AC/DC - After Five Decades, Some Fans Are Just Learning What The Band's Name Actually Means

May 24, 2024, 7 months ago

news hard rock ac/dc

AC/DC - After Five Decades, Some Fans Are Just Learning What The Band's Name Actually Means

They're one of the most well-known bands in the world - but some music lovers are only just learning what AC/DC actually stands for after 51 years, reports Mirror.co.uk.

Founded by brothers Malcolm Young and Angus Young, the Australian rock band's current lineup comprises lead guitarist Angus, bass guitarist Cliff Williams, drummer Phil Rudd, lead vocalist Brian Johnson, and rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, nephew of Angus and Malcolm.

Since 1974, the band has won 17 awards and has received another 50 nominations - including Grammy Awards, ARIA Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards (VMA). However, it seems some of their fans still can't decide on their music style with some describing it as hard rock while others say it's heavy metal or blues rock.

After listening to AC/DC one day, one loyal fan started to wonder what its band name actually means - and asked Reddit users: "What does AC/DC actually stand for?"

While some believe AC/DC stands for 'Anti-Christ/Devil's Child', its origin story couldn't be further from 'the Devil'. When Malcolm and Angus were brainstorming band names, their sister, Margaret, pointed out the symbol AC/DC on the AC adapter of her sewing machine. The abbreviation stands for alternating current/direct current electricity, something the brothers felt symbolised their band's 'raw energy'.

Read more at Mirror.co.uk.

AC/DC launched their first run in eight years with their Power Up tour opening in Gelsenkirchen, Germany at Veltins Arena last Friday, May 17. The legends banged through a 24 song set and was the first show featuring Chris Chaney on bass, filling in for Chris Williams. 4K fan-filmed video of the band's full set can be viewed below.

Setlist:

“If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”
“Back In Black”
“Demon Fire”
“Shot Down In Flames”
“Thunderstruck”
“Have A Drink On Me”
“Hells Bells”
“Shot In The Dark”
“Stiff Upper Lip”
“You Shook Me All Night Long”
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Train”
“Shoot To Thrill”
“Sin City”
“Givin The Dog A Bone”
“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
“Dog Eat Dog”
“High Voltage”
“Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be”
“Riff Raff”
“Highway To Hell”
“Whole Lotta Rosie”
“Let There Be Rock” (with Angus Young solo)

Encore:

“T.N.T.”
“For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)”

When the band announced their first tour in eight years, they said: "We are thrilled to finally announce the 'Power Up' European Tour. Angus, Brian, Stevie, and Matt will be joined by Chris Chaney to carry the torch for Cliff. The tour will see us play shows across Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, England, Slovakia, Belgium, France & Ireland this Summer. We can't wait to see you all out there."

Tour dates:

May
25 - Reggio Emilia, Italy - RCF Arena
29 - Seville, Spain - La Cartuja Stadium

June
1 - Seville, Spain - La Cartuja Stadium
5 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Johan Cruyff Arena
9 - Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium
12 - Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium
16 - Dresden, Germany - Rinne
19 - Dresden, Germany - Rinne
23 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadium
26 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadium
29 - Zurich, Switzerland - Letzigrund Stadium

July
3 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
7 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
13 - Hockenheim, Germany - Ring
17 - Stuttgart, Germany - Wasen
21 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Old Airport
27 - Nuremberg, Germany - Zeppelinfeld
31 - Hannover, Germany - Messe

August
4 - Hannover, Germany - Messe
9 - Dessel, Belgium - Festivalpark Stenehei
13 - Paris, France - Hippodrome Paris Longchamp
17 - Dublin, Ireland - Croke Park


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