Forgotten Gigs: AC/DC at Armadale
AC/DC’s elusive ‘missing’ first ever show in Scotland, May 1976
It’s late April 1976. A 25 year old is driving his battered, bronze Ford Capri through the Glasgow area. The sky is blue and the sun is splitting the trees, riding high in the sky. The Capri turns down a familiar street when an advert buzzes through the radio. AC/DC, a relatively unknown Australian band comprising of three Scottish ex-pats amongst the lineup, are to play Armadale Community Centre in West Lothian on Sunday 2 May 1976. Tickets cannot be purchased, the radio advert informs, as it is first come first serve entry at the door for the price of 50p on the night with doors opening at 7 p.m. The show, part of Radio Clyde’s Roadshow, has been introduced.
The 25 year old in question driving his bronze Ford Capri is my dad and he has just set into motion the first — and only — time he would ever see AC/DC perform live.
As circumstances go, could he have picked a better gig to attend? Pre-fame AC/DC at a small venue, T.N.T and High Voltage era with Bon Scott fronting, the band’s live debut in Scotland, in Armadale, West Lothian, of all places.
The show in question has remained one of mystery for decades. Not only has it been erased by AC/DC — and from books detailing the band’s touring history - Radio Clyde, the sponsor of the tour, has let its extensive musical archive sit forgotten in the shadowy depths. The station’s archive which details countless shows of hundreds of artists, both in audio and in other formats, remains sealed off to the general public. This is not only a huge disappointment for fans but also for pop culture and music history.
The mystery of AC/DC’s show in Armadale has mostly remained a distant memory in the minds of those who attended.
My dad, one of just 275 (according to an article detailing the gig published in the West Lothian Courier, 7 May 1976), witnessed an interesting moment in the band’s history and certainly one which has been of much debate. Some fans have reacted with reluctance and disbelief, claiming that it was not possible for a band like AC/DC to have ever played a small town location like Armadale never mind West Lothian.
According to sources, Radio Clyde’s Roadshow of May 1976 took the band to at least another 5 locations over the Lothian and related area. The exact dates and locations of these shows remain unknown as I write — a research project I am intrigued to start out on — which remains quite sad as AC/DC’s first shows in Scotland more than deserve to be highlighted.
What is most intriguing is that the show my dad attended — at Armadale Community Centre on 2 May 1976 — was hosted by DJs Richard Park and Brian Ford and recorded for radio broadcast by Radio Clyde (the proposed date for broadcast was 8 May 1976 according to the West Lothian Courier, 30 April 1976). Does Radio Clyde obtain the archive recordings? Or AC/DC? It is extremely likely but as displayed by their actions over the past few decades, they do not hold any effort or enthusiasm for releasing — or acknowledging — these shows.
“The show kicks off at 7 p.m, and goes on through 11 p.m. It will be recorded for transmission on May 8, so remember and shout nice and loud!” – “Sounding Out” write-up in the West Lothian Courier, 30 April 1976
AC/DC’s setlist at Armadale consisted mostly of songs from T.N.T and the then newly released High Voltage, months before the studio release of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, but intriguingly my dad claims that some songs of the latter were included in the setlist that night. ‘Live Wire’, ‘High Voltage’, ‘Can I Sit Next To You Girl?’ and ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll)’ are all tracks he remembers the band performing. They were loud, blistering and full of the distinct razor rock ‘chug’ that became such an integral and instantly recognisable part of AC/DC’s sound.
It would be incredible if we were able to hear Radio Clyde’s audio from this show — I know it would make my dad very happy — but until the day they acknowledge the rich archive that they have, shows like the day when AC/DC came to Armadale Community Centre will remain just a distant memory of the few who attended. It has been an honour to solve one of the biggest mysteries of AC/DC in Scotland and I look forward to further research.
About the Author
Rachel is a self-confessed music enthusiast with a penchant for research.
