Angus Young
Performing live in 2001 in Germany
Background information
Birth name	Angus McKinnon Young
Born	March 31, 1955 (1955-03-31) (age 53) Glasgow, Scotland
Genre(s)	Hard rock, Heavy metal, Blues-rock, Rock and roll
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter, Producer
Instrument(s)	Guitar
Years active	1973 - present
Label(s)	EMI, Epic, Atlantic, Albert
Associated acts	AC/DC
Website	acdc.com
Notable instrument(s)
Gibson SG

Angus Young (born on 31 March 1955) is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, known for his wild stage energy and schoolboy-uniform stage outfits. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock Blues-rock is a hybrid musical genre combining Bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended Boogie jams with Rock Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock Albert Productions is an Australian Record label. It was founded as an independent record production company in 1964 by Ted Albert, whose AC/DC are an Australian Hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The Gibson SG is a popular model of solid-bodied Electric guitar that was introduced in the early 1960s Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock AC/DC are an Australian Hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. He was ranked 96th on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time^[1]. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published

Biography

Angus Young, one of nine children of William and Margaret Young, was brought up in Sydney, Australia with his older brothers Malcolm, George, Alex, who all became musicians, an elder sister Margaret, and four other siblings. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Malcolm Mitchell Young (born January 6 1953) is an Australian Guitarist, best known as a founding member Rhythm guitarist Backing George Redburn Young (born 6 November 1947 in Cranhill, Glasgow, Scotland) is an Australian rock Musician Alexander Young aka George Alexander (28 December 1938 Cranhill, East End Glasgow - 4 August 1997 was a Scottish guitarist and session musician Angus started playing guitar when he was five years old — a local child had one and Angus would play it during visits. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles He got his own guitar by taking a banjo his family had lying around the house and re-stringing it like a guitar. The banjo is a Stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments

Early years

Young did not get into guitar-playing seriously until after the Young family moved from Scotland to Australia in 1963. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. He bought a Gibson SG, after seeing it in a friend's catalogue. The Gibson SG is a popular model of solid-bodied Electric guitar that was introduced in the early 1960s Until then, he had been playing on an old Höfner guitar he inherited from his brother Malcolm, due to the fact that although guitars were available, they were expensive because they were from America. Karl Höfner GmbH & Co KG is a German Manufacturer of Musical instruments with one division that manufactures Guitars and basses, and another The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Angus's brother George (of The Easybeats) gave both Angus and Malcolm guitar lessons when he would come home during breaks from touring. The Easybeats were a Rock and roll band from Australia. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and split at the end of 1969

Prior to forming AC/DC, Young played in a local group called Kantuckee. Kantuckee's lineup included Bob McGlynn (vocals), Angus Young (guitar), Jon Stevens (bass) & Trevor James (drums). This was the first band to record Demo takes for Stevie Wrights classic "Evie" at the request of George Young. Stephen Carlton 'Stevie' Wright (born December 20, 1948, in Leeds, England) is an Australian musician and songwriter who has been Evie is an Australian rock song released as a single in 1974 by Australian music legend and former frontman of The Easybeats, Stevie Wright. The band split and was later called Tantrum with the following line up: Mark Sneddon (vocals-guitar), Angus Young (guitar), Jon Stevens (bass) and Trevor James (drums)^[2]

Formation of AC/DC

Angus and Malcolm Young formed AC/DC in 1973. The first line up included Angus Young on lead guitar, Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, Colin Burgess on drums, Larry Van Kriedt on bass guitar and Dave Evans on vocals. Rhythm guitar is the use of a Guitar to provide Rhythmic chordal Accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a Musical ensemble For the Australian author see Colin Burgess (author Colin Burgess (born November 16, 1946) is an Australian musician who was the drummer A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells Larry Van Kriedt (born in the United States c 1954) was the first bassist with rock band AC/DC. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the Dave Evans (born July 20, 1953) is an Australian Singer best known for being the first lead singer of the Australian Hard rock The band's first single was "Can I Sit Next To You". Which was later re-recorded with Bon Scott, as their vocalist, as "Can I Sit Next To You Girl. Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980 was an Australian rock musician most well-known for being the lead singer and Lyricist " They got the name AC/DC after seeing the letters "AC/DC" on the back of a sewing machine owned by their sister, Margaret. "AC/DC" stands for Alternating Current/Direct Current.

