It’s official, the proprietor’s palate has become jaded and faded. I have succeeded where countless glasses from the Stowells of Chelsea wine-box have failed. How so? Well, towards the end of 2023, when I posed to him the quarterly question as to what I should scribble next for the Prop Chron, I casually dropped into our dialogue that I was in Indio, California (as you do). There was an immediate response… and, dare I say it, in almost undue haste.
“Why don’t you write about what you’re doing out there?” Now, I did wonder if he saw the opportunity to steer me onto a different course, thinking “carpe diem” before I had the chance to wax lyrical about a bottle of Venezuelan Ribolla Gialla, aged in amphora, that had been recently consumed. And at least you would now be spared my regular discourse that has been developing towards doom and gloom (for the wine trade does appear to be battling more and more headwinds at the moment). Then again, be prepared for the fact that I am now about to indulge in my thirst for rock’n’roll, and at the slightly heavier end of the spectrum, too. We’re swapping one type of geekery for another.
So, Indio, CA, 6 October. There was a rather extraordinary event taking place whereby six of the biggest heavy rock bands of all time took to the stage to ply their wares over three days, two per night. Now, one might get a couple to the same gig, very occasionally three. But six? This really was going to be a one-off.
Of course, it’s a genre of music that hardly troubles the scorers in mainstream media, whereas we get daily updates on Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Robbie, Madonna, et al. But one cannot help but marvel at its continued popularity (particularly in the live format, where juggernaut tours regularly sell out across the world). Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” might be the greatest selling album of all time, but AC/DC’s “Back in Black” comes in second; Taylor may have sold out six nights at LA’s SoFi Stadium, but Metallica reputedly hold the record for the actual number of punters they were able to pack into the venue over a couple of soirées.
But back to the Empire Polo Club (wry smile at a heavy metal festival in such relatively posh surroundings, we were quite some way from the 1980s mud of Donington Park in the East Midlands). Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Tool and Metallica. And I suspect I know a certain reaction to that list, namely something along the lines of “are those bands really STILL going?”
Well, yes, not’arf. Indeed, I would stick my neck out, and say that they are arguably all playing better than ever – long gone are the days of excess, the performers take extremely good care of themselves (quite necessary, to state the obvious). Meanwhile the musicianship is light years better than in earlier days. Metallica released their first album when the members had barely turned 20 years of age; it still sounds correspondingly feral, gloriously so, yet when the band now play those early songs, SO much tighter, greater precision and clarity.
Nevertheless, none of the line-up IS getting any younger, and that also contributed to the one-off vibe – hard to envisage the same team-sheet ever regrouping. And even if the promoter decided to run it again next year, who would be the new faces? Def Leppard and Bon Jovi are still up there, Aerosmith if lead singer Steve Tyler can get well (incidentally, Ozzy Osbourne was down to play, but health did not permit). Black Sabbath would need to reform, same for Led Zeppelin, while Richie Blackmore would have to grit his teeth, and re-join Deep Purple (to whom he hasn’t talked in decades!). Never underestimate the power of the cheque-book, nor the chance for one last blast for the fans, but I doubt it (although I do seem to recall similar thinking when I first caught the Rolling Stones at Wembley in 1990).
Talking of the Stones… Keith Richards is a big, big, AC/DC fan. If there was one sole reason to splurge, it was the thought of seeing, once again, a man dressed as a school-boy, peeling off reams of the finest Chuck Berry-esque guitar riffs, while at the same time, his body seemingly possessed, shaking uncontrollably, as if endless electric shocks being administered. Force of nature really doesn’t do justice to describe guitarist Angus Young.
Their first gig in seven years, and we’d probably digested the reality that a 2016 tour was going to be the last. However, at 9.45 pm on Saturday 7 October, 80,000 people had rather large grins on their faces. Okay, so Brian Johnson’s voice had definitely seen better days, but it did not matter. Incomparable, despite Angus once declaring “I’m sick and tired of people saying that we put out 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we’ve put out 12 albums that sound exactly the same.” Genius.
Other highlights? I’m a big Tool fan – imagine prog rock played by Black Sabbath, numerous chord changes, backed by Danny Carey’s thunderous drumming. As for the magnificent Judas Priest… it’s obvious where Spinal Tap got most of their moves. “Desolisating”: as a certain TV character might have declared, could there BE a more heavy metal word? Check out the frenzied lyrics to “Rapid Fire” (during which song, two of Metallica were photographed down the front, playing very fine air guitar in tribute to one their revered influences). More big smiles all round.
That’s probably the abiding memory, that of people in an extremely happy frame of mind. The music has never been there to change the world, but that world currently creaks and groans under all sorts of terrible pressures. A few hours of escapism are more necessary than ever. Finally, after the gig, rumours abounded that AC/DC were considering some concerts in 2024… lo, and behold… I’ve bought the odd ticket, and you should follow suit. They genuinely don’t mak’em, etc.
