The last time I saw you guys, was at the Stone Hearth last August in Madison. How’s it been going? How has the reception been since then. You went to Europe, then you came back to the United States, and stuff. Has it gotten better?

How do you feel about going on tour with Kiss?

Yeah, you will have a lot of good exposure. All the bands that have toured with them so far have really gotten a lot better reception, and things have happened a lot faster because of the exposure that they get.

I have met him at the Stone Hearth. I met you at the Stone Hearth. Remember, I helped set up the dressing room...

He’s a little overwhelming.

That means that....(everyone talking at once), try it out, yeah, try it out.
What are your plans after ...how long is the tour with Kiss going to be?

Yeah, definitely! What are your plans after your tour with Kiss?

(Laughing), Is that where you got your image from?

Angus: From her, yeah.
Malcolm: She taught him how to be tall.
Bon: She taught him how to stand up.
Angus: Beautiful girl, blonde.
Bon: I love a statue.
Angus: Big six foot one Amazon with two breasts.

I noticed that you have a cordless guitar now, it looks like it’s huh, much easier that way.

What are you huh, with running out into the crowd and stuff, what do you want to achieve the most. What is the best reaction off that? Just getting closer to the people or what?

Is that the ?????????? You just want them to see what you look like close up?

Well, he sweats enough, so. You know.

Ah, but the rest of you do! Right?

Well Angus, I’ll print it, you can huh...

I noticed it does kind of look like you’re chasing him on the stage a little bit.

Every time it looks like you’re going to run into each other, you don’t, that’s what’s so funny about it.

You’ve got enough duct tape on that guitar to just...

Does the tape make it sound better?

I suppose the English and Australian reception is better than the United States, or is it the other way around?

That’s a revelation.

Really? They’re very intelligent?

They get pretty excited.

Angus: Well, you gotta figure for farting..
Bon: Go ahead, because you’ve been talking for so long, I can’t help it.
Angus: Yours aren’t the best smelling ones...

So with all these punk rock bands that are coming out of England, and stuff, how would you categorize your music? You can’t be punk.

Just plain rock, huh? I’m not going to get a great description of it, huh? Nothing like...

Well, I told him in Madison that it blows your socks off!

He didn’t understand it then, and you don’t understand it now. It’s just an expression.

If it’s really, you know, if it really rocks out, or it really gets you going, it blows your socks off.

Not too many people do that...

How long have you guys been together?

Cliff: At least seven months.
Angus: He’s the newest one.

You’re the newest member.

Angus: As you can see, an ugly cunt, too. Look at him. I’m the good lookin’, I’m the sexy one in the band.
Bon: The prick? Oh, you set yourself up for that one, mate. Sorry.

When you got together, are you doing what you intended to do, musically?

Bon: No. I’m glad you said, musically.
(Everyone cracks up laughing, AGAIN)!

Come on you guys, you’re not giving me nothing here! (Nice grammar).

Malcolm: Listen, we always wanted to be a Led Zeppelin, but wound up The Monkees!
Phil: We took a wrong toin at Albuquerque!
Angus: I always thought we wanted to be The Monkees, and ended up a Led Zeppelin.
Bon: Take that. (He just handed Malcolm the bottle of Jack Daniels he was drinking).

What was your main intention when you got together? I mean, don’t tell me...

Malcolm: To be filthy rich!
Angus: My main intention was to pay up to the chick down the road. Because she said I was a rotten guitarist when I used to practice at night. And I said, well fuck you! And she still thinks I’m rotten!

Oh boys, you guys are really helping out, let me tell you. I haven’t gotten anything good yet. I want to get some secrets, O.K., what are you going to do...

Angus: I’ll give you plenty of secrets...
Malcolm: Secrets? Turn the table...

No, no. I want to get, ah. All right, are there plans for another album?

Angus: Yes, March, March. Either March or April.
Bon: Or June, or July.
Angus: Nothing very specific.
Bon: Or should we say ’76, ’77, ’78...
Malcolm: Silver, let’s do an edition of those snazzy cigarettes.
Silver (Bon's girlfriend): For about another week...(she hands out cigarettes).

It’s not going to be a live album, is it?

Phil: Can I get one, too?
Bon: We have a live album in the making.

You do? Ah ha! When is that coming out? You don’t want to tell me. You’re working on one though...

