I was 13 years old… I was in 8th grade. Do you remember 8th grade? Puberty, pimples, girl-crazy, easily star-struck… man, all of the people I looked up to seemed larger than life. High school basketball was huge in my town, and I pretty much idolized the starting five at Highland High—where I would one day attend. And rock stars were rock STAR! I really can’t explain how much I looked up to these guys. I guess the best thing I can say here is that if you had any teen idols that you were just flipped out over—then you totally get where I’m coming from, and if you didn’t – then I’m not sure I could ever fully explain it… it was a really big deal for me… LOVED these rock-n-roll gods (I actually hat calling them “gods”… but that really is the best way to describe my mindset at this point in my life)!

It was 1980—AC/DC’s Back in Black was HUGE! I heard it EVERYWHERE! One of the big hang outs for Jr. High kids in that day—in my hometown (Anderson, IN) was PIZZA HUT. We’d hang out there every weekend playing video games like Space Invaders, Galaga, Missile Command, Pac-Man… remember those? We’d eat pizza and play LOTS of musicon the juke box. I remember back then–“Shoot to thrill”, “Rock n roll ain’t noise pollution”, “You shook me all night long”. Hell’s Bells”, or “Back in Black”-----ONE OF THOSE SONGS was ALWAYS playing on the juke box back them… that album was just incredibly HUGE!

So, AC/DC comes to Indianapolis on the Back In Black tour. They played Market Square Arena, a 20,000 seat arena and it was packed. MY DAD took me and a friend, Jay Harvey to this concert. I remember exactly where we sat—about half way up on the right, just above the walk-way—great seats!

A couple things I remember very distinctly about that night are:

It was Sept. 24, 1980 (Thursday night?)

A new smell… a couple in front of us was passing around this funny cigarette that gave off this strangely sweet smell. Hmmmm?

My dad with cotton in his hears…

Being disappointed with the opening band… “Gama Ray” – Ronnie Montrose’s old band. Jay and I actually thought they were AC/DC and it was pretty disappointing.

Being TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY BY AC/DC—and Angus Young specifically!

Losing our car keys after the show and having to call mom to come pick us up at the Grey Hound bus station.

Sitting in Miss Given’s English class the next day at East Side Jr. High, with my AC/DC concert T-shirt on… experiencing this wild aura. I was sort of is a fantasy daze—I felt strangely proud to have been at the show—I walked the halls between classes with a strange swagger, proudly displaying my “official concert T-shirt” that still reeked of “concert smells”. I was in this perpetual state of reliving the experience over and over again in my mind. And honestly, I was changed—forever.

It was this concert that inspired me to play guitar—I wouldn’t actually buy a guitar for about a year and half---but from that night on – I KNEW I WANTED TO PLAY JUST LIKE ANGUS YOUNG!

Today, looking back on all of that, I can see so clearly how God used all of it man. A lot of what I experienced between Sept. 24, 1980 and Feb. 1987 (when I surrendered my heart to Christ) was not pretty—as a matter of fact most of it was pretty ugly. But all of it shaped me and made me who I am today—and I’m thankful for the gracious way that God brought me through it all and led me back to Himself… but that’s another story.

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Metal Blessings!
Pastor Brad
www.guitarjams.net
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Awesome story. I can totally relate to that period of time as influencing me to this day.
My first concert was around the same time, except for me it was Van Halen.

LOL This is how I felt after Def Leppard. I was six when I saw them.
I had my concert shirt for about 6 more years.
The thing was two sizes too big but I wore it any chance I got lol.

YUP---I totally get it man!

Blessings,
pb
www.guitarjams.net

Wow, man! Awesome story!!

I saw them on this tour also. I have vivid memories. But none are what I would consider life-altering. I am ecstatic for anyone that can become more Christian at a secular concert.