POP MUSIC REVIEW : AC/DC’s Old Songs Still Work

How long can a band fall back on its laurels? For metal mainstay AC/DC, the answer is a verrrry long time.

Wednesday’s packed show at the Long Beach Arena was peppered with hits from the days when Bon Scott fronted the band. Scott died in 1980, a year when many of the excited kids in the Long Beach audience were still in grade school, but vintage songs such as “Dirty Deeds,” “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Back in Black” were received even more enthusiastically than the numbers from the band’s latest LP, “Blow Up Your Video.” Tonight’s Irvine Meadows show should offer more of the same.

AC/DC can pull off a night of 80% golden oldies because its material has survived over the years without becoming dated. Angus Young’s classic guitar crunch and schoolboy uniform also carry a perennial charm. However, the graceful but goofy Young often grabbed too much of the spotlight, and his charisma unfairly overshadowed bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Simon Wright, whose thumping heartbeat adds just as much to the band’s grab-you-by-the-throat persona. Screeching singer Brian Johnson will never be Bon Scott, but his grittiness perfectly accentuates AC/DC’s signature sound.

The brilliant lighting helped highlight the real stars of this show: the songs. Unfortunately, these great tunes were often extended by pointless instrumental interludes. With masculine, earthy music like this, it’s best to make your point and move on quickly.

After such a long, successful career, it’s a mystery why AC/DC takes on weak opening acts such as White Lion. These guys are not as wimpy live as they are on MTV, but they are nevertheless self-consciously commercial. Add calculated dynamics and you’ve got a bad start to a good evening.