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Metallica’s Lars Ulrich recently opened up on his experience to see AC/DC play at this year’s Power Trip festival in Indio, California during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation Power Trip Special.”
It has been noted that was the first time lead vocalist Brian Johnson performed live with the group since early 2016 after he was forced to bow out with hearing loss issues and was temporarily replaced by GUNS N’ ROSES frontman Axl Rose. “It was — the word ‘triumph’ is kind of the one that came to mind,” Lars said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth)
“It was just a triumph. I saw ’em here [at Coachella in Indio]. I think they played here in ’15, so eight years ago,” he continued. “And I saw ’em in San Francisco later that year. And obviously, as a lifelong fan — I mean, I saw AC/DC back in Denmark opening for Black Sabbath in ’76 or ’77. And then they came back on ‘Let There Be Rock’ tour and played a 1,500-seat venue with no support act and basically played all of ‘Let There Be Rock’. And it was literally fucking mind-blowing. And then I saw them along the way, when I came to America, obviously, on and off, and we played with them for a whole tour on the Black Album in ’91.”
Speaking more about AC/DC’s appearance at Power Trip, Lars said:
“As a lifelong fan, I actually got a little misty-eyed a couple of times when Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] was kind of going out and you could hear the… When he walked out and played his solos on the ramp and stuff, it felt like people were sort of holding him up and really just loving him, appreciating him. And there was a unity. I’m actually getting misty eyed as we’re talking about it. There was a unity and it’s that unity that you and I have talked about and that thing about when this community comes together around what we all share, that it was just such a beautiful moment. It was just such a triumph. And Brian who looked like — I didn’t feel like there was anybody anywhere in Southern California that was having a better time than Brian… That shit-eating grin he had on his face. It was so great. What a wonderful moment.”
AC/DC recruited drummer Matt Laug to perform with the band at Power Trip. In its announcement about Laug’s addition to the band’s Power Trip lineup, AC/DC offered no explanation for the absence of the band’s longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group’s comeback album, “Power Up”, which came out in November 2020.
