2016-09-04 Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH

Concert review | Axl stands in well, but guitarist Young soars for AC/DC

By Curtis Schieber

For The Columbus Dispatch • Monday September 5, 2016 12:15 AM

If rock ’n’ roll music school included a course titled “Riffology 101,” it might include the study of a family tree beginning with Chuck Berry, following through Keith Richards and branching to AC/DC’s Angus Young. It could include a couple off-shoots, including one for the Who’s Pete Townshend.

A bunch of all of that was heard Sunday night, as AC/DC held court in the Nationwide Arena, sending shock waves of primal rock electricity through a packed house.

The hall contained a great many fans wearing lighted plastic red horns, which of themselves added little to the experience. When the little red lights swayed like a sea of lighted jellyfish, though, it was plain the electricity had connected.

After more than 40 years of history, a songbook of hits and many personnel changes, the news flash—and the reason for the rescheduled gig last night instead of its original spring date—was the hearing loss of singer Brian Johnson and his replacement this fall with Guns N’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose.

Rose was in better form than he’s been for a while, if not trim, certainly healthy and in fine voice. His delivery of the Australian band’s many hits were full of screaming soul and high-pitched energy, especially songs such as “Rock ’n’ Roll Damnation” and “Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder,” the latter being only one of two selections played from AC/DC’s newest release, “ Rock Or Bust.”

The real story, however, was the same as it has been for the band’s entire career: founding guitarist Angus Young and his unforgettable, if simple, riffs. If Axl’s vocals weren’t present on many of last night’s tunes, the effect may have been just about as powerful.

That said, Axl augmented all of it, especially the songs that not only included Young’s greatest riffs, but powerhouse grooves from the band’s rhythm section, which included drummer Chris Slade, bassist Cliff Williams and rhythm guitarist Stevie Young.

“Thunderstruck,” one of the evening’s highlights before an early deadline called this reviewer, was a towering confluence of riff and groove, an overwhelming combination of a grinding guitar part with a gigantic beat.

Even when the beat was just hard, though, Young’s riffs defined the night. From echoing the Who on more than one song to providing the blueprint for songs by the likes of Van Halen, his play accomplished a workmanlike function, providing the soul for some great rock ’n’ roll.

www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2016/09/05/concert-review-ac-dc.html