AC/DC is one of those rare bands that has always avoided doing any kind of unplugged version of their songs. An AC/DC track always sounds exactly how it’s meant to—blaring through a Gibson SG (Angus) and a Gretsch (Malcolm), backed by a wall of Marshall amps.
The closest we’ve ever come to an unplugged AC/DC performance, at least to my knowledge, was during a Howard Stern interview, likely from March 2003. I searched the internet for the full interview but could only find this short clip. Still, it’s amazing to hear the band on acoustic guitars, and if you haven’t seen or heard it yet, check it out below (I’ll update the link if it gets removed from YouTube).
It’s also amusing to watch Artie Lange jump in and take a shot at singing a verse.
Interestingly, there’s another clip from the Howard Stern Show featuring just Brian and Angus performing a “simplified” version of the same song. This clip seems to be from an even earlier interview, possibly around 1997.
What’s particularly interesting in the second interview is that Angus is playing a Gibson SG Junior with a single P-90 pickup in the bridge position. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him with this guitar, despite having looked through hundreds of photos while researching for Angus Young’s Gear Page.
It still sounds awesome, even though it’s likely being played through a small practice amp.
Once again, I couldn’t find the full interview, but I’m curious—why is it always “You Shook Me All Night Long”? Was it Howard’s favorite song?
Leave a Reply