Bon: Yeah, we’re doing it live.
Phil: There’s nothing immediate happening. It’s just something we’re going to do.

So, after the tour with Kiss...you don’t know.

Malcolm: It’s not only Kiss, there’s other things, too, you know.
Phil: We finish on the twenty-second in Philadelphia with Kiss, and we do a few shows in between up until the end of the Kiss gigs.
Malcolm: We’re only doing five gigs with that band.

That should be enough.

Malcolm: And we’re doing about thirty, thirty-five gigs in America...

It should be an experience, though.

Phil: We just finished doing a lot of headlining shows with the band UFO, and another band called ??

I’m working at it.

Phil: No, no, no what, eight to ten thousand seaters.
Malcolm: 28,000 one night, a hundred the next night...
Phil: Variety’s the spice of life.

Yes, well tonight was definitely not something you’d repeat a whole lot of times, I mean with the power, and Detective walking out.

Bon: Yeah, tonight was pretty quiet. I mean ten thousand people don’t make that much noise.

Did that change your attitude tonight before you went on stage?

Bon: Nah, we hated them before we went on!
Malcolm: Yeah, we’d rather play with ourselves any fucking time!
Angus: Even if there were only ten people there, we’d still go on.
Phil: Your red light is not going on and off.

Oh yes it is. Yup.

Bon: Thirty bucks. What?

What?

Malcolm: I’ve got a hamburger for thirty-five.
Bon: (Laughing) Forty!

The last time when you were here in August, that was your first United States tour, how did you like it?

Malcolm: Yeah, it was good.
Cliff: It was hot then. We were in Texas to start with.
Angus: And they’ve got big girls...
Cliff: ...with big, you know. It was great.
Angus: You should see the size of the ones in Texas! I went out in the mornin’ with me lasso, and I brought ‘em back. I brought them in.
Cliff: Size forty-twos...
Bon: I got one or two, and this chick had these big tamales on her shoulders, and it burnt, them um...tamales...
Malcolm: Bon, give me the whiskey.
Angus: Tamales...
Cliff: Tamales...

I understand you don’t appreciate the clubs you’ve played in in Wisconsin. I don’t really blame you. Wisconsin didn’t strike you as that great to play in, did it?

Angus: Is this Wisconsin? Isn’t this Chicago?

Yes it is. No, it’s a little bit north of that.

Malcolm: This is where Happy Days, this is where Fonzie hails from. Imagine the Fonzie sitting downstairs, what a thrill!

I have a message from the Dingoes. They said to say hello. Karen Tolhurst said to say hello to you, specifically.

Bon: Well, tell them a big hello, uh, miss boomerang.

Oh, O.K...

Phil: Fuckin’ hell!
Bon: Is that good, or what? Give me a break!

Give me a break, oh no, yeah give me a break, why don’t you tell me something so I don’t have to ask you any more questions.

Angus: What are you doing tonight?
Bon: What are you up to?
Cliff: What do you want to know?
Bon: You ought to know!
Angus: We’re at 313.
Cliff: Yeah, 313, we’re both at 313.
Angus: You’re a bit short for me.

Do you...

Malcolm: Yes!

Angus, do you do anything, anything specific to get that much energy on stage?

Angus: Yeah...

I know you kind of, I know you’re pretty quiet before the show, but is there any routine, yeah...

Bon: ??
Angus: ??

You what?

Phil: It starts when he gets out of bed in the morning.
Angus: That’s a big event. It starts in the morning, and get out of bed, and you figure why did I get out?
Phil: See he loves bed, and by the time it gets to be the time that we get on stage, he’s been out of bed for so long, that he’s like really, he’s really upset and he’s thinking about getting back to bed. He reckons he’s been out of bed all day, so that’s why he’s jumps up and down on the stage because he’s really pissed off.
Angus: If I can get a woman, we both might get pissed off together.

How do you like the image that you have of being, well, I’m sure that it was intended, but how do you like the image of being, really you know, I don’t know what you’d call it-mean brawlers, you know. Just tearing the stage apart.

(Malcolm is grunting and growling at me. Everyone starts laughing).
Angus: We’re not mean!
Phil: If you move that fuckin’ truck down, I’ll ring your neck! (What?)
(Malcolm continues to growl and crawl across the coffee table towards me).

Really! I was told that you guys have been in fights, and you’re really dangerous!

Cliff: We’ve never been in a fight. Not one fight.

