On day two of the Power Trip festival, held at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California from Friday (October 6) through Sunday (October 8), AC/DC made a triumphant return to the stage after seven years.
Videos by American Songwriter
Delivering a 24-song, the band stamped through some of their hits as well as deep cuts. Kicking things off, AD/DC went into “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It), which marked the first time the band opened a show with the Highway to Hell track.
Throughout a blistering two-hour and 15-minute set, AC/DC stormed through favorites “Thunderstruck,” “Highway to Hell,” “Back in Black,” “Hells Bells,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” and “You Shook Me All Night Long.”
As if little time had passed, AC/DC was in full form with Brian Johnson fronting in his poorboy cap and Angus Young donning his eternal schoolboy outfit.
“Stiff Upper Lip” also made its way into the set for the first time since 2003, along with “Have a Drink on Me,” “Riff Raff,” and “Dog Eat Dog,” among others. The band also plugged in “Demon Fire” and “Shot in the Dark,” off their 2020 album Power Up, for the first time live before closing the show with an encore of “T.N.T.” and “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).”
For the festival, which also featured headliners, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, and Tool, AC/DC’s lineup included Johnson, Angus and Stevie Young on guitars, and bassist Cliff Williams, who came out of retirement.
[RELATED: All of AC/DC’s 1979 Classic ‘Highway to Hell’ Songs Ranked]
The lineup was rounded out by drummer Matt Laug, who replaced drummer Phil Rudd. Laug has performed with Alice Cooper and Slash’s Snakepit and also played on several tracks on Alanis Morissette’s 1995 multiplatinum album Jagged Little Pill.
Williams and Rudd initially rejoined AC/DC for the band’s 17th album Power Up in 2020 after parting ways with the band following the release of Rock or Bust in 2014. Prior to recording Power Up, Rudd was replaced by Chris Slade during AC/DC’s Rock or Bust Tour. Williams also retired at the end of that tour.
Johnson, who has been dealing with debilitating hearing loss over the past several years was replaced by Axl Rose on the band’s 2016 tour and hopes to get back on the road with AC/DC again in 2024.
“It does take a lot of time to get a band like AC/DC together again,” said Johnson. “Most of the crew were out working with other people. Trying to get those guys back together again was tough but I’ve got my fingers crossed, everything is going ok. The most important thing about it all is the eagerness we all feel. The juices are running again.”
AC/DC Power Trip Setlist, October 7, 2023:
- “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”
- “Back in Black”
- “Demon Fire”
- “Shot Down in Flames”
- “Thunderstruck”
- “Have a Drink on Me”
- “Hells Bells”
- “Shot in the Dark”
- “Stiff Upper Lip”
- “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
- “Shoot to Thrill”
- “Sin City”
- “Givin the Dog a Bone”
- “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”
- “You Shook Me All Night Long”
- “Dog Eat Dog”
- “High Voltage”
- “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be”
- “Riff Raff”
- “Highway to Hell”
- “Whole Lotta Rosie”
- “Let There Be Rock”
Encore
- “T.N.T.”
- “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”
Main Photo: C. Wilson / Courtesy of Power Trip
