AC/DC Shoot to Thrill at Northwest Stadium
Words by Matt Bailey
Photos by Kyle Gustafson
Time for all the corny AC-in-DC jokes.
The band that created a music that defined a generation is back on tour. And multiple generations have chosen to “Power Up” with AC/DC as they trot across the globe with their beloved frontman Brian Johnson.
Johnson — who took leave due to a punctured eardrum — returned to work in 2018 and triumphantly returned live with his band of nearly five decades in 2023 — was in fine form all night in a recent appearance at Northwest Stadium. “Back in Black” and “Thunderstruck” were early bangers that showed Johnson’s unique warble is still in fighting shape.
Wearing his ripped-up mechanics shirt and trademark cap on May 12, Johnson told the crowd, “It’s been too long! But we’re gonna do what we did the last time; play some rock and roll and have a party.”
And party they did. The blasted through 21 songs in just over two hours. This tour may be in support of 2020’s Power Up record, but they only did one new song. Instead, crowd pleasers “Hell’s Bells,” “Shoot to Thrill,” and “Sin City” took up the setlist.
It’s hard to understate how emotional it is to Johnson back on stage. In 2016, he worried he’d have to give it up. Now, arms stretched as he beamed and walked sideways across the stage to the grove, the quit has been thusly rocked out of him. You’ll pry that mic from Johnson’s cold, dead hands.
With a catalogue of mostly head-banging hard rock, the bluesy “Have a Drink on Me” stood out. As did the thumping “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” the drums and bass cajoling the whole venue into a rock and roll stupor.
Watch the official live video for “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” on YouTube:
Another standout: Angus Young, his guitar shredding, and that fancy footwork. Wearing a red velvet iteration of his classic schoolboy uniform, he seemed almost ageless. He hit his licks while trotting up and down the stage’s runway in that signature, leggy way of his. He still moved with the swift, impish pitter-patter of a child who escaped his bedroom on Christmas to find Santa left him a guitar he shouldn’t yet be playing. The others ceded the stage to him for an epic 15-minute solo toward the end of the main set — a shining moment for the remaining Young brother and human embodiment of the AC/DC legacy.
You can’t front or backload an AC/DC show with the most beloved songs. Because their whole body of work is such a part of pop culture. This means that the crowd at Northwest Stadium held on for dear life, rocking out all night long to every note. If this is the Highway to Hell, we’re all on it for life.
The Pretty Reckless, fronted by Taylor Momsen, opened the show! Keep scrolling for photos of The Pretty Reckless.
Here are some photos of AC/DC performing live at Northwest Stadium on May 12, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Kyle Gustafson.
Here are some photos of The Pretty Reckless opening AC/DC at Northwest Stadium on May 12, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Kyle Gustafson.