After playing with the band for a while, Young developed his trademark schoolboy image. Before settling on the schoolboy costume, Angus had tried other costumes, such as Spider-man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang. Spider-Man is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Zorro (originally called Señor Zorro) is a Fictional character created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley. Gorillas, the largest of the living Primates are ground-dwelling Herbivores that inhabit the Forests of Africa. Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon ^[3] The schoolboy costume became a signature trademark of Young. To match this image the press and public were told that Young was born in 1959, not 1955. The original uniform was reputedly from his secondary school, Ashfield Boys High School in Sydney. Ashfield Boys' High School is a Public, Secondary school for boys' located in Ashfield, an Inner Western suburb of Sydney, One rumour is that he did not have time to change his clothes between school and band practice, and simply wore the uniform; while such an event may have occurred years earlier, by 1973, Angus had long left school. His sister Margaret suggested he wear the uniform after Malcolm asked each band member to come up with their own gimmick, which was ironic as Angus very much disliked being at school. This was the era of glam rock, when costumes were common for pop and rock acts. Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by

Recent events

Although Young prefers to keep his private life out of the media, it is known that he now lives in Sydney, Australia and also has a home in Aalten, Netherlands (because he has a home in the Netherlands , he is also on the Quote 500, the list of Holland's 500 richest people). Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Aalten ( is a Municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands It is also known that he married his wife Ellen in 1980 shortly before Bon Scott died. Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980 was an Australian rock musician most well-known for being the lead singer and Lyricist ^[4]

On August 24, 2006, Young received Kerrang! magazine's Legend Award from the editor, Paul Brannigan. Kerrang! is a weekly rock Magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom. Brannigan called AC/DC "one of the most important and influential rock bands in history. "^[5]

Equipment

Guitars

Angus Young has used Gibson SGs in various forms (his original, and the basis for his current signature model, was a 1968 SG) throughout his career. The Gibson SG is a popular model of solid-bodied Electric guitar that was introduced in the early 1960s He is rarely seen with another guitar. However, he also owns Telecasters, Gibson Firebirds and ES335s. The Fender Telecaster, also known as the Tele (pronounced Telly is typically a dual-pickup solid-body Electric guitar made by Fender. The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric Guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present The Gibson ES-335 was the world's first commercial semi-hollowbody Electric guitar, released by Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1958. When AC/DC played a jam of "Rock me Baby" with the Rolling Stones in 2003, he played a Gibson ES-335 borrowed from Keith Richards, perhaps one of the only times he was without an SG onstage. Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943 is an English Guitarist, Songwriter, Singer, producer and a founding member of The Rolling Young's legendary 1968 SG has T Top pickups. Another 1964 SG that he used on the recording of Ballbreaker, has patent # pickups. All of these are high output Alnico 5 pickups with matched coils. Alnico is an acronym referring to alloys which are composed primarily of Aluminium (symbol Al) Nickel (symbol Ni) and Cobalt (symbol Angus has used Ernie Ball strings for over 40 years. Gauge .009-.042

Angus Young Signature SG

Angus Young and Gibson Guitar Corporation have collaborated to make the Angus Young Signature SG, which is special in several ways. The Gibson Guitar Corporation of Nashville Tennessee, USA is a manufacturer of acoustic and Electric guitars The company's most popular guitar ^[6]

The model features a pickup designed by Young himself (the Angus Young Signature Humbucker) in the bridge position, and a '57 Classic Humbucker in the neck. A conventional humbucker (or Humbucking pickup) is a type of Electric guitar pickup that uses two coils both generating string signal The headstock features Young's famous "Devil Schoolboy!" engraved picture, and the tremolo bar features Angus' name instead of the Gibson logo. The guitar has a rosewood fingerboard, trapezoid fret inlays, a signature black pickguard, 22 frets, a worn cherry finish, and nickel hardware. The volume and tone knobs are bigger than those of a regular SG but it still features the standard 3-way selector switch. He does not use his Signature Series SG on stage.

