Scott Ian and Nikki Sixx to Form AC/DC Tribute Band in Honor of Bon Scott
“I’m going to do my best to honor Malcolm’s [Young] mastery. And I’m going to bang my f***** head playing songs from my favorite AC/DC record.”
– Scott Ian
In an interview with Blabbermouth, Scott Ian of Anthrax has confirmed that his signature percussive guitar playing will be featured in AC/DC Comedy & Rock Show: A Tribute To Bon Scott, which will be happening on April 3 at the Avalon in Hollywood. Ian, along with other musicians will play the entire AC/DC 1978 album Powerage.
Some of the musicians who’ll be joining him are Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, Eagles of Death Metal vocalist Jesse Hughes, Velvet Revolver rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner, and legendary metal bassist Rudy Sarzo who’s played alongside Ozzy, Whitesnake, and Dio.
Apart from this talented lineup, several stand-up comics will be performing as well. This includes Dean Delray who organized the event, WTF podcast’s Marc Maron, America’s angry uncle Bill Burr, and master storyteller / honorary rock star Joey Diaz. The comedians will be doing their sets before the super band launches into their version of the iconic album.
You really can’t go wrong with Powerage. Ultimate Classic Rock believes it is an underrated classic: “…signature marriage of straight-ahead Angus Young guitar riffing and Bon Scott vocal pyrotechnics that made the band’s early work so compelling”. Keith Richards, Eddie Van Halen, and members of Guns N’ Roses have all called Powerage one of their favorite AC/DC albums.
It really is an amazing album, and seeing as how some of the best rock musicians on the planet are set to play it together live, part of us wishes that they were also planning to cover more from AC/DC’s repertoire.
While Brain Johnson (1980-2016) is now more closely associated with the band, it was the initial work of Bon Scott, alongside Angus and Malcolm Young that set the foundations for one of the greatest rock bands in music. After creating two domestic albums in Australia, AC/DC broke into the global stage with the 1976 album High Voltage. The album features some of the band’s most famous songs to date including It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll), T.N.T, High Voltage, and The Jack, which Party Poker calls one of the greatest poker songs ever. While it may not have the raw power of Powerage, or the later albums, High Voltage was how most of the world first heard AC/DC, and it would have been great if the tribute show had included some tracks from it.
Remarkably, Bon Scott was with AC/DC for just five fiery years before he died at age 33. But as Classic Rock recounts he did more than enough to cement his place in history as arguably the greatest rock frontman of all time. If you need more proof, just go to the Avalon in Hollywood on April 3 and listen to some of the best living rock musicians pay tribute to the man.
“They say to me: ‘Are you AC, or DC?’ And I say: ‘Neither, I’m the lightning!'”
– Bon Scott
