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Angus Young
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Angus Young

Angus Young live with AC/DC on November 23, 2008, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Background information

Birth name Angus McKinnon Young

 31 March 1955 (1955-03-31) (age 54)
Born
Glasgow, Scotland

Hard rock, heavy metal, blues-rock, rock

Genres
and roll

Occupations Musician, songwriter, producer

Instruments Guitar

Years active 1973 - present

Labels EMI, Epic, Atlantic, Albert

Associated acts AC/DC

Website acdc.com or http://acdcrocks.com/

Notable instruments

Gibson SG

Angus McKinnon Young (born March 31, 1955) is a Scottish-born Australian

musician and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the hard rock band
AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other
members of AC/DC in 2003. Known for wild, energetic performances, schoolboy-
uniform stage outfits and the duck walk, Young is ranked 96th on Rolling Stone's list
of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".[1]

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Biography
○ 1.1 Formation of AC/DC
○ 1.2 Recent events
• 2 Equipment
○ 2.1 Guitars
○ 2.2 Angus Young Signature SG
○ 2.3 Amplifiers
 • 3 Influence
• 4 Style
○ 4.1 Stage antics
• 5 References
• 6 External links

[edit] Biography
Angus Young, the youngest of eight children of William and Margaret Young, was
born in Glasgow, Scotland and moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia in 1963
with his older brothers Malcolm, George, who also became musicians, and their older
sister Margaret. Oldest brother Alex, also a musician, stayed in the UK. Angus first
started playing on banjos, but re-strung them with six strings. Angus first started
playing guitar on a cheap acoustic model purchased second hand by his mother.[2]
Angus' first SG was bought second hand in 1970, from a music shop just down the
street from his home.

“ ...I got out and got a Gibson SG that I played until it got wood rot because
so much sweat and water got into it. The whole neck warped. I bought it
second-hand, it was about a ’67. It had a real thin neck, really slim, like a
Custom neck. It was dark brown.[3] ”
[edit] Formation of AC/DC
As a teenager Angus Young played in a band called 'Kantuckee'. He was 18 when he
and his 20 year old brother Malcolm formed AC/DC in 1973 with Angus on lead
guitar, Malcolm on rhythm guitar, Colin Burgess on drums, Larry Van Kriedt on bass
guitar and Dave Evans on vocals. "Can I Sit Next To You Girl", their first single, was
later re-recorded with Bon Scott as their vocalist. They got the name AC/DC after
seeing the letters "AC/DC" on the back of a sewing machine owned by their sister,
Margaret.
Angus tried a number of stage costumes, such as Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a
parody of Superman, named Super-Ang.[4] before settling on his signature schoolboy
trademark. To match this image the press and public were told that Young was born in
1959, not 1955. The original uniform was from his secondary school, Ashfield Boys
High School in Sydney. 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.
[edit] Recent events
Performing live in 2001 on the Stiff Upper Lip tour in Germany.
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 where his
wife grew up. Young married his Dutch wife, Ellen, in 1980 shortly before Bon Scott
died at the age of 33 after a night of heavy drinking in London.[5]
On 24 August 2006, Young received Kerrang! magazine's Legend Award from the
editor, Paul Brannigan. Brannigan called AC/DC "one of the most important and
influential rock bands in history".[6]
[edit] Equipment
[edit] 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. He also used a
modified version of the SG called the Jaydee SG, which was made custom for Angus
by Jaydee guitars.[7] The Jaydee SG featured signature lightning bolt inlays on the
fretboard. Gibson made a custom SG for Angus with lightning bolt inlays to replace
the Jaydee SG. He is rarely seen with another guitar, though he also owns Fender
Telecasters, Gibson Firebirds and ES335s. 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 few times he was without an SG onstage. Young's
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 II or V pickups
with matched coils typically reading 7.5k ohm. All of his pickups "...are the original
ones that came on the guitar(s)." Angus uses Ernie Ball RPS-9 Slinky Nickel Wound
guitar strings (RPS-9 being gauges .009-.042).[8]
[edit] 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.[9]
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. 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,
antique cherry finish [10], 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. This
signature model is unique in that Angus himself does not use his signature model
either live or in the studio.
The second, recently released Angus Young SG, is different to the first. The Gibson
Custom version is based on a 70's SG Standard, features lightning bolt inlays instead
of the trapezoidal inlays. It has no Maestro Tremolo, and Seymour Duncan Pearly
Gates Humbuckers, it has 22 frets and an Aged Cherry finish. The Gibson USA
example is based on a 1960's SG Reissue, feturing a smaller pickgaurd. It too has
lightning bolt inlays, no tremolo and '57 Classic and Angus Young Signature
Humbucker pickups. It is available only in Ebony.
[edit] Amplifiers
Young mainly uses the Marshall model 1959 100 watt Super Lead Plexi (reissued as
the SLPX with the X denoting added, but bypassable features.) heads and model 1960
AX and BX 4x12 cabinets with Celestion G12M "Greenbacks".[11]
Angus tells Celestion speakers that:

