AC/DC

If we tried to isolate what has characterised Australian rock and roll from the rest of the world’s it would be music that’s made to be played live, and gets right down to basics with a minimum of distraction. Any extras as far as presentation or instrumentation are incidental rather than essential. AC/DC captured that essence not long after it crystallised, and they have continued to carry that creed around the world as their own.

The Young brothers Malcolm and Angus were bound to grow up as musicians. When they were growing up they endured girls trying to climb through the family home windows to get at their older brother George, who was a member of the Easybeats. Another brother, Alex, stayed behind in England when the family emigrated to Australia. (Eventually, Alex was a member of Grapefruit). Whenever his Easybeats' duties allowed George took an interest in his younger brothers' musical education, teaching them how to play guitar, and playing them classic rock and roll and blues records until that music was like blood in their veins.

Malcolm started a couple of garage bands, but none of them went anywhere. In 1971 he joined a Newcastle band, Velvet Underground. Angus started a band of his own, which he called Tantrum. The only gigs he played however were school dances. Mostly Angus would just jam with his friends. It wasn't until 1973 when 15 year old Angus was able to leave school that Malcolm dropped what he was doing to form a new band with his brother, using a name their sister found on her sewing machine, AC/DC.

They played their first gig on New Years Eve at Sydney's Chequers nightclub. Their set consisted of songs by the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and the Beatles, in between old blues standards and the beginnings of a couple of originals. Initially, the plan was to dress up as characters on stage, just to be different. They quickly shelved that idea, either getting sick of it themselves or realizing they’d never get away with it in front of Australian audiences. The only semblance that remained of that plan was Angus’ “schoolboy”, in cap blazer and shorts, shouldering a schoolbag as well as a guitar. It worked because it could have been true. Angus looked like he could have come straight from school to play his guitar. And still does.

There were a number of line-up changes over the first year of the band’s existence. The AC/DC which released its first single ‘Can I Sit Next To You Girl’ in July 1974 featured Dale Evans on lead vocals. Obtaining a record contract was no problem. Brother George was back from his Easybeats adventures around the world and in charge at Albert Productions. George and his Easybeats’ partner Harry Vanda simply added AC/DC to their production roster.

Meanwhile one of the Easybeats’ Sixties contemporaries, Bon Scott , former lead singer of The Valentines, was lingering in Adelaide. Originally from Perth, Bon had left the pop Valentines to join Adelaide’s Seventies contemporary rock group, Fraternity. A motorcycle accident which nearly took his life had sidelined Bon. When he was getting himself back on his feet Bon’s former co-singer in the Valentines, Vince Lovegrove (now an agent in Adelaide) threw Bon some odd jobs, like putting up posters, painting the office and driving visiting bands around town. It was as their driver that Bon Scott met AC/DC. Despite the difference in ages, there was an instant rapport.

At first Bon joined AC/DC as drummer. Like the proverbial Spinal Tap, AC/DC was having a lot of trouble holding down drummers. They were also not getting on with their singer (for their liking too prone to glam rock) and within weeks Bon Scott had taken over from Dale Evans as singer. AC/DC was again looking for a drummer.

The first album was actually recorded without either a permanent drummer or bass player. Brother George played bass for the ‘High Voltage’ sessions and one Tony Kerrante filled in on drums. As soon as the album was released in February 1975 they arrived on a settled line-up adding Phil Rudd on drums and Mark Evans as bass to fill in the vacancies. This was the line-up which would record the next three AC/DC albums. The next change would start their transformation into a trans-national group.

AC/DC always planned to go to England. The band’s managers paid them a subsistance wage while they worked up and down the country, establishing an instant relationship with Australia’s hard core rock fans, and saving up the money for their international invasion.

AC/DC arrived in London April 1976 to the UK release of ‘High Voltage’, a combination of their first two Australian albums. They arrived to provide as an antidote to punk, in the traditions of the Black Sabbaths and Deep Purples, but as irreverent (without being angry) as the punks. England embraced AC/DC, and America followed soon after. Their Australian management was paid out, and replaced, and AC/DC became an international entity.