The storm cloud that is 2023’s Power Trip rolled into California this weekend and it is a monstrous occasion. The first day saw Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden take the stage in a flurry of hard rock nostalgia. Day two was promised to be equally as epic and delivered with AC/DC and Iron Maiden taking the stage in Indio, California. Presented by the same people who put on Coachella, Goldenvoice put together Power Trip with six of the most iconic rock & roll bands, and on day two, things heated up to a fever pitch.
For their first show since 2016 and the first since the death of band founder/rhythm guitarist great Malcolm Young in 2017, AC/DC put together a career-defining setlist. They kicked things off with “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It), marking their first performance of the track with Brian Johnson since 2003. The band also debuted tracks like “Demon Fire” and “Shot In The Dark” for the first time live. AC/DC’s setlist was brimming with nostalgia, with songs like “Stiff Upper Lip” being performed for the first time since 2003 and “Dog Eat Dog” for the first time since ‘09. The band also pulled out “Riff Raff” for the first time since 1996. For their first show with Brian Johnson since February 2016, AC/DC held nothing back. Angus Young (completely silver haired now) still performs as the eternal school boy.
Judas Priest did their fair share of iconic moments as well. They kicked things off with “Electric Eye” and “Riding The Wind” before launching into “Heading Out to the Highway”. The band didn’t put a heavy focus on any particular moment in their career, rather Juda Priest gifted fans with a journey through their storied discography. Albums like British Steel and Firepower got some extra special attention with multiple songs from these classic LPs being performed. Judas Priest also covered Fleetwood Mac’s “The Green Manalishi”. The band then put together a four-song encore which included songs like “Metal Gods” and “Breaking The Law”.
Two days down and one more to go over at Indio, California’s Power Trip Festival. Tonight, the legendary rock festival will continue with Metallica and Tool storming the stage. Check out the full setlists and footage from day two below.
