Bon Scott’s ‘Highway To Hell’ coming alive for tribute gig
Western Australia’s Canning Highway, immortalised in AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’, will become the site of a tribute to the late singer Bon Scott (who wrote the lyrics).
2020 marks the 40th anniversary of Scott’s death in London, on February 19, 1980, aged 33.
Born in Scotland, he grew up in Fremantle, and his ashes were laid to rest at Fremantle Cemetery on March 1.
To celebrate his ties to the area, Perth Festival is closing off 10km of the highway on Sunday March 1 for a massive concert.
It will become, the festival says, “the world’s longest stage”.
Four zones have been earmarked for free activity for fans and families.
Australian and international acts will perform AC/DC songs from stages on the back of semi-trailers in a slow “hit parade” from Applecross to Fremantle.
It starts at 5pm and ends at 8.30pm.
Artists to perform range from Amyl and the Sniffers and The Pigram Brothers to Finnish bluegrass band Steve ’n’ Seagulls and Japanese female rock trio Shonen Knife to the WA Police Pipe Band and Perth Symphony Orchestra.
The public is encouraged to walk the highway behind the trucks, and stop off ay time to have a picnic and catch the other activities.
These include roving performers, community choirs, exhibitions, public talks, food and market stalls, a mass singalong of ‘Highway To Hell’ at Tompkins Park and rock patch-making sessions with the Embroiderers Guild of WA.
Scott travelled along the Canning Highway to go drinking with friends, see early shows as a teenager or play gigs with AC/DC at the Raffles Hotel in Fremantle.
Perth Festival artistic director Iain Grandage says, “The idea of closing down the highway to celebrate a favourite son is an exciting way to celebrate our city and bring the curtain down on the 2020 festival.
“Everyone is invited.
“As Bon Scott sings in the song that inspired this event, ‘And all my friends are gonna be there too’.”
Perth Festival is presenting Highway to Hell in partnership with the City of Melville, City of Fremantle and Town of East Fremantle.
The initiative took seven months to come together, with 200 meetings with mayors, CEOs, transport authorities and emergency services
Full details of the day’s activities at perthfestival.com.au
Behind the inspiration for the song
Image: Cam Campbell (Supplied)
The story behind what inspired the title of ‘Highway To Hell’ is varied.
Angus and Malcolm Young claimed they said it as a response when a US journalist asked about their hectic touring schedule.
Some suggest it was a pun on Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway To Heaven’.
The Canning Highway was known by locals as a highway to hell.
As it approaches the Raffles, it goes on a sharp decline, and many people lost their lives driving too quickly.
Scott’s lines from the song such as “No stop signs… speed limits… nobody gonna slow me down” and “Ain’t nothing I would rather do / going down, party time, my friends are gonna be there too slow me down” suggest this is the most obvious inspiration.
In AC/DC’s early touring days in Australia, Scott would want to ride his motorbike from town to town rather than travel on the tour bus with the others.
But the band’s road crew, aware of his speeding antics, would always arrange for the bike to be “stolen” before a tour, and then “find it” after the tour wrapped up.
This happened a number of times, and Scott never caught on.