PUBLICATION First Edition 2008 Published by Chrome Dreams PO BOX 230, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 6YY, UK [email protected] WWW.CHROMEDREAMS.CO.UK ISBN 9781842404362 Copyright © 2008 by Chrome Dreams Edited by Cathy Johnstone Cover Design Sylwia Grzeszczuk Layout Design Marek Niedziewicz All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Printed and bound in Great Britain by William Clowes Ltd, Beccles, Suffolk acdc encyclopaedia.indb 2 26/08/2008 17:50:52 acdc encyclopaedia.indb 3 26/08/2008 17:50:54 AC*DC Encyclopaedia acdc encyclopaedia.indb 4 26/08/2008 17:50:54 AC*DC Encyclopaedia INTRO similar to those equally loved heavy metal titans Iron Maiden, AC/DC don’t take the eye off There’s a famous Angus their own particular ball. They Young quote which goes along don’t chase trends, they just get the lines of, down to their own business. And for the past 35 years it’s been “A writer once accused us some seriously good business. of making the same album 11 There is a school of thought times. In fact, we’ve made that AC/DC’s unique sound is 12 albums that sound exactly a pretty simple one. True, it the same.” might be based around the sim- plest of rock ’n’ roll techniques Not many AC/DC fans will handed down from the likes of agree with the accusation, but Chuck Berry and Little Richard they’ll enjoy the tongue-in- to the Rolling Stones and then cheek sentiment which shows on to a bunch of snot-nosed that, despite being one of the Antipodeans like AC/DC, but more insular heavy rock acts most musicians you talk to will the world has ever seen, a sense be more than happy to tell you of humour is not something it is a sound which is actually that ever passed AC/DC by. In pretty difficult to replicate. It’s fact, it is that sense of humour, not simply a matter of attain- allied to a roguish charm and the ing Angus Young’s unique but relentless pursuit of the riff that instantly identifiable guitar tone, makes AC/DC such an attractive or replicating the rock hard proposition to rock fans. And but steady beat laid down by just to prove the band’s unique Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams. appeal, they are almost always But dig deeper and you’ll find the token rock band enjoyed behind Malcolm Young’s tena- by those whose tastes don’t cious riffing a series of sturdy, normally stretch to the loud and memorable rock songs built to the heavy. last; and the man’s now in his There has long been something that sets AC/DC apart from the fourth decade of delivering over rest of the rock pack. In a story and over again. Marry that to coloured by both triumph and having had two of the best-loved tragedy, the band’s never ending frontmen in rock, namely the drive onwards, often seeming late Bon Scott and now the oblivious to what was going ever-affable Brian Johnson, and on around them, is one that you start to see the formula that many fans applaud. In a manner many bands have attempted to acdc encyclopaedia.indb 5 26/08/2008 17:50:54 AC*DC Encyclopaedia copy, but that none have ever Because that’s what being an managed. AC/DC fan is all about. Like belonging to one of the biggest “All the songs we do are basi- clubs in the world. Never exclu- cally about one of three things,” sive – AC/DC just don’t operate Bon Scott once said. “Booze, that way – but comprised of sex or rock ’n’ roll.” like-minded people who just get it. We’ve been getting it for 35 Those songs still are, And years now, and as long as AC/ those three traits which make DC want to keep rolling out the up the staple diet of most rock songs and the classic live shows, fans, let’s not deny it. And we’ll all be there, rocking ’til the that’s because AC/DC are fans very end. themselves. Angus’ school boy regalia aside, the rest of the “People can go out and hear band look pretty much just like R.E.M. if they want to hear you and us. And it’s this almost deep lyrics,” Malcolm Young simplistic, no frills attitude to once said. “But at the end of life and their craft that’s helped the night they just wanna go AC/DC forge a relationship with home and get fucked. That’s their fans that most bands could where AC/DC comes into it.” never hope to equal. Watching them on stage allows those in We couldn’t have put it better the audience to dream about ourselves. the fact that, “It could be me up there”, just as much as they Malcolm Done get off on the groove being laid and Jerry Ewing down. And with tales of AC/DC being denied access to their own London, July 2008 stage because they don’t look like rock stars being the stuff of legend, theirs is a state of being that you