On this day (January 27) in 1980, AC/DC took the stage at the Gaumont Club in Southampton, England. No one there knew it would be their final show with vocalist Bon Scott. He died on February 18, 1980, of acute alcohol poisoning in London.
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Scott wasn’t AC/DC’s original vocalist. However, he was in the band by the time they recorded their first album, High Voltage. He sang on the band’s first six albums, including Let There Be Rock, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and Highway to Hell. The title track from the band’s 1980 album, Back in Black, was a tribute to him, penned by their new vocalist, Brian Johnson.
AC/DC’s Final Show with Bon Scott
Highway to Hell supercharged AC/DC’s success. The Mutt Lange-produced LP contained several songs that would later become rock and roll classics. As a result, they toured the world to support the record, gaining fans in cities around the globe.
On January 27, 1980, they brought that tour to a close with a makeup date at the Gaumont Club in Southampton. No one could have known that it would be Bon Scott’s final show with the band.
That night, the band played several highlights from their discography. The setlist included “Live Wire,” “Problem Child,” “The Jack,” “High Voltage,” “Highway to Hell,” and “Whole Lotta Rosie.” They also performed “T.N.T.” and “Let There Be Rock” as an encore.
According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Scott’s surviving family urged them to keep going. Finally, they found the only singer who could have filled his shoes in Brian Johnson.
The fact that they were able to move on does not mean the loss didn’t hurt. “For us, it was like losing a member of your family,” Angus Young said. “It’s very, very difficult to go through something like that. Not only is it your friend, but it’s also somebody you’ve been working with at the time.”
Featured Image by Jim Arbogast/Getty Images
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