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Live Wire at Greensboro
If they keep going like this, I wouldn't be surprised if a bagpiper suddenly walks on stage.
I was at this show. Does anyone have a full bootleg?
Hell, they don't even need to bring out a bagpiper (although it would make for an awesome cheer of recognition were one to come out).
Angus could vamp over the bagpiper parts and it would be equally as awesome (and does have historical precedence in past shows, when Bon was still around).
BUT, point taken.
Bringing in Axl is really kind of bringing things full circle for AC/DC. He has the spirit and intelligence of Bon, and sings Bon and Brian songs equally well.
Not only that, but after the Black Ice McTour (which we know now was like that for a reason, although some openness on the band's part might have generated more understanding and less backlash) and the string of terrible box sets that harmed AC/DC's image more than enhanced it, with Axl they're playing like they're in it for the music, not the money, and we're getting these awesome new setlists.
This is, in many senses, both a delayed 40th Anniversary tour (which sort of happened by circumstance, rather than planning), and a farewell tour.
As a fan, I would be totally impressed if they played 4 hour shows for their last two shows like Springsteen or Pearl Jam, with it going like this:
- The usual 20-song greatest hits/token-new-song(s) setlist, ending with FTATR
- Come out for an actual, real encore, with classic songs from the Bon and Brian era, including some of the stuff they're already doing (both Live Wire or Riff Raff would make awesome openers for this set), along with cool stuff like Ride On, It's A Long Way, Who Made Who, Meanstreak (in retrospect, the 80s weren't nearly as bad for the band as maybe they thought they were - there's a lot of good songs in there), Gone Shooting, Danger, Sink the Pink, etc (we all have our favorites)...
On the Black Ice tour, fellow fans would have automatically responded, "Never gonna happen," and they would have been (frustratingly, narrow-mindedly) right, but with Axl, I see hope, creativity, an edge, an energy that's been missing for quite a while.
And yes, it won't be as great as if Mal's keeping time and communicating with Angus (we're all missing that), but you know what - at this stage, anything we get (and we've been getting a lot), will definitely make us smile even wider.
The band may be left with only Angus and Cliff as longtime members, but man, are they BACK!