For iconic rock band AC/DC, notoriety came not only from their electrifying music but also from a series of scandalous events, enveloping the band in controversy and casting a lasting shadow over their legacy.
Is it necessary for every AC/DC murder tale to allude to ‘Dirty Deeds’?
Phil Rudd, the founding drummer of rock legends AC/DC, found himself under arrest in New Zealand facing grievous charges, including the attempt to procure a murder. The media and the online world, instead of reflecting on the man’s contributions to the band’s sound, saw this as an opportunity to draw trite comparisons to the band’s song “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”
In what became a predictable exercise in headline writing, outlets couldn’t resist linking Rudd’s alleged crimes to the song about a budget-friendly assassin. The New York Post chimed in with, “He wanted a dirty deed done cheap—now he might be on the highway to hell,” employing a familiar phrase to evoke a sense of irony. Not to be outdone, TMZ chose bluntness over wit, emblazoning their headline with: “Arrested for Dirty Deeds…”
The Deadly Concert
Tragedy struck at a 1991 AC/DC concert in Salt Lake City, claiming the lives of 19-year-old Elizabeth Glausi and two 14-year-olds, Jimmie Boyd Jr. and Curtis White Child. The fans were catastrophically crushed by a crowd surge, an all too familiar scene recalling similar events of the past, including the calamitous Who concert that took 11 lives.
In the thick of enthusiasm, demands for space, and the surge’s onset as the band hit the stage, accounts vary. Still, the band contested the claim that it had taken 45 minutes for the frantic message to stop the concert from reaching their ears, asserting that only four songs in, Brian Johnson had halted the show. This incident profoundly affected AC/DC as a haunting reminiscence, with Johnson reflecting years later, “You still think about it… That was an awful incident, and it hit us very hard.”
Bon Scott’s Death Murder Conspiracy
AC/DC faced a defining moment with the untimely passing of frontman Bon Scott. Initially pinned as acute alcohol poisoning and later changed to asphyxiation, Scott’s death remains shrouded in speculation. Jesse Fink’s later biography suggested heroin might have been the real cause, though those present in Scott’s final hours were mostly under the influence themselves. While mystery continues to shroud the true nature of Scott’s death, the impact on the rock world remains clear—a legend was lost.