If there’s one criticism that often gets levelled at AC/DC, it’s that their music was far too simplistic. The only trouble with this statement, however, is that this was exactly the point behind the band’s ethos.
The Australian hard rock group never took things too seriously, but they just happened to be good at their craft and able to entertain audiences on the largest stage. Whether or not you’re a genuine fan of their work, their commitment to their own identity is something that deserves to be recognised and applauded, and the fact that they’ve continued to deliver on this front since the 1970s is testament to how solid that identity has always been.
Nothing has ever exemplified their desire to have fun more than their lyrical content, which, while often risque in nature, has always come loaded with good humour and a cheeky smirk. On top of their schoolboy style of joking, the fact that lead guitarist Angus Young has also spent his entire career parading around the stage in an ill-fitting school uniform should only further underline why their refusal to take things seriously has been such a longstanding part of who they are.
AC/DC were perhaps at their most fun during the 1970s, just after they’d begun to get worldwide recognition and were embarking on gigantic tours across the globe. During this period, they still had their lead vocalist, Bon Scott, at the helm, and both his delivery and presence, whether in a commanding or jocular fashion, were a major factor in their success.
Barely anything could stand in the way of them achieving their aims of becoming the biggest rock band in the world at this point, and following the releases of High Voltage and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap to widespread acclaim, it was clear that their ascent was unlikely to show any signs of relenting.
That might be quite a tough thing to comprehend or grapple with in the moment, as success can also come with an inevitable addition of pressure, but the band were all incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be doing exactly what they loved.
Scott in particular was thrilled to be travelling around the world with his closest friends and performing to audiences that loved him, and during a 1977 tour of the UK, he confessed to journalist Harry Doherty, who was on the road with the band, that being in AC/DC was everything that he could have wanted from life, and that they embodied all of the things that were most important to him.
While travelling between stops on their tour, Scott turned to Doherty and pensively proclaimed, “Dunno what I’d do without this band, y’know. I live for it. We’re a real down ’n’ dirty lot. The songs reflect just what we are – booze, wimmen, sex, rock’n’roll. That’s what life’s all about.”
This is hardly a strong philosophical statement, but it is entirely typical of the man who lived his life to the fullest while capturing the essence of the no-nonsense rock and roll that AC/DC were creating. If anyone else had said this, we’d probably be scoffing, but for Scott, you know that this is exactly what his idea of heaven is like, and you’ve got to hand it to him.
