Shot down in flames: McDonald Jones too small for AC/DC's Power Up Tour

The Advertiser

6 days ago

Novocastrians dying to see AC/DC will have to drive to Sydney down our own "highway to hell," best known as the M1, with McDonald Jones Stadium deemed too small for the rock icons' Power Up tour.
One of the worst-kept secrets in entertainment became reality on Monday when AC/DC announced their first Australian tour in a decade for November and December.
The Australian pub-rock legends will play the Melbourne Cricket Ground (November 12), Sydney's Accor Stadium (November 21), the Supercars grand final in Adelaide Parklands (November 30), Perth's Optus Stadium (December 4) and Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium (December 14).
All five venues boast a capacity north of 50,000.
Red-hot Melbourne punk band Amyl & The Sniffers are the special guests at all shows.
With ample time between dates, the announcement of additional concerts is likely. However, don't expect Broadmeadow's McDonald Jones Stadium to be on the itinerary.
The 30,000-capacity venue was never in the discussions to host Angus Young and company.
"Venues NSW is in constant discussions with promoters to secure more concerts for McDonald Jones Stadium following the success of Elton John, Paul McCartney and Pink - the first stadium concerts in over three decades," a spokesperson for Venues NSW told the Newcastle Herald.
"Only venues with a capacity of 50,000-plus were considered for AC/DC's Australian leg of their tour."
Turton Road remains a popular sports venue, particularly for major women's events.
In April a record crowd of 28,019 watched the Matildas beat South Korea 2-0, and the Wallaroos versus New Zealand rugby union match and game three of the women's State of Origin were both held at the stadium last month.
The NRLW Magic Round is also scheduled for Newcastle on August 2 and 3.
However, after rolling four sold-out shows in Elton John (January 8 and 10, 2023), Paul McCartney (October 24, 2023) and then Pink (February 13, 2024), McDonald Jones Stadium has been devoid of concerts.
This is despite the venue having approval for at least six major events per year.
Since the Pink show, Australia has played host to the likes of Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Olivia Rodrigo, Pearl Jam, Billie Eilish, The Offspring, Blink 182, Green Day and Katy Perry, who have all bypassed Turton Road.
Despite Newcastle's reputation as a pub rock-loving city and being renowned for its fertile live music scene, particularly in the '70s to the '90s, AC/DC have only ever performed three shows here.
The last was at the Civic Theatre on December 11, 1976, on the Dirty Deeds tour.
With founding member and lead guitarist Angus Young and raspy vocalist Brian Johnson aged 70 and 77, respectively, the days of "Acca Dacca" blasting away stadiums with their explosively rhythmic brand of rock'n'roll are surely numbered.
Novocastrians dying to see AC/DC will have to drive to Sydney down our own "highway to hell," best known as the M1, with McDonald Jones Stadium deemed too small for the rock icons' Power Up tour.
One of the worst-kept secrets in entertainment became reality on Monday when AC/DC announced their first Australian tour in a decade for November and December.
The Australian pub-rock legends will play the Melbourne Cricket Ground (November 12), Sydney's Accor Stadium (November 21), the Supercars grand final in Adelaide Parklands (November 30), Perth's Optus Stadium (December 4) and Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium (December 14).
All five venues boast a capacity north of 50,000.
Red-hot Melbourne punk band Amyl & The Sniffers are the special guests at all shows.
With ample time between dates, the announcement of additional concerts is likely. However, don't expect Broadmeadow's McDonald Jones Stadium to be on the itinerary.
The 30,000-capacity venue was never in the discussions to host Angus Young and company.
"Venues NSW is in constant discussions with promoters to secure more concerts for McDonald Jones Stadium following the success of Elton John, Paul McCartney and Pink - the first stadium concerts in over three decades," a spokesperson for Venues NSW told the Newcastle Herald.
"Only venues with a capacity of 50,000-plus were considered for AC/DC's Australian leg of their tour."
Turton Road remains a popular sports venue, particularly for major women's events.
In April a record crowd of 28,019 watched the Matildas beat South Korea 2-0, and the Wallaroos versus New Zealand rugby union match and game three of the women's State of Origin were both held at the stadium last month.
The NRLW Magic Round is also scheduled for Newcastle on August 2 and 3.
However, after rolling four sold-out shows in Elton John (January 8 and 10, 2023), Paul McCartney (October 24, 2023) and then Pink (February 13, 2024), McDonald Jones Stadium has been devoid of concerts.
This is despite the venue having approval for at least six major events per year.
Since the Pink show, Australia has played host to the likes of Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Olivia Rodrigo, Pearl Jam, Billie Eilish, The Offspring, Blink 182, Green Day and Katy Perry, who have all bypassed Turton Road.
Despite Newcastle's reputation as a pub rock-loving city and being renowned for its fertile live music scene, particularly in the '70s to the '90s, AC/DC have only ever performed three shows here.
The last was at the Civic Theatre on December 11, 1976, on the Dirty Deeds tour.
With founding member and lead guitarist Angus Young and raspy vocalist Brian Johnson aged 70 and 77, respectively, the days of "Acca Dacca" blasting away stadiums with their explosively rhythmic brand of rock'n'roll are surely numbered.
