AC/DC Announces Reunion, World Tour With Holographic Bon Scott?!

When Snoop Dogg performed a duet with a Tupac Shakur hologram at last year's Coachella Festival, at least one enterprising Young band was taking notice.  That band was veteran Australian hard rock act AC/DC, led by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who lost their original singer, Bon Scott, in 1980.  A few months later, they named Brian Johnson and he's been "bringing the growl" as needed for the last 30+ years.  

"It was mostly to give Brian a break," quips Malcolm via Skype, another new development in the AC/DC camp.  "When we saw what could be done, a whole new world of opportunities opened up.  We've got nothing to prove by doing it and figured, 'Why not have some fun?  If it fails, it fails, if it doesn't, then we'll look like gods!'"

The band's management contacted ten leading digital effects companies specializing in holographic technology.  A pact with Hollywood special f/x studio Digital Domain was quickly finalized.  A mere six months later, the "AC/DC/DD" team had created an revolutionary interactive concert experience and a reunion-of-sorts with the lead singer they haven't seen, much less shared a stage with, in over thirty years.

"Things came together so quickly that we were a lot further down the road than I would have liked to be by the time we were able to contact Bon's family and make sure we had their permission to move forward," says band founder Malcolm Young.  "They've been great, and we've been generous in return, so once we had their blessing, things got very serious very quickly."

Last fall, the band floated a "Bon Scott world tour" to concert promoters to see what the level of interest might be.  The industry was abuzz within days as word-of-mouth spread.  Intentionally, the band's silent partner went stealth.  A week later, the band had received offers from seven promoters for a summer 2013 tour.  "That was a little quicker than we were expecting," says Angus with a chuckle, rubbing his chin.  "But we figured that we'd let the momentum take us where it will."

That momentum will reunite AC/DC with the original singer Bon Scott on concert stages all across North America this summer, making this Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee the first major act to incorporate hologramic technology - and reunite with a deceased band member - in concert.

All living members of AC/DC are excited about the possibilities, even current singer Brian Johnson, who was involved in the creation of this tour with the rest of the band.  In fact, it was Johnson who first saw the technological end-game of holograph technology: an entire world tour 

Who knew a 36-year-old rock band and a long-deceased lead singer would be "the future of rock & roll"?  Even so, embracing technology has at least one drawback: "You can do a whole show with someone, but you can't have a drink with after the show. 'Hey, where's Bon?'  'He's on that flash drive over there!'"

Still, if AC/DC can pull this off, it's safe to say that the successful integration live performance and hologram technology would open up a new world of tour possibilities.  The living members of Queen with Freddie Mercury?  Nirvana with Kurt Cobain?  Paul and Ringo with John and George?

"Next AC/DC tour, we'll all be holograms," laughs Angus.  "I won't even have to leave the house."

For a full list of "AC/DC With Bon Scott" tour dates, click HERE.