Cover Image: AC/DC light up Optus Stadium with a massive stage reveal as Brian Johnson and Angus Young take their positions for a thunderous opener. Photo by Adrian Thomson.

AC/DC, Amyl and the Sniffers
Optus Stadium, 4 December 2025

It’s remarkable what Angus Young can do with just one hand. While his left hand traverses the fretboard of his Gibson SG, half the time his right arm is extended high into the air, one finger pointed at the heavens.

At this stage he looks like Australia’s answer to Keith Richards and Mick Jagger all rolled into one unkillable machine, and his prayers to the gods of thunder and lightning are clearly working. So far, this evergreen 70-year old schoolboy has had all the moves, grooves and swagger to conquer hell’s bells. He’s certainly doing something right.

Opening their Power Up tour appropriately with If You Want Blood (You Got It), nothing was left on the table, and it wasn’t long before the hits came thick and fast. Back in Black second track in was an immediate revelation, and it was only a couple of tracks later that the impressive screen display lit up with lightning cracking over mountaintops for the signature riff of Thunderstruck. Awe-struck, more like.

The thing about peaking early is maintaining the rage, and Accadacca did that for two hours straight. Whether it was Hells Bells ringing out or a simply epic ode to our very own Highway to Hell (it’s about Canning Highway, didn’t you know?), as Shoot to Thrill marked one of five songs from 1980’s best-seller Back in Black, we were barely at the halfway mark.

It was the Brian Johnson and Angus Young show at that point. Both looking fit as fiddles and with vigour to burn, the rest of the band was scarcely sighted despite the likes of ex-Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and Young’s nephew Stevie Young on rhythm guitar.

Actually, there was at least one other star sharing on Thursday night. Amy Taylor from Amyl and the Sniffers made her presence felt with a slew of two-minute punk bursts, fresh from dominating the ARIAs and international stages everywhere in recent months. Big Dreams and Knifey were early standouts while Jerkin’ was an amusingly emasculating affair and Hertz is already a modern Australian road trip anthem (“Take me to the beach/ Take me to the country!”)

And talk about getting the support band treatment; our own Southern River Band were bizarrely two songs in before the speakers were even turned on. It felt like a riot was in the offing until suddenly this was remedied and the crowd went up as one, just in time for their best loved tunes including The Streets Don’t Lie and Vice City III.

The Angus and Brian show continued well into the second half of AC/DC’s set, as Jailbreak announced the run of classics home with Johnson exclaiming, “Freedom! Spotlights! Sirens!” and it was joyous. From there, Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap) was a singalong statement; static visuals greeted High Voltage; and the crowd rose as one for song-of-the-night You Shook Me All Night Long.

Johnson held his own throughout as probably the greatest replacement of all time for a legendary vocalist (RIP Bon Scott). But the last portion of the night was all about Angus, and the 15-minute blues explosion of shredding on Let There Be Rock was a force of nature unto itself, played entirely solo and at blistering speed. Devil horns lit up Optus Stadium like the genius interactive merch move they are.

An encore of T.N.T. and For Those About to Rock brought cannons and additional pyrotechnics for one more victory lap, and to the last AC/DC reminded us why, exactly 50 years on from debut album High Voltage, they’ve had more staying power than any other Australian band. Ever. Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it; no wonder these 70-year olds still talk about shaking us all night long.

AC/DC play Optus Stadium for a second night on Monday 8 December. Tickets from AC/DC Perth tickets | Optus Stadium | Ticketek Australia.