AC/DC- On the set of 'Private Parts'- Bryant Park

Written by Backstage Bruce

There they are, from that day backstage at Bryant Park. I snapped that photo. From left: Malcolm Young, his brother Angus Young (foreground) Phil Rudd (background) Cliff Williams and Brian Johnson

Brian Johnson- Lead Vocalist

     I am a big fan of AC/DC, first hearing them while I was in high school. I went out and bought the album ‘Highway To Hell’ right away, I really like the song ‘Get It Hot’. Our schools' football team would always have ‘TNT’ playing over the loudspeakers as they took to the field. Next album I bought was ‘High Voltage’ after hearing that. My favorite song on that one is ‘Live Wire'. I was shocked when I heard Bon Scott died, it was the biggest news in my world.

     
     Everyone at school was talking about it. All the DJ’s were reliving AC/DC memories on the radio. The band was just starting to get some great radio airplay on the rock stations here in The States after their recent U.S. tour in 1979. Back home, in Australia, they were already huge rockstars. The tragedy left everyone asking "What was going to happen to AC/DC?"



Angus Young- Lead Guitarist

     Five months later, that question was answered when they released ‘Back In Black’. -I went out and bought it, favorite track ‘Shoot To Thrill’. -After a few month mourning period, AC/DC got right back to work. They found a new singer in Brian Johnson and started recording.

     Everyone eagerly awaited to hear what they were going to sound like now. The album was an instant smash. Perfectly timed, it was released in the middle of the summer. People, by the thousands, were driving around with their windows down, cranking it. There were multiple hits on it. For the first time not only were the rock stations playing AC/DC non-stop but the popular music stations put them in rotation, especially the songs ‘You Shook Me All Night Long‘, ‘Back In Black’ and ‘Hell's Bells’. 

     The first time I’d ever get to see them live was in Germany in 1984. It is one of the best concerts I have ever attended. It was a 'Monsters Of Rock Europe'. Van Halen, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, and Dio were also on the bill. (That show, on September 2nd, turned out to be Van Halen's very last concert ever with the four original members, but that's a story for another time.) AC/DC rocked that sportsplatz. They looked great and sounded terrific. 

Private Parts Movie Poster

     

    Fast forward a dozen years to the summer of 1996. Howard Stern was filming his movie, 'Private Parts' in various locations throughout New York. One day I was walking down 6th avenue when I saw a newly printed paper sign taped to a lamppost. I stopped to look at it. It read “Paid extras wanted for Howard Sterns' movie ‘Private Parts’ tomorrow, be at Bryant Park at 8:00 a.m.” 

     I was psyched. I wanted to do this so badly. The next day I got there bright and early. I go to the holding area and check in. There were thousands of us. It was all catered so we had breakfast waiting. During our check-in we got our wristbands and did some paperwork to get paid. It took awhile to process all the extras so we all just got to chill out, eat, read the paper, chat away, whatever. It was a great way to ease into the day. Everybody was buzzing about the top news story; the bombing at the Olympic games in Atlanta. Once everyone was completely checked-in, lunch was served. The day was going along just perfectly.



    After lunch we made our way over to Bryant Park. The scene was a political rally. There was a big stage with a banner that read "Howard Stern For Governor." We packed in the park wherever they directed us to. It was an absolute perfect summer day, barely a cloud in the sky. All the extras were in place by now.

A pair of tickets to the world premiere at The Garden.

     Robin Quivers, Gary Dell'Abate (Baba Booey), Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling and others from the radio show took the stage, they each spoke for a while. We all cheered for them which led up to us chanting “Howard, Howard, Howard,” until he came out.

     He stepped on stage and the crowd went wildly insane. We were applauding everything he was saying. I really enjoyed it.- I remember when Howard Stern actually ran for governor.- Once that scene was finished Howard Stern announced “I want to thank you for all your support and as a surprise I have the greatest Rock & Roll band in the entire world!” There was a look of wonder on thousands of faces, everyone was looking around, thinking ‘Who?, Who?’ When Howard continued “Please welcome AC/DC.”

'Pig Vomit'- Paul Giamatti.

