AC/DC's Rock Or Bust Tour

AC/DC is traveling the globe on its Rock Or Bust World Tour, which started April 10 in the Netherlands. The rock band completed 28 shows across Europe this summer, and on August 22, embarked on the 14-date North American leg of the tour. When the tour ends in New Zealand on December 15, AC/DC will have played 55 shows of its 150-minute set to over 2.5 million people across 20 countries. Click through the following pages for images and more information on the set and lighting design.

Rock Or Bust

AC/DC’s Rock Or Bust World Tour features lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe of Woodroffe Bassett Design (WBD). Production design is by Ray Winkler of Stufish, which has also done the set design for U2’s i+e Tour, Rolling Stones’ Zip Code Tour, and One Direction’s On The Road Again Tour. 

Photo by Ralph Larmann

For Those About To Rock

The set design features an arch and ten trussing “fingers” for a key visual element. The band clambers about the “chicken run”—an up-and-over riser. The classic AC/DC cannons are revealed during “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You),” illuminated by Robe BMFLs. An inflatable Rosie character swells to life for “Whole Lotta Rosie.” A circular satellite dish hydraulic lift is positioned at the end of the thrust.

Photo by Ralph Larmann

High Voltage

Photo by Ralph Larmann

Upstaging is providing the lighting equipment for the tour worldwide, including Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures and a dozen Chauvet Professional COLORado Batten 144 Tour fixtures. The lighting design also features 120 Philips Vari-Lite fixtures, including Philips Vari-Lite VL4000 BeamWash, supplied by Philips Vari-Lite, and VL3500 Wash fixtures, provided by Neg Earth. Upstaging is also supplying Osram Sylvania HTI 1500 W/60/P50 lamps as well as the Osram Sirius HRI 190W+, which is the primary lamp for the tour.

Photo by Ralph Larmann

Let There Be Rock

Photo by Ralph Larmann

The rig also includes 39 Robe BMFL fixtures in three specific locations. Fitted with Osram HTI 1500 W/PS lamps, BMFLs are equally spaced apart on the upstage arch of trussing. Six units are positioned above the left and right delay side screens, and the rest are located far upstage on the floor behind the riser. Robert Juliat Lancelot 4000W HTI followspots, using Osram HTI 4000 W/DE lamps, are placed front of house.

Photo by Ralph Larmann

Rock 'N Roll Train

Terry Cook is the associate lighting designer. Dave Hill and Pryderi Baskerville programmed the lighting. Charlie ‘Cosmo’ Wilson is on the road with the band as lighting director and operator. John Huddleston is Upstaging's account handler for the tour.

Photo by Ralph Larmann