Amplifiers

Young's amps have been plexi Marshalls: JTM45s, JTM50s, JMP50s and Superleads (plus a few Wizard amplifiers). Marshall Amplification is a British company which designs and manufactures music amplifiers. His main amp is his JTM45, which he uses both live and in the studio. When Young plays live, he runs this through an isolation speaker box that sits under the stage and feeds directly into the PA system. In the studio, Angus has often used a 100w plexi for riffs and a smaller plexi (jmp50, jtm50, or jtm45) for solos. Speaker cabinets he has used have been Marshall 4x12"s (model 1982 and 1960, mostly B models) with Celestion G12H 30 watt (on old recordings), Vintage 30s (on newer recordings) and G12M 25 watt speakers (on solos/overdubs on newer recordings). Malcolm has used Mesa Boogie Cabs before as seen on AC/DC's 1992 live album, Live. Mesa/Boogie (also known as Mesa Engineering is a Company in Petaluma California that makes Amplifiers for Guitars and basses Live is a 1992 album by Australian Hard rock band AC/DC. It was released both as a single album and as a double album (known as Angus is said to, by Marshall, use the 1987X 50watt head.

Influence

Angus Young's energetic guitar style has been an influence on many young hard rock guitarists. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock His work with AC/DC has been an influence on bands ranging from Guns N' Roses and Def Leppard to newer artists like Jet and You Am I. Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 Jet is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia, whose debut album Get Born, released in 2003 has so far sold over one million copies You Am I is an Australian Alternative rock band fronted by vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter Tim Rogers. Young cites his own influences as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Leslie West, and other blues/rock and roll players. Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18 1926 in St For the album by Redman, see Muddy Waters (album. For the college football coach see Muddy Waters (football coach. Leslie West (born October 22, 1945) is an American rock Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African ^[7]

Style

Angus Young's playing style is very straight blues, playing in the minor pentatonic blues scale. A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five pitches per Octave in contrast to an heptatonic (seven note scale such as the Major scale The term blues scale is used describe a few scales with differing number of pitches and related characteristics His style is spiced by additional non-blues tricks. In AC/DC's earlier recordings, power chords can be heard in songs such as "T.N.T." and "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)". In Music, a power chord (also fifth chord) is a note plus the note a fifth above usually played on Electric guitar. " TNT " is a song recorded in 1975 by the Hard rock band AC/DC from their Australian album T " It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll " is a song by Australian Hard rock band AC/DC. He also utilises touches of Scottish folk in his playing, and pull-off arpeggios (pull-offs, played one-handed) are a popular trick, appearing in songs such as "Thunderstruck", "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Who Made Who", "Can't Stand Still", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Sin City", "Shake a Leg", and "Let There Be Rock (live)", (though when played live, "Thunderstruck" was also played with a plectrum or pick). In Music, an arpeggio is a broken chord where the Notes are played or sung in Sequence, one after the other rather than Ringing out simultaneously "Thunderstruck" is the first song on the 1990 AC/DC album The Razors Edge. " Baby Please Don't Go " is a Blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams in 1935 Who Made Who is a Hard rock Album by Australian band AC/DC, released in 1986 as the soundtrack to the Stephen King One who has a stiff upper lip displays fortitude in the face of adversity or exercises self-restraint in the expression of Emotion. " Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap " is a song by Australian Hard rock band AC/DC. Sin City is the title for a series of comics by Frank Miller, told in a Film noir -like style (now known as Neo noir) " Shake a Leg " is a song by the Australian Hard rock band AC/DC, first appeared as track number nine on their 1980 album "Thunderstruck" is the first song on the 1990 AC/DC album The Razors Edge. Often called a pick or plec, a plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. In 1976, the band recorded an instrumental arrangement of the Scottish traditional song "Loch Lomond", retitled "Fling Thing", which has appeared in their stage act over the years. Loch Lomond is a traditional Scottish song ( Roud # 9598 It was first published in 1841 in Vocal Melodies of Scotland. Bonny is a song performed by Australian Hard rock band AC/DC, based on the traditional Scottish ballad The Bonnie Banks The title refers to the Highland Fling. The Highland Fling is one of the oldest of the traditional Highland dances of Scotland.

