AC/DC performed its first present in seven years Saturday evening (October 7) on the Energy Journey pageant in Indio, California.

The legendary onerous rockers ran by a 24-song set to shut out day two of the three-day occasion at Empire Polo Membership.

AC/DC‘s efficiency marked the primary time the band opened its set with “If You Need Blood (You’ve got Acquired It)”. The live performance additionally included reside debuts for 2 tracks from 2020’s “Energy Up” album, “Demon Hearth” and “Shot In The Darkish”.

AC/DC‘s setlist was as follows:

01. If You Need Blood (You’ve got Acquired It)
02. Again In Black
03. Demon Hearth (Stay Debut)
04. Shot Down In Flames
05. Thunderstruck
06. Have A Drink On Me
07. Hells Bells
08. Shot In The Darkish (Stay Debut)
09. Stiff Higher Lip (First Time Since 2003)
10. Soiled Deeds Finished Grime Low cost
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. Sin Metropolis
13. Givin The Canine A Bone
14. Rock ‘N’ Roll Practice
15. You Shook Me All Evening Lengthy
16. Canine Eat Canine (first efficiency with Brian Johnson since 2009)
17. Excessive Voltage
18 Hell Ain’t A Dangerous Place To Be
19. Riff Raff (first efficiency with Brian Johnson since 1996)
20. Freeway To Hell
21. Entire Lotta Rosie
22. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

23. T.N.T.
24. For These About To Rock (We Salute You)

AC/DC recruited drummer Matt Laug to carry out with the band at Energy Journey.

The 55-year-old Laug is an American drummer who has performed with many bands/artists reminiscent of Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH’S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence Excessive Faculty in 1986 and after attending faculty in L.A., Matt turned a sought-after studio drummer.

In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as a part of SLASH’S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the “Stiff Higher Lip” tour.

In its announcement, AC/DC provided no rationalization for the absence of the band’s longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group’s comeback album, “Energy Up”, which got here out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of residence detention by a New Zealand courtroom in 2015 after pleading responsible to prices of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was changed on the band’s “Rock Or Bust” tour by Chris Slade, who had beforehand served as AC/DC‘s drummer between 1989 and 1994, taking part in on the album “The Razor’s Edge”.

Rudd, who appeared on all however three of AC/DC‘s 18 earlier studio albums, toured in help of his 2014 solo debut, “Head Job”. It was the discharge of that album that led not directly to Rudd‘s arrest, with the drummer allegedly so indignant at a private assistant over the way in which the report was promoted that he threatened to have the person and his daughter killed.

Throughout an look on a November 2020 episode of Dean Delray‘s “Let There Be Discuss” podcast, Rudd confirmed that the seed for his return to AC/DC was planted on the funeral of AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Younger in 2017. Rudd, singer Brian Johnson and bassist Cliff Williams all attended the ceremony. On the time, the three musicians have been thought of former members of AC/DC, with Johnson and Williams each having left in 2016 for well being causes, whereas Rudd was sidelined in 2015 with varied authorized points.

“Angus and I had a superb chat at Mal‘s funeral and caught up,” Rudd recalled. “[After I played on the ‘Rock Or Bust’ record] there was loopy shit happening, however since then, I would acquired my shit collectively and put slightly band collectively, I went to Europe and was doing a little bit of taking part in and stuff and did [a solo] album. The blokes knew I used to be nonetheless taking part in, so after I caught up with Angus on the funeral, we have been type of chatting away and someway, he simply type of [asked me] if I used to be up for [doing a new AC/DC] album. And he began writing the subsequent day. He went within the studio and began writing immediately.”

Angus instructed Rolling Stone that it was certainly Malcolm‘s funeral that helped heal outdated wounds.

“[Phil] was there and in fine condition,” the guitarist mentioned. “He was holding himself nicely collectively. He was getting remedy and sorting himself out. It was actually good.”

Johnson added that he and the remainder of AC/DC welcomed Rudd with open arms. “I converse for all of the boys with Phil,” he mentioned. “We defend Phil to the hilt. What occurred up there, that is not the Phil we all know. That was simply one thing else. He is actually trying sensible now and doing every thing nice.”

AC/DC postponed the final 10 dates of its spring 2016 North American trek after Johnson was suggested to cease taking part in reside or “danger whole listening to loss.” The band went on to finish the European and North American legs of its “Rock Or Bust” tour with GUNS N’ ROSES frontman Axl Rose as a “visitor vocalist.” On the time, Johnson had been AC/DC‘s singer for 36 years, ever since changing the late Bon Scott in 1980 and making his debut on the traditional “Again In Black” album.

To allow him to carry out reside with AC/DC once more, Johnson labored with audio knowledgeable Stephen Ambrose, who mentioned he may assist resolve the singer’s listening to issues.

Ambrose, who invented the wi-fi in-ear displays which can be broadly utilized by touring artists at the moment, claimed to have invented a brand new kind of ear-bud that might enable Johnson to carry out with out inflicting additional injury to his eardrums. After three years of experimenting and “miniaturizing” the tools, Johnson beforehand mentioned the know-how may enable him to tour once more.