To listen to the interview with Buzz Bidstrup (long version : 35 mn)
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Bon Scott joking, smiling, having fun with the music (pics from videos)

AC/DC’s singer Bon Scott and Buzz Bidtrup The Angels ‘drummer met each other many times between 1971 and 1979 at Adelaïde, London, Sydney.
Their both bands were signed by Albert Productions and they used to share the same recording studio for many years. During an interview for Meltingpod, Buzz told us his memories from AC/DC and Bon, a musician he “adores”. Six months ago people from Fremantle, a town near Perth Western Australia, where Bon Scott spent a big part of his youth from 9 until 21, where a part of his family is still living and where he is buried now after a tragic death in 1980 February 19 th at London, asked Buzz to help them to honour Bon Scott, raising the money to erect the first statue ever built for a rocker in Australia.
Buzz is organizing for that goal, February 25th, The Bon Scott Celebration Concert with a lot of famous rock bands who are coming from all around Australia like Rose Tattoo, the Angels, the Party Boys including AC/DC’s ex-members : the singer Dave Evans and the bassist Mark Evans, a girls band : The Sure-Fire Midnights, a kids band : the Flairz, old friends or young bands inspiring by Bon and AC/DC…Buzz gives us all details of that event which is planned in fact during three days from the 23th to the 25th.
BTW : The extra money will be given to a foundation to help young rock bands with health or financial issues.
The musical extracts to illustrate Buzz’s talk about Bon and AC/DC come from some Live videos I found on Youtube under the tags : Bon Scott + the title of the songs (Walk all over you, Riff Raff, TNT, Whole Lotta Rosie, Live Wire, Jailbreak, Problem Child) Bon Scott + Fraternity (Seasons of change).

Meltingpod Connections : Update 02/15
If you want to watch how Bon Scott and AC/DC were loved in France, look at this great video sent by some of AC/DC ’s fantastic fans who don’t stop to share every days their passion on Youtube; Bon was not “Shot down in flames” after singing that very funny song live in Paris, it was a French triumph we can already share in his eyes without the sound : Woaow !

There is too a cool interview with Angus Young telling how he started in the band with his brother and how he met Bon Scott the first time; Angus speaks with the hands and the arms like a true Italian…interesting !
More infos with the fans here : in French AC/DC Back in Black with good stories and all the lyrics, in English Bon Scott Club and Crabsody in Blue.
For the fun a special version of “Walk all over you Live in Paris” and then with my friends from American Heartbreak during their last show in Europe 2002 “Sin City Live in Belgium”! One video more ?…I can’t stop, I’m a Bon Scott-AC/DC’s hard fan now…Jailbreak in 74 !!

The Angelsband were touring Australia-Queensland these last days and I was with them through Buzz Bidstrup (the Angels’ drummer) ’s cell phone : I did an interview “backstage” with Rick Brewster, the terribly talentuous Angels’s lead guitarist who never left the band…with a very strong faith in that band (as famous as AC/DC in Australia and in the US) he spoke about his musical evolution during 30 years.
The Angels started in 1976 with the Brewster’s brothers Rick and John (lead guitar and guitar), Doc Neeson on lead vocals, Buzz Bidstrup on drums, Chris Bailey on bass : I played “I ain’t the one” recorded live at Thirsty ear festival in 1980 with this line-up, “Dogs are talking” and “Let the night roll on” released in “Beyond Salvation” in 1990 with Rick Brewster, Doc Neeson, Bob Spencer on guitar, Brent Eccles on drums, Jim Hilbun on bass. Now in 2006, the Angelsband are still touring with the original members back again (Rick with Buzz and Chris but without Doc, John playing guitar and singing the lead vocals) : you can find the song I played “Face the day” in their last album recorded live in Sydney in 2004 and released in 2005.

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Rick Brewster playing guitar, Rick with Doc (pics from DVD “the Angels from all angles”), the crowd enjoying “Marseille” during the Angels’concert at Narara (Australia) in 1983, my Swedish friend Lars Wallin sending a Meltingpod ID from his didgeridoo (click on the pic to watch the video) !!

      Meltingpod Connections : pics sent today March 20 th by Lars
       
It’s a true nice Meltingpod connection : Lars Wallin saw the Black Halos touring Europe in Goteborg-Sweden and met my friend Adam Becvare, the Black Halos‘ guitarist now, born in Brisbane-Australia (a town near the places where I did the phone interviews with the Angels in this podcast !!).

Will the Angels come and sing to Marseille for the first time their famous song “Marseille” written in 1978…maybe this year ?
For those of you who don’t know about the Angels, they are an Australian band, formed in 1975 who toured with some famous people like AC/DC and David Bowie; they had a lot of success around the 80’s; after classic rock band adventure they reformed their “family” and toured again for around two years.

John Brewster told me yesterday how he wrote the lyrics “Marseille” :
Hi Annie,
Regarding the lyric of Marseille, I studied French at school, our teacher often visited France in his vacations and would show us photos of the places he had visited there, including Marseille. He helped bring the language to life by making us aware of the customs and culture - he truly loved France and the people.
One day I was driving my purple Renault down by the docks where some ships were tied up to the wharves, the band was in hard times (we hadn’t achieved success at this point) and I just felt in a mood to escape it all. For some reason my French lessons came back to my mind and I thought of Marseille.
The band played in Nice but so far I have never been to Marseille.
Best regards,
John

Nice story ! Be sure I will do my best to bring them to you ! They seem so cool people ! Exciting project, no ? Buzz, let down London and come better here to plan the next concert !
If you want to know more about the Angels, you can go the Rock and Roll geek show of my friend Michael Butler tonight (or tomorrow for France); he will post the interview he got with Rick, the guitarist and John’s brother.