On This Day in 1973, This “100% Hard-Rock Band” Played Their First Gig Ever—and the Rest Is History

Founded by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, AC/DC has solidified its status as a pillar of 20th-century rock music. Selling more than 200 million records globally, the Australian rockers saw massive success with albums like Back in Black and For Those About to Rock (We Salute You.) And on New Year’s Eve 1973—52 years ago today—AC/DC officially took the stage for the first time at Chequers Bar in Sydney.

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In addition to the Young brothers, the original lineup consisted of vocalist Dave Evans, bassist Larry Van Kriedt, and drummer Colin Burgess.

Just 20 years old at the time, Malcolm Young had been making the rounds on the Sydney club circuit. However, he strongly felt something was missing—and that something was “a good, 100% hard-rock band,” younger brother Angus told Louder.

“I got together with a few guys interested in having a jam, and thought, “If I can knock a rock’n’roll tune out of them, we’ll get a few gigs and some extra bucks,” Malcolm added.

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“T.N.T.” es una canción de AC/DC con la voz de Bon Scott como vocalista.Bon Scott, el vocalista original de AC/DC, falleció trágicamente en 1980 a la edad de 33 años. Después de una noche de beber con amigos en Londres, fue encontrado muerto en un coche debido a una intoxicación aguda por alcohol. Su muerte fue un shock para la banda y para sus fans en todo el mundo. A pesar de su corta carrera, Bon Scott se ha convertido en una leyenda del rock y su estilo vocal distintivo#ACDC #TNT #BonScott #ClassicRock #RockMusic #GuitarRiffs #MusicLegends #OldSchoolRock #ThrowbackTunes #RockAnthems #iconicsongs #lyricsvideo #recuerdosdesbloqueados #clasicosporsiempre #throwback #musica70 #70s #70smusic

♬ T.N.T. – AC/DC

Burgess had spent four years as the drummer of Australian hard rock outfit the Masters Apprentices. Malcolm knew Evans from their time together in a band called the Velvet Underground (no, not that one). Meanwhile, Van Kriedt struck up a friendship with the Youngs when his family moved to Sydney from San Francisco at age 15.

[RELATED: AC/DC Celebrates Australian Homecoming by Playing This Bon Scott-Era Classic for the First Time in 34 Years]

What Did AC/DC Perform At Their First Gig?

AC/DC opened their first set with a cover of “Baby Please Don’t Go,” a 1964 hit for the Van Morrison-fronted rock band Them.

From the first note, Gene Pierson, then the entertainments manager at Chequers, knew they had something. “They were deeper and louder than anything else I had ever heard,” he recalled to Louder.

According to Evans, the two sets included covers of artists like the Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry, including some originals and “the songs we were just making up,” Evans recalled. “No one knew the difference.”

Raved Paul Close, who was in the audience that night, “They grabbed people by the throat with the high-level energy that has since become their trademark. They were a very tight band that rocked hard, and certainly shook the bubblegum pop people out of their placid little existence.”

Featured image by Bob King/Redferns