Watch Guns N’ Roses Cover AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ Live for First Time Ever
At a June 7 show in Spain, Guns N' Roses debuted the second AC/DC cover amid their European tour, this time tackling the title track to the group's classic 1980 album, Back in Black.
GN'R regularly switch up their setlists, which helps fans live in the moment at any given show, unsure of what song may be coming up next. Earlier in the week, they debuted a live cover of AC/DC's "Walk All Over You," a cut from the Bon Scott era album Highway to Hell and, in Spain, they turned to the monster hit track from the first record in the Brian Johnson era.
The "Back in Black" cover came seventh in the setlist between "Double Talkin' Jive" and last year's new track, "Absurd." Unlike "Walk All Over You," this was a song Axl Rose had a bit of familiarity with onstage, having sung it during his 2016 stint where he filled in for Johnson as the singer was sidelined with serious hearing issues.
Within a second or two, the crowd recognized the song and let out a roar in support of the cover selection, which can be seen in the fan-shot video further down the page.
At Guns N' Roses' first show of the year on June 5 in Portugal, they not only debuted their cover of "Walk All Over You," but also played two songs — "Reckless Life" and the Appetite for Destruction version of "You're Crazy" for the first time since 1993 and 1991, respectively.
We'll see what other surprises await as the tour continues at these dates.
Guns N' Roses, "Back in Black" (AC/DC cover) Live — June 7, 2022
Guns N' Roses Setlist — June 7, 2022 (via setlist.fm)
01. "It's So Easy"
02. "Mr. Brownstone"
03. "Chinese Democracy"
04. "Slither" (Velvet Revolver cover)
05. "Welcome to the Jungle"
06. "Double Talkin' Jive"
07. "Back in Black" (AC/DC cover) (Live debut)
08. "Absurd"
09. "Rocket Queen"
10. "Reckless Life"
11. "Live and Let Die" (Wings cover)
12. "Estranged"
13. "You Could Be Mine"
14. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (The Stooges cover, Duff McKagan on lead vocals)
15. "Hard Skool"
16. "Civil War"
17. "Slash Guitar Solo (Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign" jam)
18. "Sweet Child o' Mine"
19. "November Rain"
20. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan cover, Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed" intro)
21. "Nightrain"
Encore:
22. "Coma"
23. "Patience" (The Beatles' "Blackbird" intro)
24. "Wichita Lineman" (Jimmy Webb cover)
25. "You're Crazy" (Appetite for Destruction version)
26. "Paradise City"