AC/DC, Udine May 18th, 2010

They came, they saw, they kicked Udine’s ass! Yes, Angus Young and his mates literally blew the top off of the Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy, on May 18th, 2010! It was AC/DC’s only Italian concert, so they pretty well came from all over Italy and neighbouring countries too (some 20,000 foreign fans). About 45,000 people showed up for the all sold-out show and many were also taking them in for the very first time (with June 13th in Stuggart, Germany, it’ll only be my 8th time in 8 different cities and in 4 different countries: Canada, Italy, Austria and Germany!).
The whole event was made even better with the gracious presence of American journalist Susan Masino whom yours truly had convinced her back in December, 2009 (after having read her very entertaining book on the band, “Let There Be Rock”!) to come to this small town of only 100,000 people to present her book the day before the concert. And thanks to the local folks at the Friuli Venezia Region (plus support), Susan was flown in for the very first time to Europe all the way from Madison, Wisconsin (a state which has also given the world a fellow by the name of guitar legend Les Paul!).
Susan’s known the band now since 1977, and has on several occasions met them personally (including their late, great and outstanding singer, Bon Scott, whom yours truly also got a chance to see back in the 1970s in Canada!). She came across as a REAL sweetheart, and with her beautiful smile and charm, conquered ALL the locals who showed up for her book signing at the Feltrinelli bookstore in the heart of Udine!

Not much to say really on this band which hasn’t ALREADY been said in this very same blog (seen them last year in both Milan and Vienna). The started off with “Rock’n’Roll Train” and followed with: -Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be -Back In Black -Big Jack -Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap -Shot Down In Flames -Thunderstruck -Black Ice -The Jack -Hells Bells -Shoot To Thrill -War Machine -Dog Eat Dog -You Shook Me All Night Long -T.N.T. -Whole Lotta Rosie -Let There Be Rock -Highway To Hell -For Those About To Rock (We Salute You!).

It was also drummer Phil Rudd’s birthday that day (56 years old), so right after “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You!)”, fireworks went off from behind the stage and right over Angus’s famous horned cap (and speaking of horns, the stadium was full of the glowing ones too)! A great night indeed for rock’n’roll fans in Udine! A pity though that unlike Vienna they left out “Anything Goes”. Also, Angus didn’t end up doing his infamous strip-tease during “Bad Boy Boogie”, which lasts almost 13 minutes (he did to it though in Vienna). I’ve noticed in the past (also with The Boss) that depending on where groups play, they “pull” back a wee bit on their performance. After all, Udine ain’t Paris, London or New York…

Nevertheless, all 45,000+ people left the Stadio Friuli exceptionally content with the (exactly) 2 hour-show, which not only ended with “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You!)” but also with fireworks right over the stage, no doubt for both Phil and the fans. The best came after the concert (by the way, thanks to Susan and her contacts with Tim, the band’s manager, we got VIP seats!) as we were invited to the buffet which was graciously offered by the FVG Region. Never ate so well in a long, long time! Good also to take in yet another great concert with my good friend Marco Giacomello from Kingston, Ontario (Bryan Adams’s birthplace). We go back to September, 1983 and the following summer in Toronto we took in The Boss during his epic “Born In The USA Tour”! How nice it was that last year (2009) we again saw The Boss right here in Udine. He’s in the pic in the middle of the wife (on the left) and Susan Masino (all other pics, excluding the ones of the trucks and large AC/DC sign, are by photographers Ricky Moden and Bepi Pappalettera)!

PS My SINCERE thanks from the bottom, top and center of my heart to Susan for the pics of the boys (on the top of this blog entry) which were taken together with her sister Lori in Chicago in August, 2009 by Ross Young, Malcolm's son and Angus's nephew! Grazie Susan!!!!!!!!!!!