For over three decades, AC/DC‘s cannon finale has been one of rock’s most reliable spectacles — a booming, smoke-filled tradition that closes out “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)” night after night without fail. But during the band’s stop at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, August 1, that tradition took an unexpected and unsettling turn.
As the band’s crew wheeled the replica cannons into position for the show’s closing number, one of the props malfunctioned. It dropped unexpectedly and discharged incorrectly, sending a projectile skidding across the stage just inches from where frontman Brian Johnson was standing. The 78-year-old singer visibly flinched and stepped back, clearly caught off guard by how close the misfire had come.
The moment passed quickly. Johnson, after a brief flash of shock, turned his attention back to the crowd and carried on with the performance, finishing out the show without any further disruption.
It’s not the first time Johnson has spoken candidly about the physical toll the cannon segment takes on him. Back in 2012, in an interview with Fox News, he described the wear and tear from decades of standing beneath the pyrotechnics: “I could write a book about standing under the cannon for 30 years. These horrible sparks come out of them, at the end of the show I have burn marks all over my shoulders.”
The Las Vegas gig is part of AC/DC‘s continuing “Power Up” tour, which resumed its North American leg on July 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band is set to keep the tour rolling through the summer, with dates still ahead in Atlanta, Houston, and St. Louis.
The “Power Up” world tour takes its name from AC/DC‘s 2020 album, which topped the charts in 21 countries. The trek began with the band’s long-awaited return to the stage at Power Trip in California in 2023 and has since sold out dozens of stadiums across four continents.