“ From High Voltage to Black Ice, it's been Celestion guitar speakers all the
way. ”
[11]

Angus Young has used JMP 50 and JTM 45 heads in the studio. He used JMP 50
most notably on Back In Black. Ballbreaker was almost all recorded with JTM 45's.
Angus does have a black flag JMP50 and there is an isolation box under the stage
during live performances with either a JTM 45 or JMP 50 running through them
mixed with the onstage amplifiers to get the mix through the PA.
[edit] Influence
Angus Young's energetic guitar style has been an influence on many young hard rock
guitarists. His work with AC/DC has been an influence on bands ranging from Guns
N' Roses, Slayer, The Cult, Jackyl, Metallica, and Def Leppard to newer artists like
Disturbed, Jet, Alter Bridge, Buckcherry, Airbourne, The Darkness, Wolfmother, and
You Am I.[citation needed] Young cites his own influences as Chuck Berry, Pete
Townshend, Muddy Waters, Leslie West, Keith Richards, B.B. King, George
Harrison, Buddy Guy, and other blues/rock and roll players.[12] When the Canadian
band ANVIL were asked what it was like to tour with AC/DC, and not only did they
have good things to say about the band but they also mentioned that Angus Young has
a "big heart."
[edit] Style
Young plays a solo during a performance of "Let There Be Rock"
Angus Young's playing style is very straight blues, playing in both the minor and
major pentatonic blues scale. 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)". 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 "Who Made Who", "Dirty Deeds Done
Dirt Cheap", "Sin City" and "Let There Be Rock" (live). 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. The title refers to
the Highland Fling.
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. ”
[edit] Stage antics

Angus Young onstage antics at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa 2009

Angus Young is famous for his wild onstage antics: intense jumps and 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".[13] At a concert in
Donington[which?] [same concert as mentioned in the next paragraph?] he rode on Brian Johnson's
shoulders[citation needed], and also in Portland, Oregon on the "We Salute You Tour" in
1982[citation needed]. When performing live he frequently uses a Chuck Berry move, the
Duck Walk, which involves hopping on one leg while bringing the other one up and
down[citation needed].

Angus (left) performing his Devil Horns act, along with Campino (right), lead singer
of German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen.
Also when live he performs his "spasm", during which he throws himself to the
ground, kicking, shaking, and spinning in circles, while playing the guitar. Both
moves can be seen on various videos, such as Live At Donington.[14] 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[citation needed] [verify that this is
the reason he developed the "spasm" into his act]
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. [
verify both previous sentences.]
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. This is his general rhythmic movement while
performing.