Novocastrians dying to see AC/DC will have to drive to Sydney down our own "highway to hell," best known as the M1, with McDonald Jones Stadium deemed too small for the rock icons' Power Up tour.
One of the worst-kept secrets in entertainment became reality on Monday when AC/DC announced their first Australian tour in a decade for November and December.
The Australian pub-rock legends will play the Melbourne Cricket Ground (November 12), Sydney's Accor Stadium (November 21), the Supercars grand final in Adelaide Parklands (November 30), Perth's Optus Stadium (December 4) and Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium (December 14).
All five venues boast a capacity north of 50,000.
Red-hot Melbourne punk band Amyl & The Sniffers are the special guests at all shows.
With ample time between dates, the announcement of additional concerts is likely. However, don't expect Broadmeadow's McDonald Jones Stadium to be on the itinerary.
The 30,000-capacity venue was never in the discussions to host Angus Young and company.
"Venues NSW is in constant discussions with promoters to secure more concerts for McDonald Jones Stadium following the success of Elton John, Paul McCartney and Pink - the first stadium concerts in over three decades," a spokesperson for Venues NSW told the Newcastle Herald.
"Only venues with a capacity of 50,000-plus were considered for AC/DC's Australian leg of their tour."
Turton Road remains a popular sports venue, particularly for major women's events.
In April a record crowd of 28,019 watched the Matildas beat South Korea 2-0, and the Wallaroos versus New Zealand rugby union match and game three of the women's State of Origin were both held at the stadium last month.
The NRLW Magic Round is also scheduled for Newcastle on August 2 and 3.
However, after rolling four sold-out shows in Elton John (January 8 and 10, 2023), Paul McCartney (October 24, 2023) and then Pink (February 13, 2024), McDonald Jones Stadium has been devoid of concerts.
This is despite the venue having approval for at least six major events per year.
Since the Pink show, Australia has played host to the likes of Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Olivia Rodrigo, Pearl Jam, Billie Eilish, The Offspring, Blink 182, Green Day and Katy Perry, who have all bypassed Turton Road.
Despite Newcastle's reputation as a pub rock-loving city and being renowned for its fertile live music scene, particularly in the '70s to the '90s, AC/DC have only ever performed three shows here.
The last was at the Civic Theatre on December 11, 1976, on the Dirty Deeds tour.
With founding member and lead guitarist Angus Young and raspy vocalist Brian Johnson aged 70 and 77, respectively, the days of "Acca Dacca" blasting away stadiums with their explosively rhythmic brand of rock'n'roll are surely numbered.
Novocastrians dying to see AC/DC will have to drive to Sydney down our own "highway to hell," best known as the M1, with McDonald Jones Stadium deemed too small for the rock icons' Power Up tour.
One of the worst-kept secrets in entertainment became reality on Monday when AC/DC announced their first Australian tour in a decade for November and December.
The Australian pub-rock legends will play the Melbourne Cricket Ground (November 12), Sydney's Accor Stadium (November 21), the Supercars grand final in Adelaide Parklands (November 30), Perth's Optus Stadium (December 4) and Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium (December 14).
All five venues boast a capacity north of 50,000.
Red-hot Melbourne punk band Amyl & The Sniffers are the special guests at all shows.
With ample time between dates, the announcement of additional concerts is likely. However, don't expect Broadmeadow's McDonald Jones Stadium to be on the itinerary.
The 30,000-capacity venue was never in the discussions to host Angus Young and company.
"Venues NSW is in constant discussions with promoters to secure more concerts for McDonald Jones Stadium following the success of Elton John, Paul McCartney and Pink - the first stadium concerts in over three decades," a spokesperson for Venues NSW told the Newcastle Herald.
"Only venues with a capacity of 50,000-plus were considered for AC/DC's Australian leg of their tour."
Turton Road remains a popular sports venue, particularly for major women's events.
In April a record crowd of 28,019 watched the Matildas beat South Korea 2-0, and the Wallaroos versus New Zealand rugby union match and game three of the women's State of Origin were both held at the stadium last month.
The NRLW Magic Round is also scheduled for Newcastle on August 2 and 3.
However, after rolling four sold-out shows in Elton John (January 8 and 10, 2023), Paul McCartney (October 24, 2023) and then Pink (February 13, 2024), McDonald Jones Stadium has been devoid of concerts.
This is despite the venue having approval for at least six major events per year.
Since the Pink show, Australia has played host to the likes of Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Olivia Rodrigo, Pearl Jam, Billie Eilish, The Offspring, Blink 182, Green Day and Katy Perry, who have all bypassed Turton Road.
Despite Newcastle's reputation as a pub rock-loving city and being renowned for its fertile live music scene, particularly in the '70s to the '90s, AC/DC have only ever performed three shows here.
The last was at the Civic Theatre on December 11, 1976, on the Dirty Deeds tour.
With founding member and lead guitarist Angus Young and raspy vocalist Brian Johnson aged 70 and 77, respectively, the days of "Acca Dacca" blasting away stadiums with their explosively rhythmic brand of rock'n'roll are surely numbered.