AC/DC Live at River Plate cranks the voltage to eleven and delivers everything that a fan would expect: heavy distortion, growly vocals, devil horns and yes, a wrinkled Angus Young prancing around in a school-boy uniform.

The live concert DVD documents AC/DC’s critically acclaimed world tour from December 2009. The Black Ice tour was in support of their most recent album that debuted at #1 in 31 countries and the tour itself earned the band a Pollstar Award for Major Tour of the Year in 2010.

Directed by David Mallet, the concert was shot entirely in HD by 32 cameras. The 110-minute distortion fiesta showcases the Australian band’s historical return to Buenos Aires after a 13-year absence from Argentina, where they attacked their four-decade catalogue in front of nearly 200,000 fans.

The set begins with a video montage of band avatar’s arriving on a “Rock’N'Roll Train” and drove through their signature gratifying crunch for several songs including the crowd pleaser: “Back in Black”. Close your eyes and you’ll find Brian Johnson’s shrieks and the Young brother’s riff-a-palooza are as flawless, if not executed with more conviction, as their earlier days.

“Big Jack” offers a refreshing break from the high-voltage monster rhythm section provided by Angus and Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd. The bluesy number reeks of Johnson’s now classic hormonal urges and Angus’ strip tease, ending in AC/DC boxers, a self-parody of his old trademark mooning. Not since Gene Simmons has a rockstar been so proud to shamelessly promote their own brand.

Popular classics like “Dirty Deeds” and “Thunderstruck” rip the sea of metal heads into a tidal-wave of shattered harmonies that was totally reminiscent of a soccer game, it goes to prove that these songs were made to be stadium rock anthems. The new tracks appear like nostalgic updated creations of their greatest hits collection, however they deliver the same signature stomp. Johnson continues to consistently whip out a seemingly endless arsenal of squeals to his macho lyrics of sex, booze and broads.

By the time Johnson chimes in “Hells Bells” by swinging himself on the pendulum, Angus’ admirable energy is maximized by the moshpit of a crowd. Ten songs into the concert and there is no sign of stopping the congregation of biker dudes and metal heads.

And no surprise, there are various long-haired youngsters grinning at high volumes and quite an array of MILFs reliving their eighties’ fantasies.

Angus channels his inner-Jimmy Page as the 56-year-old viciously machine guns through a 20-minute solo as he joyfully parades around the stage in his famous duckwalking. His brother, Malcolm, channels his inner Cruela DeVille and nails it.

“He has the devil in his fingers and blues in his soul!” proclaims Johnson as they strut together down the train-track cat walk.

Canons are set ablaze during “For Those About to Rock”  and fireworks signal the end of a powerhouse evening.

The DVD will also feature an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the tour.

AC/DC Live at River Plate DVD and Blu-Ray will hit shelves on May 10th. A limited edition collector’s edition with an exclusive t-shirt will also be available. Go to www.ACDC.com or www.amazon.com to pre-order!

AC/DC Live At River Plate – Track Listing:

1. Rock N Roll Train
2. Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be
3. Back In Black
4. Big Jack
5. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
6. Shot Down In Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hells Bells
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. You Shook Me All Night Long
15. T.N.T.
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. Let There Be Rock
18. Highway To Hell
19. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

U2 is at the top of Billboard’s musician money charts, reports CBC. The band earned $108.9 million in 2009.

The Irish rockers were also the top touring act of the year, selling 1.3 million tickets for the 20 shows on their 360 Degree world tour. The tour – still ongoing – is the most expensive one in history.

The 2009 earnings chart placed Bruce Springsteen in second with $57.6 million and Madonna, who earned $47 million, in third. Also on the list of last year’s top earners were AC/DC, Britney Spears, Pink, Jonas Brothers, Coldplay, Kenny Chesney and Metallica.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to four years in jail and three years probation after stabbing a man who insulted the rock band AC/DC, according to CHARTattack.

James Ivision, 37, reportedly invited a 22-year-old man back to his room at a Furby Street rooming house in October of 2008. They had a few beers and listened to music. Ivision was playing AC/DC at the time, and the man started insulting the band. Then he started questioning Ivision’s sexual orientation.

This angered Ivision, who responded by stabbing the man with a kitchen knife. The man, who had grabbed a frying pan, was stabbed three times in the chest and two times in the stomach.

The victim was hospitalized in critical condition, but was discharged the next day because none of his vital organs were injured. Both men are said to have criminal records.

