The AC/DC Show

AC/DC had been around for a few years, and had a hard-core following. It was very obvious the people at the show  were there to see them. That didn't bother me at all, but I knew we were truly the opening act on this night. Usually people at a concert can't wait for the opening act to finish, because they come to see the headliner, and an opening act is just delaying that. But I had been at shows where opening acts had been sleepers, and had surprised and won over a hostile or indifferent crowd...and on this night, I was determined to make sure that we "shocked the hell" out of 1800 AC/DC fans. I looked at the stage, and the nearly impossible playing conditions we were putting up with...and I got angry. And anger can make for some very good rock n' roll. Back in our dressing room, I put out some hefty lines for the band and crew, and gave the kind of speech a coach gives a team before the big game. The only thing that mattered was...we had to have our best night ever. I reminded them all of the nightmare sound check..and that the best thing we could do...was to prove that, no matter what...you just can't keep a great band down. We were feeling very pumped up when we headed downstairs, and the crowd became aware of the fact that we meant business as we strapped on our guitars, and played a few riffs to check the amps and monitors. It felt as though they were at least going to give us a chance...and see what we could do. And we were determined to make sure that it the best set we had ever played. We exploded with Little Miss Sad Eyes and immediately followed up with I'm Gonna Give My Love...I knew that if the AC/DC fans who hadn't realized who we were, could make the mental connection to us and those two heavily played radio songs, the rest of our set would be taken much more seriously. And it worked. Somewhere into our third song, Mark Brett, motioned to me to look to my right...and there, leaning against the wall, were all the guys in AC/DC. They were very intent, and they didn't leave that spot for our entire set. They were taking us very seriously. We played ferociously and relentlessly. When we were called back for an encore...I knew that we had made a real impression...not only on the crowd...but on AC/DC, too.