Page 11 - Classic Rock (February 2020)
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AC/DC at the Nashville “They turned up at the
Rooms in London in 1976.
Below: Bon Scott points to the
Nashville as a pub-rock band”
direction the band are headed.
New photo-book documents AC/DC’s early years.
A new limited-edition coffee-table book showcases to get on with, and although I was slightly older than
AC/DC’s years of 1976 to 1981, a period in the band’s them the gap wasn’t too massive, so we had an easy
history that most fans consider peerless. Big Balls is connection,” Barnatt continues. “For instance, the book
a 272-page, largely pictorial tome that pulls together has a shot of Bon with his teeth hanging out. That was
photos from the photographers Dick Barnatt, Michael a suggestion from Bon – ‘Here, Dick, get a shot of this.’
Putland, Fin Costello, George Bodnar and Martyn I didn’t even know he had false teeth. But he thought it
Goddard, covering AC/DC from their first visit to would make an amusing photo.
the UK up to their headlining spot at the second “That wouldn’t happen today,” he adds. “A band
Monsters Of Rock festival a half-decade later. At Castle wouldn’t want to be seen in such a light. The record label
Donington, with Brian Johnson having replaced the would pounce on me and prevent it. But AC/DC didn’t
late, great Bon Scott on vocals, and part of a bill that want any of that idiocy. They did anything they liked.”
also included Whitesnake, Blue That freedom included
Öyster Cult, Blackfoot, Slade writing a paean to a venereal
and More, they were watched disease: “The song of theirs that
by 85,000 fans. I remember most was The Jack
As an in-house photographer – either Angus or Bon had to
for Atlantic Records, Dick explain to me that it was about
Barnatt got to work closely with the clap,” Barnatt laughs.
the band after he’d watched AC/DC went on to become
them at the Nashville Rooms superstars of rock music.
in London on the Sounds In some ways it’s unfair to
magazine-sponsored Lock Up ask whether, on the basis
Your Daughters tour in 1976. of the gig at the Nashville
On these two pages are two Rooms, Barnatt could have
photos from that same gig: one foreseen such an explosion
of a bare-chested Scott pointing in popularity. But let’s ask
skywards, the another of lead him anyway.
guitarist Angus Young caught “No, never in a million
mid-leap, a couple of years!” he replies. “Don’t get
feet above the stage. © DICK BARNATT & RUFUS PUBLICATIONS me wrong, I knew they were
“Bon couldn’t give a good band, but you had to
a stuff about taking off understand that punk music
his shirt to reveal his was happening around them.
chest in a London pub,” Also, through Atlantic I’d
Dick Barnatt remembers been working with the Heavy
fondly. “It was so hard “These were the times Metal Kids, who I considered
to photograph Angus, to be another great band,
because he moved so of punk rock… There and they never really made
fast and the Nashville it. Along came AC/DC, and
Rooms had no real was an audience of I realised they were as good as
lighting. I had to use twenty-five at most.” the HMK if not better, but the
a flash. Even when they context of the scene made that
moved up to the bigger venues it was tough kind of prediction an incredibly rash one. Maybe the
to get anything decent, because he was like reason that AC/DC did so well was that they built their
a streak of lightning.” audience over a long period of time; they were not an
Barnatt had gone along to the Nashville overnight success.”
Rooms gig without knowing what the band All these decades later, Barnatt has no real
looked like; he had no clue that Angus dressed relationship with the AC/DC camp (Big Balls is an
as a schoolboy. unofficial book), although Mark Evans, the group’s bass
“These were the times of punk rock, so for player during a period of the era covered in the book,
me it was a real eye-opener,” he says. “The has written a foreword and personally signed each of its
other important thing was that there was an 500 numbered copies.
audience of twenty-five people at the most. “Apart from Mark I don’t see them at all, and of course
AC/DC had turned up at the Nashville almost Angus is pretty much the only one left,” Barnatt says.
as a small pub-rock band, but when they “Let’s just say they move in very different circles to me
performed it was with no holds barred.” now. What I’d really like to do some day is a book on
In ’76, AC/DC were touring their album Atlantic Records, as I worked with most of their roster,
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Angus and his from the soul side of things to Zeppelin and Yes.”
rhythm guitarist brother Malcolm were Big Balls also includes a lengthy essay from
21 and 22 years old respectively, Bon Scott writer Howard Johnson. It costs £175 from www.
approaching 30. “They were a very easy band rufuspublications.com/rufusbooks/ACDC DL
This month The Dirt was compiled by Lee Dorrian, Dave Everley, Polly Glass, Rob Hughes, Dave Ling, Henry Yates.
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