   Five guys start to walk on stage. We were all just staring at them. From a distance people were asking "Is that really them?" "Or is it actors playing AC/DC?” Then as they walked closer the comments turned to “Yes that’s them”. "I can't believe this." It took only a few seconds before the crowd recognized them and realized that AC/DC was really there and about to play.

    Passer-bys on the street saw AC/DC on stage. They were trying to get into the park, but by now it was a closed set with security surrounding the area. If you didn’t have a wristband, you couldn’t get in. I’m ready, the band is ready, the audience is ready. They play 'You Shook Me All Night Long' and it was fantastic. Youtube link, I'm in it (it's dubbed in Spanish, it's the only copy I could find online): yellow shirt, backpack:  MY SCEEN- 01:28- 01:32

     I see them walk off the stage. I think to myself ‘right now they are actors on a set and I’m an actor on a set, we’re colleagues, let me go say my hellos.’ I get to the backstage area. I see them sitting there. A few other scoundrels had the same idea as me. We all got as close to the band as we could but there was a blue wooden police barrier holding us back about fifteen feet. I caught Angus' attention and I called out “Hey Angus, come over here for one quick photo, you too Brian, Malcolm you too, Phil, Cliff, all of you, just a quick picture.” Famous last words, it’s never one quick one. 

    They were gracious, they walked over to our small group. We all got photos of and with, some got autographs. I remember one fan from Argentina got a picture with Angus on a yellow, disposable camera. He then ran across the street to this one-hour photo place and got an 8" x 11" developed which he then ran back and had Angus sign it. That dude was on a mission, loved his enthusiasm.

      I asked Angus for his pick. He told me that he still needed it because they were going to film the scene again and I was like “What? A big rockstar like you only has one pick?!!!” He looked over at an assistant. This person went right into the production trailer and came out with a bag of brand new picks. They were white. One side the picks read AC/DC and on the other was Cliff Williams autograph, the bass player. The assistant was really nice, he handed everyone in our group a pick. They all got their souvenirs and dispersed except for me. I say to Angus “Thanks for the pick and all, but I want one of yours, the one you're actually using.” He said to me “Wait right here.”

The two picks I got that day, front 

AC/DC takes the stage again. I wanted to go back out into the crowd and watch them but Angus told me to wait right there so I wasn’t moving. They sounded great, again. The band finished up as the crowd cheered. They climbed back down the stairs, four of them went over to their holding area, in the shade, while Angus walked right over to me and handed me the pick he just used. I still have it to this day. That one is a dark brown with gold lettering.

On the back, a caricature of Angus on his, and Cliff William's autograph on his 

     I thanked him and asked if they were going to play any songs after their scene was finished. He told me that they were going to play ‘The Jack’. I said my goodbyes and went back out into the audience. They did 'You Shook Me All Night Long' a third time and their scene was complete. Then for fun, they played ‘The Jack.’ It was so great. I could not believe how lucky I was to be there for it. When that song was done they left the stage for good. They had a show at Jones Beach they had to get to.

AC/DC High Voltage Album, contains the song 'The Jack'

     Howard Stern comes back out with the cast and we all do one more scene, the big ‘exit scene’. After this it was a wrap. I went back to the holding area to get my stuff and there were literally hundreds of individually packaged gourmet sandwiches leftover from lunch. They had all been refrigerated for the last few hours. The caterers tell us to take whatever we want so I fill up my backpack, I had sandwiches for the week.

     It was one of the greatest days ever! The movie held its world premiere on February 27th, 1997. I attend, thought it was great. I saw myself on the big screen. The movie immediately went to number one. The soundtrack also went number one on Billboard. It contained the actual live version of 'You Shook Me All Night Long' recorded in the park that awesome day. I picked up a copy for the collection.

A private show the night after they were inducted into the Rock & Roll HOF

    

     The last time I saw AC/DC was at The Roseland Ballroom, 2003. It was a thank you concert for their most loyal fans. The band had just been inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during ceremonies held the previous night at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. They were so powerful, it was a rockin' good time.

To AC/DC, from those of us you've rocked, over the decades,... WE SALUTE YOU.