‘How did such big balls get in such short pants?’ Steve Tyler of Aerosmith, speaking at the induction of AC/DC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, asked of Angus Young. Fair question.
Angus Young, the co-founder and the last surviving original member of AC/DC, has for more than 40 years been the face, sound and sometimes the exposed backside of the trailblazing rock band. In his trademark schoolboy outfit, guitar in hand, Angus has given his signature sound to songs such as ‘A Long Way to the Top’, ‘Highway to Hell’ and ‘Back in Black’, helping AC/DC become the biggest rock band on the planet.
High Voltage is the first biography to focus exclusively on Angus. It tells of his remarkable rise from working-class Glasgow and Sydney to the biggest stages in the world. The youngest of eight kids, Angus always seemed destined for a life in music, and it was his passion and determination that saw AC/DC become hard rock’s greatest act. Over the years, Angus has endured the devastating death of iconic vocalist Bon Scott, the forced retirement of his brother in arms, Malcolm Young, and more recently the loss from the band of singer Brian Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd. Yet somehow the little guitar maestro has kept AC/DC not just on the rails, but at the top of the rock pile. Must be those big balls . . .
I launched the book at the Thirroul Writers Festival on August 25 and spoke with AC/DC photographer Philip Morris at Rockdale Library on September 5. You can read an extract of High Voltage here and also read a review from the Daily Review and from Sydney's Daily Telegraph. I'm being interviewed here on Channel 9's Today Extra. I spoke with Nick Bennett at Talking Lifestyle about High Voltage, Bern Young at ABC Gold Coast and Andrew O'Keefe at Weekend Sunrise. Here's a piece I wrote about Angus for the Guardian. High Voltage also topped the independent publisher bestseller list on its week of release — it's a #1!
Here are details for the aduio book edition of High Voltage.
High Voltage is now available in Australia, North America, Finland with more foreign editions to come. You can read a feature from the Scottish Sun. I've spoken about High Voltage in Brisbane, Canberra, the NSW Central Coast, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide. A smaller format Australian edition is due in late 2018.
