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

Before they head to North and South America for more than 20 stadium shows in 2026, Australian hard rock legends AC/DC are getting things started in their homeland. The band kicked off their Power Up Tour Wednesday (Nov. 12) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Marking their first Australian show in a decade, AC/DC decided to celebrate by treating the 80,000-strong crowd to an early classic.

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Forming in Sydney in 1973, AC/DC released seven albums with lead singer Bon Scott at the helm. Initially released in 1976 in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, the band’s third studio album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap didn’t hit U.S. airwaves until 1981, more than a year after Scott’s death. The Scottish-born frontman died of alcohol poisoning on Feb. 19, 1980, at age 33.

The album’s closing track, “Jailbreak,” was released as a single in England and Australia in 1976. However, it wasn’t available in North America until 1984, when the band released its’74 Jailbreak EP. According to Rolling Stone, “Jailbreak” became a live staple throughout the Bon Scott era, with current lead singer Brian Johnson taking up the mantle during the band’s 1985 Flick of the Switch tour.

However, “Jailbreak” has been conspicuously absent from AC/DC’s setlists since the band closed out its Razor’s Edge Tour on Nov. 16, 1991, at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. That is, until they reached deep into their catalog during the opening show of their Power Up Tour. Watch that performance below.

@acdc_usa

AC/DC – Jailbreak (2025 Melbourne) @acdc @brianjohnson @mattlaugdrums @chrischaneybass #acdc #acdcforever #acdcrocks #acdcfan #acdcfans

♬ original sound – acdc_usa

“One of my favourite AC/DC songs!!” exclaimed one fan on TikTok. “So glad they’re playing this live again.”

[RELATED: Phil Rudd Speaks Out About AC/DC Touring Without Him: “There Was a Time When I Thought It Was the End of the World”]

The Song AC/DC Refuses to Play

While AC/DC fans may have been overjoyed to hear “Jailbreak” for the first time in three decades, those holding out for another ’70s classic will be disappointed.

The opening track off the group’s 1975 album T.N.T., “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” combines bagpipes with hard rock instrumentation. Penned by Scott with brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, it solidified its place among AC/DC’s most popular songs. Despite this, fans haven’t heard it live for 45 years. That’s because lead singer Brian Johnson refuses to play it out of respect for his late predecessor.

Featured image by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images