Angus Young onstage antics at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa 2009

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). It is also viewable in during "Jailbreak" on the 1991 Live at Donington DVD,
during "Boogie Man" on No Bull, during "Bad Boy Boogie" on Stiff Upper Lip Live
and during "The Jack" on the Black Ice tour. And sometimes when he "strips" he will
pull down his shorts, revealing his undergarments, often decorated with the flag of the
country in which the concert takes place or with AC/DC on it as shown in the "Black
ice" tour in 2008/2009, 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. AC/DC appeared in "Private Parts" a movie
based on Howard Stern's book about his life and early career, they are frequent guests
on his radio show. [this paragraphs needs additional inline citations for verifiability.]
[edit] References
1. ^ "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2003-08-27.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all
_time. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
2. ^ Interview with Angus Young
3. ^ Angus Young interview with Steven Rosen
4. ^ Walker, Clinton (2001). Highway to Hell: The Life and Times of AC/DC Legend
Bon Scott. pp. 128–133. ISBN 1-891-24113-3.
5. ^ "The Daily Telegraph". AC/DC Stars Mega Mansion.
http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,22049,21164917-5001026,00.html.

6. ^ Lostprophets on their metal as they top the Kerrang! awards | | Guardian Unlimited
Arts
7. ^ [1]
8. ^ Ernie Ball RPS-9
9. ^ Angus Young Signature SG
10.^ Antique Cherry Finish
11.^ a b Celestion Artists
12.^ "Angus Young influences". AllMusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?
p=amg&sql=11:ag77gjqr86in~T1.
13.^ Angus Young on Bon Scott's Shoulders during a concert
14.^ AC/DC | Music Artist | Videos, News, Photos & Ringtones | MTV
• Guitar Legends magazine issue #78 - AC/DC: We Salute You!
[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Angus Young

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Angus Young

• ACDC.com Official Website

• Angus interview with Gibson Guitars
[hide]
v•d•e
AC/DC

Brian Johnson · Angus Young · Malcolm Young · Cliff Williams · Phil Rudd
Bon Scott · Dave Evans · Peter Clack · Rob Bailey · Tony Currenti · Simon
Wright · Chris Slade · Mark Evans
 High Voltage · T.N.T. · High Voltage (international
version) · Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap · Let There Be
Rock · Powerage · Highway to Hell · Back in Black · For
Studio albums
Those About to Rock We Salute You · Flick of the Switch ·
Fly on the Wall · Who Made Who · Blow Up Your Video ·
The Razors Edge · Ballbreaker · Stiff Upper Lip · Black Ice

EPs &
'74 Jailbreak · Bonfire · Volts · Backtracks
compilations

If You Want Blood You've Got It · Live · Live from the

Live albums Atlantic Studios · Let There Be Rock: The Movie – Live in
Paris

AC/DC: Let There Be Rock · Fly on the Wall · Who Made

Who · AC/DC · Clipped · Live at Donington · For Those
Films and videos
About to Rock · No Bull · Stiff Upper Lip Live · Live '77 ·
Family Jewels · Plug Me In

Vanda & Young · Harry Vanda · George Young · Mutt

Production
Lange · Bruce Fairbairn · Rick Rubin · Brendan O'Brien

For Those About to Rock Tour · Flick of the

Switch/Monsters of Rock Tour · Fly on the Wall Tour ·
Tours Who Made Who World Tour · Blow Up Your Video World
Tour · Razors Edge World Tour · Ballbreaker World Tour ·
Stiff Upper Lip World Tour · Black Ice World Tour

Discography · Awards and nominations · ACDC Lane ·

Related articles Angus Bucks · Members · Portal · Rare songs · Tribute
albums
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Young"
Categories: 1955 births | AC/DC members | Australian rock guitarists | Australians of
Scottish descent | Lead guitarists | Living people | Naturalised citizens of Australia |
People from Glasgow | Scottish immigrants to Australia | British expatriates in
Australia
Hidden categories: Articles needing additional references from April 2009 | All
articles needing additional references | All articles with unsourced statements |
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