As AC/DC prepared to launch their first Australian tour in nearly a decade, the city of Melbourne celebrated the band’s return in monumental fashion. A massive ensemble of 374 bagpipers convened in the city’s Federation Square to pay tribute to the band and their late, legendary frontman, Bon Scott, by performing the AC/DC classic “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll).”
The gathering wasn’t just a tribute; it was an official world record. The 374 pipers officially became the world’s largest bagpipe ensemble, shattering the previous record of 333 performers set in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2012. Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece was present to accept an Australian Book for Records certificate recognizing the achievement.
The location of the tribute was deeply significant. The performance took place just a short distance from Swanston Street, the iconic location where AC/DC filmed the original 1976 music video for the song, which famously featured Bon Scott playing the bagpipes on the back of a flatbed truck.
This city-wide celebration set the stage for AC/DC‘s massive show later that evening at the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground. The concert, the first on the Australian leg of their “Power Up” tour, was a triumphant return for the band.
The band had their own tribute to the Bon Scott era in store for the 80,000 fans in attendance. During the 21-song set, AC/DC performed the classic track “Jailbreak” live for the first time since 1991, shocking the Melbourne crowd.
The full setlist for the Melbourne Cricket Ground show was as follows:
- “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)“
- “Back in Black“
- “Demon Fire“
- “Shot Down in Flames“
- “Thunderstruck“
- “Have a Drink on Me“
- “Hells Bells“
- “Shot in the Dark“
- “Stiff Upper Lip“
- “Highway to Hell“
- “Shoot to Thrill“
- “Sin City“
- “Jailbreak“
- “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap“
- “High Voltage“
- “Riff Raff“
- “You Shook Me All Night Long“
- “Whole Lotta Rosie“
- “Let There Be Rock“
Encore:
- “T.N.T.“
- “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)“
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