It’s all promo, huh?

Bon: You’re so passive!
Phil: It’s all bullshit.
Cliff: We’re all into Hare Krishnas.
Angus: I’m a divine ??
Cliff: He’s got the third eye, you know. He’s amazing.
Bon: ?? Occasionally.

So do you have any other motive...that you would like to...

Malcolm: Uh huh.

All right, let me change that.

Phil: We’re also craving sex fiends.

You know this article is going to be hilarious. It’s going to go right along with your promo, you’re a bunch of rowdies.

Angus: Yeah, they are, but I’m a nice boy.
Phil: We’re all virgins.
Angus: I am. I’m a virgin.
Bon: If you say one thing wrong about us, we’ll fuck ya silly!

Now you’re giving me stuff I can’t print!

Angus: These are all nasty, these are all nasty people.

Well that’s the image, so...

Angus: Yeah, they are. But I’m nice. You could say that Angus is nice, Angus is a nice boy who likes sweet girls, so I can ravage them.
Malcolm: Is that what you call it?
(Bon does his best Tarzan yell).
Cliff: That’s the end of the tape, by the way.

Oh yeah? Nope, it’s still flashing. Do you have any other intentions than what you’re doing now?

Bon: Many.
Malcolm: Yes.

Do you have any plans career-wise, except for getting a lot more famous. Probably, but...

Bon: We’d like a lot more money.
Angus: Money? I can do that.
Phil: We were going to buy a couple of countries each, and get our armies out and have war games. Katy (My friend): Risk.

Yes, play a little Risk.

Bon: I’ll do your country, and you do mine.
Phil: I’ve already negotiated with Russia.

So, what’s your impression, do you guys like the punk rock that’s around now?

Malcolm: Yeah, great. It’s magic stuff.
Bon: We need it!

You do? Why?

Malcolm: Makes us angry. It makes us play better! In fact, it sucks!

Now that’s the kind of answers I want!

Angus: I, me personally, hate everything.
Bon: I can see the headline now, They Suck!

Oh. No.

Malcolm: I’m the headline sucker.

No, actually I like your music.

Malcolm: Thank you.
Phil: We’re glad.
Cliff: Stupid girl...
Phil: Poor mislead child.

So what have you been doing about promo? I haven’t seen that much, but maybe Wisconsin is too isolated.

Malcolm: Well, we put up about 200 photos last night around here. We’ve been using super glue so people can’t take them off.

I saw that fantastic picture of you and Bon in Circus, I think it was, or Creem, you were standing on the table.

Bon: I haven’t the courage to stand on a table...

What? Maybe I’m sitting to close, I can’t understand...

Malcolm: Hey Bon, let us have the whiskey before you get drunk!
Bon: I think he might of. Now wait a minute. There. On the window ledge, About seven people. I can’t, can you? ....Growls.
Malcolm: Yes, in Wisconsin, we do drink whiskey.
Cliff: Whiskey in Wisconsin...

I hope this thing is working right...Yeah, it is. Every once in a while. There is no grand message you want to get across to the people?

Phil: Yes. Buy more fuckin’ records!
Angus: Would you like to marry me?

(Laughing) It’s your turn Malcolm.

Malcolm: Tell her, you can’t even find your room key! Actually it’s room three...

Are you getting the kind of coverage that you want?

Phil: Nah, we want front page.

Why not?

Phil: We’ll have front page.
Angus: Well, for a start, I would like long pants.
Malcolm: I’d like something for my ears.

Something for your ears...I can... No really, I haven’t seen that much written about you , but you know, I keep in touch with the tour and everything.

Phil They don’t like to write about us.

Well I’m going to write about you!

Malcolm: We’ll write about you, too.
Angus: If you come back to my room, I’ll write home to Mother!
Cliff: The last thing they fuckin’ wrote about us was that we were born in a cesspool!

They did?

Malcolm: Suspect?
Cliff: Well, whatever. They’re wrong! Because I was born ....
Malcolm: Hey Cliff, what is a cesspool anyway?
Cliff: I don’t know mate, I just read it.

Do you have any more plans to commercializing at all? Like a lot of people are doing t-shirts.

Malcolm: Yeah! AC/DC makeup.
Cliff: AC/DC knickers.
Malcolm: AC/DC fingernail polish, AC/DC skid marks on your own underpants.
Cliff: Make a fortune!
Malcolm: Fuckin’...AC/DC toilet paper. Once or twice...
Cliff: PTL one side.
Malcolm: Yeah, please turn over.
Cliff: ?
Angus: Angus Young snot.