He is especially noted for his vibrato, his intricate improvisation in live shows, and his stripped down approach to the guitar, with regard to amp-provided effects and guitar accessories.

He often receives criticism from the music press, many of his critics stating that AC/DC's songs sound too similar, focusing on the same handful of chords. However, as Young stated in an interview with the Atlanta Gazette in 1979:

"It's just rock and roll. A lot of times we get criticised for it. A lot of music papers come out with: 'When are they going to stop playing these three chords?' If you believe you shouldn't play just three chords it's pretty silly on their part. To us, the simpler a song is, the better, 'cause it's more in line with what the person on the street is. "

Stage antics

Angus Young is notorious for his wild onstage antics. He entertains audiences with his intense jumps onstage and with his running back and forth across the stage while playing his guitar. Young would clamber on to Bon Scott's shoulders during concerts and they would make their way through the audience with smoke streaming from a satchel on his back, while he played an extended guitar solo, usually during the song "Rocker". "Rocker" is an up tempo song by Australian Hard rock band AC/DC. Once, at a concert in Donington, he rode on Brian Johnson's shoulders. In some of his concert videos, he would raise his foot and bring it back down to the front of his other foot like a zig-zag on stage while keeping the same rhythm on the guitar as he played.

Angus (left) performing his Devil Horns act, along with Campino (right), lead singer of German Punk rock band Die Toten Hosen. The Devil is the Andreas Frege, commonly known by his artist name Campino, (born June 22 1962 in Düsseldorf, Germany) is the singer head and songwriter of the German Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Die Toten Hosen is a German punk band from Düsseldorf. They have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany

In later years, Young performed moves such as his own version of the Duck Walk, which was inspired by his idol Chuck Berry, and his "spasm", during which he throws himself to the ground, kicking, shaking, and spinning in circles, while playing the guitar. The Duck Walk is a guitar move made famous by American Guitarist Chuck Berry, and adopted by others such as Angus Young Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18 1926 in St A spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of a Muscle, a group of muscles or a hollow organ, or a similarly sudden Contraction of an Orifice Both moves can be seen on various videos, such as "Live At Donington". Live is a 1992 album by Australian Hard rock band AC/DC. It was released both as a single album and as a double album (known as ^[8] Young developed the "spasm" while he was playing live in a small club in Australia, after he accidentally tripped over a cable on stage while playing his solo. He covered it up by having a seizure-like "spasm" on stage to make it seem like part of the act. It has been a trademark of his ever since.

Angus Young also performs "the bob". In the bob, he headbangs while tapping his feet. He taps his right foot twice when headbanging up, and his left foot twice when headbanging down. The bob is found in many songs such as You Shook Me All Night Long, Bad Boy Boogie, Highway to Hell, and many more.

Other gimmicks employed by Young include his strip act, which can be seen during "Bad Boy Boogie" on the most definitive live concert footage Let There Be Rock (1980). AC/DC Let There Be Rock is a live Concert Motion picture featuring the Australian Hard rock band AC/DC, released theatrically It is also viewable in during "Jailbreak" on the 1991 Live at Donington DVD, during "Boogie Man" on No Bull, and during "Bad Boy Boogie" on Stiff Upper Lip Live. "Jailbreak" is a song by Australian Hard rock band AC/DC. Live is a 1992 album by Australian Hard rock band AC/DC. It was released both as a single album and as a double album (known as DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is No Bull is a live video released by AC/DC in November 1996, filmed on Super 16mm at Madrid 's Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas on One who has a stiff upper lip displays fortitude in the face of adversity or exercises self-restraint in the expression of Emotion. And sometimes when he "strips" he will pull down his pants. . . revealing his undergarments, then pulls them up and moons the crowd. Sometimes he would use his fingers to perform his devil horns act -- usually before playing "Highway to Hell" or "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" - whether being on stage or having his picture taken by the press. The Devil is the "Highway to Hell" is a song by the Hard rock band AC/DC. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be is a song by the popular Australian Hard rock band AC/DC.

References

• Guitar Legends magazine issue #78 - AC/DC: We Salute You!

External links

• ACDC.com Official Website
• AC/DC profile page by Epic Records
• AC/DC profile page by Albert Music
• AC/DC profile page by Atlantic Records
• Angus interview with Gibson Guitars