can’t copy. It comes from within. It’s what makes them tick. The chances are strong that if you’re reading this, you’re an AC/DC fan. In fact, it would be a bit odd if you weren’t! And maybe you don’t need any of this told to you, because in your heart you know it all anyway. acdc encyclopaedia.indb 6 26/08/2008 17:50:54 AC*DC Encyclopaedia THE AUTHORS WOULD SOURCES FROM WHICH LIKE TO THANK… QUOTES HAVE BEEN TAKEN …the following people for their Classic Rock magazine support and assistance: Metal Hammer magazine All at Chrome Dreams Sounds magazine Roxy and Adair. Shock To The System All at Total Rock: by Mark Putterford Tony Wilson, Talita, Holly, The Bat, Thekkles, Tina, The World’s Heaviest Rock PMQ, Zed, TP, Pixie, Chloe, by Martin Huxley Emma ‘SF’ Bellamy, Werthers, Cam, Ratchetto, Catbird. www.ac-dc.net Everyone at www.bonscott.com.au The Crobar/Evensong: Rich, Steve, Johanna, Benjy, www.buoy.com/ Mitch, Joey, Nicole, Olivia, ~bonfire/interviews The Rector, Sir Barrence, Dave Everley, The Unique www.crabsodyinblue.com One, The Crazy Bitch, Steve Hammonds, The Scamp, Sir www.acdc.com Hugebert, Kurt, Harjaholic, Jonty, Jacques, Anna Maria, www.ac-dc.cc Janet Abroooooooo, Matron, Jo Dear, The Lonely Doctor, www.acdcpower.net Orange Goblin, Dozzer www.acdcnews.com The Metal Hammer mob: Chris Ingham, Alex Milas, www.gregjames.com Caren Gibson, Gill, Jonathan Selzer, Jamez Isaacs, Hards, www.kolumbus.fi/ Kimberley Tarry, nononsense/index.htm Bezer the Geezer en.wikipedia.org The Classic Rock crew: Scott Rowley, Sian Llewellyn, Geoff Barton, Paul Henderson, Ian Fortnam, Alex Burrows, Dave Ling is still gay acdc encyclopaedia.indb 7 26/08/2008 17:50:54 AC*DC Encyclopaedia MALCOLM*DOME Malcolm Dome first spotted He continues to write AC/DC in a pub – which, if you regularly for Metal Hammer knew Bon Scott at all, would and Classic Rock, and is heavily come as no surprise. It was involved with the respected actually the band’s first ever radio station TotalRock (www. UK show, at the Red Cow in totalrock.com). Hammersmith, West London. Malcolm’s favourite AC/DC Dome started writing for albums? Well, anything from Record Mirror – the now the Bon Scott era, although defunct weekly UK music paper he readily admits there have – in 1979. His first feature was been some mighty records on Samson (featuring vocalist subsequently - he even confesses Bruce Dickinson!) His first live to a sneaking admiration for review was Iron Maiden at The Fly On The Wall, which sends Marquee in London, his first co-author Jerry Ewing into album review was Samson’s uncontrollable guffaws. debut, and his first interview was with Hawkwind. Since then, he’s worked for a number of magazines – Kerrang!, Metal Mania, RAW, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Metal Forces and Rocks to name but a small selection. He has waffled inanely on numerous TV, film and DVD documentaries about the glories of metal music and he is the author of Encyclopaedia Metallica (with Jerry Ewing), Bon Jovi – Faith and Glory; The Official Biography and is the editor of AC/DC - The Kerrang Files acdc encyclopaedia.indb 8 26/08/2008 17:50:54 AC*DC Encyclopaedia JERRY*EWING When Jerry Ewing grew up His favourite AC/DC albums in North Sydney in the 1970s are Powerage and Back In you either loved AC/DC or their Black and he confesses to never arch rivals Skyhooks. Seeing as listening to Fly On The Wall. he not only wanted his cake but frequently ate it too, he loved He is still adamant that one both, but probably liked AC day he will own a club called /DC a bit more - which is just ‘The Shaking Hand’ (in honour as well, because otherwise you of Bon Scott), hopefully in might be holding a book about Sydney. And when he does, if Australia’s forgotten glam rock you turn up with a copy of this heroes instead. book, you’ll get a free drink. He promises. Moving to England wasn’t anywhere near as much fun, but at least AC/DC had managed to find their way over here too. He was lucky enough to find himself working on the groundbreaking and respected UK metal mag Metal Forces in 1989, where only his hair was bigger than his ego. Since then he’s been found within the pages of Metal Hammer, Terror Magazine, Vox, Cutting Edge, Maxim, Stuff, Bizarre and Rocks. In 1998 Ewing devised and set up Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing, something of which he is immensely proud, and he continues to write for the journal to this day. He also hosts several shows on Total Rock Radio and is regularly featured on television and DVD with his views on metal and rock acts. acdc encyclopaedia.indb 9 26/08/2008 17:50:54