Here’s hoping AC/DC doesn’t get insulted at these upcoming shows:

Nov. 12 Mexico City, Mexico @ Foro Sol
Nov. 15 El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
Nov. 19 Orlando, FL @ Amway Arena
Nov. 21 San Juan, Puerto Rico @ Coliseo De Puerto Rico

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

So we apologize for the lack of editing finesse on this one but we wanted to get it up ASAP. Meet Spencer “Young Angus” Grabinsky, a 12 year old who joins AC/DC cover bands across Ontario. The good people at Sony Music Canada caught wind about him and asked Spencer to play around Toronto to celebrate the launch of the AC/DC Box set, where we caught up with him. This is what Sony Music Canada says about the box – The comprehensive collection of the band’s studio and live rarities together in one place, remastered to sound better than ever (many on CD for the first time), on 3 CDs and 1 LP. 2 DVDs brings “Family Jewels” up to date plus the entire 2003 Circus Krone gig. A 164 page hard-cover book, collectible merchandise reproductions, and a working guitar amp make this a must-have for true AC/DC fans.

Check out Angus playing through the amp here: http://www.acdcbacktracks.com/pages/3999219/

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

AC/DC have added a handful of Canadian stops to their world tour in support of the multi-platinum “Black Ice.”

The Australian rock icons’ first stop in Canada will be as headliners at the Magnetic Hill Music Festival near Moncton, N.B., on Aug. 6. Tickets for the gig, which marks the band’s debut in Atlantic Canada, go on sale April 17 at 10 a.m.

The band will then go on to a slew of shows all over North America, including Montreal, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton and Vancouver, with more dates pending. Tickets for the confirmed Canadian shows go on sale April 18 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

“Black Ice,” AC/DC’s fifteenth studio album, was released last October and went on to become the best-selling album in Canada last year. The single “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train” also earned the group a Grammy nod for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals at this year’s awards.

The band will kick off a three-month jaunt through Europe with a sold-out show at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday.

Here are AC/DC’s upcoming Canadian dates:
- Aug. 6 – Moncton, NB (Magnetic Hill Music Festival)
- Aug. 8 – Montreal, QC (Olympic Stadium)
- Aug. 22 – Winnipeg, MB (Canad Inns Stadium)
- Aug. 24 – Regina, SK (Mosaic Stadium)
- Aug. 26 – Edmonton, AB (Commonwealth Stadium)
- Aug. 29 – Vancouver, BC (BC Place)

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Canadians put the Aussies on top in 2008, but the Brits came in a close second.

According to Neilsen SoundScan, AC/DC’s “Black Ice” was Canada’s best-selling album last year, with the veteran rockers selling 341,000 copies of their first disc in eight years.

Coldplay followed closely with “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends,” which sold 334,000 copies.

The British band’s fourth studio album did claim the No. 1 spot in the digital album category, with 46,700 downloads.

The top-ranking Canuck acts were Nickelback, whose “Dark Horse” was No. 4 on the best-selling albums list, and City & Colour, whose “Bring Me Your Love” was No. 8 in digital album sales.

On the whole, Canadians were buying more music in 2008, with overall music sales — including albums, singles, music videos and digital tracks — rising 11.5 per cent from 2007.

However, overall album sales decreased 8.5 per cent from 2007.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

AC/DC want fans to get out the video camera for a chance to win some sweet prizes.

The Australian rockers are asking people to upload their own video for “Rock & Roll Train,” the first single off the band’s new album “Black Ice,” to YouTube with the tag “ACDCGiveItAllYouGot.”

The prizes include an Angus Young signature model Gibson SG and a Malcolm Young signature model Gretsch G6131MY signed by AC/DC, along with five signed copies of “Black Ice”.

More information about the contest can be found at the band’s official website here.

AC/DC will support their latest record, which hits stores Oct. 20, with the “Black Ice World Tour.” It kicks off Oct. 28 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and marks the band’s first world tour since 2001.

Eighteen of the shows sold out in record time, with tickets for Toronto’s Rogers Centre selling faster than any stadium concert in the venue’s history.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

AC/DC fans have been waiting eight years for new music from the hard rock band. Now, the wait is over.

The Australian rockers have officially announced that they will release an album this year.

“The waiting is almost over! AC/DC fans can expect the band’s next album of new material sometime later this year,” the band said on its website Friday, according to CBC.ca.

“The band are currently recording in Vancouver with producer Brendan O’Brien and long-time audio engineer Mike Fraser,” they added. O’Brien seems to have a magic touch as he has lent his musical expertise to other legendary bands including Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and Velvet Revolver.

AC/DC’s last album, Stiff Upper Lip, rose to No. 7 on the Billboard charts and allowed the band to take their act on the road with a year-long world tour.
There is no word yet on whether the band will tour with this album but lead singer Brian Johnson is confident.

“Everybody’s enjoying being back together again and the buzz is still there and the excitement,” he said to Los Angeles radio station KLSX Free FM.

AC/DC has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and sold more than 150 million albums worldwide. The band’s remaining original members are founding brothers Malcolm and Angus Young.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance