AC/DCAlthough certainly not shy of making a buck, among their classic-rock peers AC/DC have kept their brand better intact than most. Not adhering to Kiss's inexhaustible entrepreneurial spirit (bar those questionable wines, so-so Thunderstruck movie and finally caving in to iTunes), dusting off a seemingly endless line of compilations (ie, The Rolling Stones), issuing regular live recordings (Iron Maiden), publicly feuding among themselves (Aerosmith) or engaging in questionable collaborations (Metallica), they've done it their way. You won't see Angus Young on Idol anytime soon. DVDs and box-sets have been executed with fan consideration too.
Irrespective, it's still surprising Live At River Plate is the Aussies' first live record in 20 years. The accompanying DVD was released last year, recorded in Buenos Aires in 2009 during the Black Ice tour. Nearly 200,000 fans (over three sold-out nights) welcomed AC/DC back after a 13-year absence from Argentina. Unsurprisingly, capturing the even-more-rabid-than-usual vibe of a single South American city is more engaging. You know exactly what it sounds like, decades-old, bluesy staples included, but fans pay for that reliability. Rather than naughty young boys, they're professional dirty old men nowadays. Underrated Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be and Dog Eat Dog get a run, and the enthusiasm with which punters greet mediocre new cuts (Big Jack, War Machine) says plenty about their loyalty and fanaticism.
Don't be mistaken – this being available as a three-disc red vinyl and a two-CD package featuring multiple covers indicates they haven't missed a marketing opportunity. But there's something to be said for building anticipation, even in the digital age, and after four decades, AC/DC get that.
