By Photojournalist Chaz Dykes of Chaz D Photography

Under the warm Florida night on May 16, 2025, AC/DC detonated Raymond James Stadium with the kind of no frills, high voltage rock show that made their legend. Seventy year old Angus Young—still schoolboy suited—whipped across the stage in endless duck walks, peeling off solos during “Thunderstruck” and “Shoot to Thrill” as if four decades hadn’t passed. At center mic, 77 year old Brian Johnson’s gravel edge howl sliced through the humid air, rallying 60,000 fans on every chorus of “Back in Black” and “Hells Bells.” The production stacked towering amps against a wall of LED screens, showering the crowd in strobes while the rhythm section hammered each riff with locomotive precision.

For me, the spectacle carried an electric déjà vu: I first saw AC/DC as a teenager at Hampton Coliseum in Virginia, and Friday’s show felt like that night writ stadium size. The years have only added pyrotechnic muscle—none more dramatic than the finale. When the opening chords of “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” rang out, a battery of cannons ringed the stage. With every chorus, multiple blasts thundered through the stadium, rattling seats and lighting the sky in fiery flashes while Angus spun in circles, riffs screaming from his SG. As the smoke drifted over the field and Brian shouted the song’s final salute, the crowd answered with a roar that said what the booming guns had already proven: AC/DC still fires on all cylinders, and rock and roll still belongs to the loud.

For more about AC/DC and the Power up tour visit: https://www.acdc.com/tour/

Now go out and see some Live Music!!!