Bon Scott’s final show with AC/DC
The tale of Bon Scott is seeped in tragedy. The former AC/DC frontman lived in the fast lane, throwing caution to the wind, a lifestyle that eventually led to his demise in 1980. At the time, AC/DC were riding high after finally breaking through after many years of trying, but while at the top of their game, they lost the jewel in their crown.
Before his death, AC/DC had been in the United Kingdom and Europe for a series of dates at the end of 1979, spilling over into the new year. However, rather than return home to Australia following the final scheduled show, Scott stayed in the UK, and less than a month after taking to the stage for the last time, he lost his life.
A significant portion of the details surrounding the death of Scott remain a mystery despite the intrigue and outpouring of sadness that came from the incident. Four days earlier, he last worked in the studio with the Young brothers as they started to work on the follow-up to Highway to Hell, which would become Back in Black.
However, Scott was only interested in playing the drums rather than writing lyrics. Furthermore, earlier in the same month, the singer had worked with French group Trust, as he was working on adapting one of their albums into English, but the project was never completed.
Outside of his loose work commitments, Scott dedicated himself to partying hard. After a long drinking session, Scott slept in his friend’s car, parked in East Dulwich, during the early hours of February 19th, 1980. Heartbreakingly, by the time anyone saw him next, the singer had passed away. At the time of his passing, Scott was only 33, yet his story was tragically cut short. His death was later attributed to “acute alcohol poisoning”.
Scott’s final public performance with AC/DC came on January 27th, 1980, in Southampton at the Gaumont Theatre. The show was originally scheduled to be part of their UK tour, which took place the month before. However, it was postponed for an unspecified reason.
During the performance, which proved to be Scott’s last, AC/DC rattled through a 14-song set. They began the concert with an airing of ‘Live Wire’ before going on to perform beloved hits such as ‘Sin City’, ‘Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be’, ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’, ‘Highway to Hell’, before closing the extravaganza with ‘Let There Be Rock’.
Nobody in the room expected this to mark Scott’s final concert, including his bandmates, who were devastated following his passing. Angus later explained to Zane Lowe on Apple Music: “It was like it put you in shock, because you always kind of think the people around you and being young, you have that thing of you’re almost kind of fearless and a little bit of… I don’t know what it is when you’re in your youth — you don’t think of dying. And so it was a kind of shock to us all and it affected everyone in different ways.”
While AC/DC continued their rise to superstardom, becoming even more popular with Back in Black, they had to do it without their former lynchpin. Nevertheless, the appointment of Brian Johnson as his successor proved to be a masterstroke with the Geordie, helping keep Scott’s legacy alive.
