AC/DC - St Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida - December 21, 2008

Barr Music 101 ventured over to Tampa last night check out AC/DC. Here is what we saw:

Set list:

Rock And Roll Train / Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be / Back In Black / Big Jack / Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap / Thunderstruck / Black Ice / The Jack / Hells Bells / Shoot To Thrill / War Machine / Anything Goes / You Shook Me All Night Long / TNT / Whole Lotta Rosie / Let There Be Rock // Highway To Hell / For Those About To Rock

During the frantic “Let There Be Rock,” near the end of AC/DC’s set Sunday night at the St. Pete Times Forum, guitarist Angus Young sprinted down the catwalk to a small circular stage near the middle of the arena. As the stage rose, Young threw himself to the floor, playing his solo while frantically kicking his legs, a spectacle somewhere between a Three Stooges routine and a child’s temper tantrum. Young likely has done that leg-kicking routine during every AC/DC show since as far back as anyone can remember. It wouldn’t be an AC/DC show without it, or the cannons during the finale of “For Those About to Rock, We Salute You,” or the inflatable harlot during “Whole Lotta Rosie.” This time Rosie straddled the “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train” which appeared to crash into the rear of the stage as the band opened with the song of that name. It was one of five songs AC/DC played from this year’s “Black Ice,” album, which must be some kind of record, considering that the 28 years between the new disc and the career-making “Back in Black” were represented by exactly two songs. Beyond that, any fan could have called most of the set list — nice to hear “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be” and “Shoot to Thrill”(easily the highlight song of the evening) in there. But no one goes to see AC/DC to be surprised. Do they?You go to see Angus go nuts; to hear his brother, rhythm guitarist Malcolm, and bassist Cliff Williams hammer out the riffs; to hear Brian Johnson growl and howl about rolling thunder and dirty women; and to watch drummer Phil Rudd smoke cigarette after cigarette – all the while never changing the expression on his face. And that’s what they did. Thank goodness!!.