AC/DC had been away from Madison for far too long.

Before Sunday night, the Australian rock legends had not performed in Wisconsin’s capital since visiting the Kohl Center in May 2001. They returned in appropriately massive fashion, bringing the POWER UP Tour, The Pretty Reckless and enough rock ’n’ roll firepower to fill Camp Randall Stadium.

Led by Angus Young and Brian Johnson, AC/DC delivered a set stacked with songs that have become part of rock’s permanent vocabulary. From the opening notes of “If You Want Blood” through “For Those About to Rock,” the band made its long-awaited Madison return count.

Here are 10 reasons AC/DC’s Camp Randall concert was worth the 25-year wait.

1. Madison’s 25-year wait finally ended

AC/DC’s last Madison performance took place at the Kohl Center on May 11, 2001. That quarter-century absence made Sunday’s show feel like much more than another stop on the POWER UP Tour.

For some fans, it was their first opportunity to see AC/DC in their own backyard. For others, it was a reunion they had been awaiting since the beginning of the century. Either way, the lengthy gap gave the concert a sense of occasion before the first chord was even played.

2. “If You Want Blood” was the perfect opening declaration

AC/DC did not waste time gradually building toward its biggest material. Instead, the band opened with “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It),” immediately setting the tone for a night of loud, direct and gloriously uncomplicated rock ’n’ roll.

The song served as both an invitation and a warning. After 25 years without an AC/DC concert in Madison, the band returned ready to give Wisconsin everything it had been missing.

3. “Back in Black” arrived almost immediately

Most rock bands would build an entire encore around a song as monumental as “Back in Black.” AC/DC played it second.

That placement demonstrated the almost ridiculous depth of the band’s catalog. Even after unleashing one of the most recognizable riffs ever recorded within the concert’s opening minutes, AC/DC still had “Thunderstruck,” “Highway to Hell,” “Hells Bells,” “You Shook Me All Night Long” and plenty more waiting in reserve.

It also gave “Back in Black” a fitting secondary meaning. AC/DC was not only back onstage, it was finally back in Madison.

4. Angus Young remained one of rock’s greatest showmen

The schoolboy uniform, duckwalk and animated expressions are some of rock music’s most familiar images, but they remain more than nostalgic trademarks. Angus Young still understands how to take command of a stadium.

Now 71, the guitarist spent the evening moving across the enormous stage, squeezing every ounce of personality from his guitar and reminding the crowd why he remains the unmistakable face of AC/DC.

His extended spotlight during “Let There Be Rock” was particularly impressive. It was part guitar showcase, part endurance test and entirely Angus Young.

5. Brian Johnson still had plenty left in the tank

Brian Johnson’s voice has always sounded as though it is being pushed to its absolute limit. At 78 years old, he continued to attack some of rock’s most demanding songs with his unmistakable grit.

Johnson worked the stage with a smile, encouraging the Camp Randall crowd to supply its own considerable volume whenever the choruses arrived. His weathered rasp remains an essential component of the AC/DC sound, especially on staples such as “Back in Black,” “Shoot to Thrill” and “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

It may no longer be effortless, but rock ’n’ roll was never supposed to sound effortless.

6. Camp Randall was built for “Thunderstruck”

Few songs are better suited for a college football stadium than “Thunderstruck.”

Its opening guitar figure created immediate anticipation, while the repeated chants transformed tens of thousands of concertgoers into active participants. Inside a venue already known for producing deafening crowds on football Saturdays, the AC/DC classic sounded completely at home.

For a few minutes, Camp Randall belonged neither to the Badgers nor visiting football teams. It belonged to Angus Young and one of the greatest stadium-rock songs ever written.

7. “You Shook Me All Night Long” united generations

AC/DC’s influence now stretches across several generations, and the Camp Randall audience reflected it.

Some fans first heard “You Shook Me All Night Long” when Back in Black arrived in 1980. Others discovered it through classic-rock radio, movies, sporting events, video games or their parents’ record collections. On Sunday, those generational differences disappeared as the entire stadium sang its chorus together.

AC/DC’s music has never required an explanation or an expiration date. A great riff remains a great riff, no matter when someone first encounters it.

8. The encore delivered two perfect closing statements

After a night overflowing with recognizable riffs, AC/DC still had two enormous songs saved for the encore.

“T.N.T.” gave the audience one final opportunity to shout along, with its explosive refrain seemingly designed for a stadium crowd. Then came “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You),” a song that has long functioned as AC/DC’s ultimate farewell.

Complete with the track’s signature cannon blasts, the finale delivered exactly the kind of excessive, thunderous conclusion the occasion deserved.

9. The Pretty Reckless were an ideal opening act

Opening a stadium show for AC/DC is no small assignment, but The Pretty Reckless possessed the necessary songs, attitude and volume to prepare Camp Randall for the headliner.

Led by Taylor Momsen, the band brought a darker edge to the evening while remaining firmly connected to the classic hard-rock tradition AC/DC helped establish. Songs including “Heaven Knows,” “Going to Hell” and “Take Me Down” have given The Pretty Reckless a formidable catalog of its own.

Rather than feeling like an unrelated addition to the bill, the group provided a natural bridge between generations of hard rock.

10. It was a rare chance to see Camp Randall become a concert venue

Camp Randall is one of college football’s most recognizable stadiums, but major concerts there remain special occasions.

After going decades with relatively few large-scale shows, the stadium returned to the concert circuit in a major way in 2025. Even so, seeing its field covered with fans and an enormous stage occupying one end zone remains far from an everyday experience.

AC/DC was also an ideal band for the setting. The group’s bells, cannons, towering production and stadium-sized riffs would have overwhelmed a smaller space. At Camp Randall, everything felt appropriately enormous.

Sunday offered two rarities at once: the first AC/DC concert in Madison in 25 years and an opportunity to see one of Wisconsin’s most famous stadiums transformed into a massive rock ’n’ roll venue. Both were worth the wait.

Check out our photos from the highly anticipated performance below.