What is the difference between like the English crowds that come to see you and the American ones?

Cliff: Well, they’re English and one’s American.

Boy, you guys are easy to interview, let me tell ya. I haven’t gotten one question answered.

Bon: That means you have to go tomorrow night, too.
Malcolm: You mean you were like the only person whose ever interviewed us!

Oh no! Come on!

Cliff: You don’t want a straight one, do ya? Like what foods you like.

No, no, no, I’m not like a Sixteen (magazine).

Cliff: ?
Malcolm: ?
Phil: I use Crest toothpaste...
Angus: I don’t use any toothpaste!

Is that it? You’ve never been interviewed before and that’s the thing? I’ve never read an interview of you guys.

Angus: That’s because...
Malcolm: Listen Angus, you’re drunk.
Angus: I’m trying to man. I’m so, I’m incoherent.

Why don’t you interview each other and maybe I‘ll get more information out of you? Is there anything you wanted to ask Bon, all these years, what is he doing up there, I want to know, I want to know!

Cliff: What are you doing on stage? Why do you continually...Why have you got tattoos?
Bon: Cliff, Cliff! Screams. On stage I am filling a space, and you say...
Cliff: No, no, I didn’t say that.
Bon: Why do you have a space? Cliff?
Cliff: What?
Bon: Why do you have a space?
Angus: I wear no underwear. I wear thermal underwear.
Bon: Angus Young wears thermal underwear...
Angus: BVDs, BVDs...

What were you doing before you joined AC/DC?

Angus: Wearing BVDs!
Cliff: Who? Who are you talking to, me? I was a painter, a painter and decorator. I was, actually. I was a painter and decorator.

You weren’t in a band before AC/DC?

Cliff: No, I’ve never been in a band before in my life. This is my first band.
Angus: I was a homosexual.
Malcolm: No one ever asks me what I do, no one ever asks me what I did before.

All right. I know you dropped out of school. Right? Did he really do that? Do you have plans on going back and finishing up? Do you think they’d accept ya?

Angus: I’m repenting. I’m repenting. You come sit in my lap and it’ll make a great interview.
Bon: I’m going fuckin’ home, fuck it. Because this is giving me the shits!
Malcolm: You’re being interviewed for the first time in your life, and it’s givin’ you the shits?
Bon: It’s a pain in the ass!
Cliff: Bon come on, don’t fuckin’ desert us now, come on.
Angus: You’re the life of the party.
Malcolm: Come on, Bon! We’ve been waiting on you all fuckin’, we’ve been waiting for you to put your shoes on! Now you’re taking them off!
Angus: If you’re not coming back...
Phil ??

Well, I think I got about as much information as I’m going to get.

Bon: We’ve been waitin’ for fifteen years to bring the fuckin’ money out, yeah! Bring a little cash, and we’ll talk.

Money? I have to pay for an interview, huh?

Angus: Especially if you have two cents American.
Malcolm: Now that interview’s gotta be censored now.

Oh it will be, believe me.

Malcolm: FYI
Cliff: Is it totally fucked? Is it totally fucked?

Well, I didn’t get a whole lot of real info, but I did get a good insight on how much fun you guys are off stage. You were like that in Madison.

Angus: I’m good to you.

Real fun loving, and nice, real nice guys. You know, I’m sure I...

Cliff: You’re really talented guys. You’re fucking joking!

While Cliff is talking to me, Angus picks up the tape recorder and before turning it off, says “Hello, hello, hello, hello ...” It’s obvious that they hadn’t been interviewed all that much, and I didn’t know what the hell I was doing! Considering how hard they were working out on the road, they were extremely accepting of my “interviewing technique,” or should I say, the lack thereof. The more I listen to it, the more it just sounds like I was partying with all five band members of AC/DC, and it was miraculously caught on tape. It actually took me several evenings to make sense of as much as I could of this interview. I hadn’t listened to it in a few years, and the fact that it captures that night spent with the band just months after they had first come over to the United States, well, it’s something that I will treasure forever. Listening to Bon is always bittersweet. He is so alive on the tape, but has been gone for so long. His antics during this interview always make me laugh out loud. Panasonic, (the maker of the tape recorder), I salute you!