AC/DC have announced plans to mark their half-century in showbiz by releasing their back catalogue on gold vinyl. The band, who played their first live show on New Years Eve in 1973 at Chequers Nightclub in Sydney, will release the albums on March 15.
In addition to the gold vinyl releases (we're not sure if this will be true metallic "gold" vinyl of the kind they used to occasionally manufacture back in the 1970s, or the dull, mustard-coloured plastic generally advertised as "gold" in 2024), 1979's classic Highway To Hell will be reissued on "Hellfire" vinyl, and the following year's Back In Black will be available as a nifty black and while swirl variant. Each album will be packaged with a 12"x12" print which is, we're told, "suitable for framing."
The first tranche of reissues will include Back In Black, Highway To Hell, The Razors Edge, Powerage, For Those About To Rock (We Salute You), High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Who Made Who and Live, while other albums will follow later in the year. In addition to the vinyl, AC/DC are marking the anniversary with a new range of merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, beer coolers and a "50 years of logo" bar runner. It's all available to pre-order now.
Last week AC/DC announced a 21-date European tour. The run of shows will celebrate the band's return to the road after an eight-year break, and also mark the return to full-time action of frontman Brian Johnson, who was forced to abandon AC/DC's Rock Or Bust trek after developing hearing problems. Since the tour's announcement, three more dates in Seville, Hannover and Dresden have been confirmed. Full dates below.
AC/DC: Power Up tour dates
May 17: Gelsenkirchen Veltins Arena, Germany
May 21: Gelsenkirchen Veltins Arena, Germany
May 25: Reggio Emilia RCF Arena, Italy
May 29: Seville La Cartuja Stadium, Spain
Jun 01: Seville La Cartuja Stadium, Spain
Jun 05: Amsterdam Johan Cruyff Arena, The Netherlands
Jun 09: Munich Olympic Stadium, Germany
Jun 12: Munich Olympic Stadium, Germany
Jun 16: Dresden Messe, Germany
Jun 19: Dresden Messe, Germany
Jun 23: Vienna Ernst Happel Stadium, Austria
Jun 26: Vienna Ernst Happel Stadium, Austria
Jun 29: Zurich Letzigrund Stadium, Switzerland
Jul 03: London Wembley Stadium, UK
Jul 07: London Wembley Stadium, UK
Jul 13: Hockenheim Ring, Germany
Jul 17: Stuttgart Wasen, Germany
Jul 21: Bratislava Old Airport, Slovakia
Jul 27: Nuremberg Zeppelinfeld, Germany
Jul 31: Hannover Messe, Germany
Aug 04: Hannover Messe, Germany
Aug 09: Dessel Festivalpark Stenehei, Belgium
Aug 13: Paris Hippodrome, France
Aug 17: Dublin Croke Park, Ireland
