GAYC/DC TOURING AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS FEBRUARY
There are tribute bands, and then there are ideas so strong they reframe the music they’re built on. GAYC/DC fall squarely into the latter.
Taking the catalogue of AC/DC, arguably rock’s most overtly masculine institution and filtering it through unapologetic queer celebration sounds, on paper, like something that shouldn’t work. Then you hear it, you see it, and it becomes immediately obvious that this is exactly what rock and roll needs right now.
Founded by Christopher Freeman (bassist for queercore pioneers Pansy Division) alongside drummer Brian Welch, GAYC/DC have earned something rare in tribute-band territory: genuine respect from the wider rock community, including the artists whose songs they reinterpret.
Kerrang! describe the band succinctly as “Glam/Sassy/Porn/Punk/Metal/Dirty Rock ’n’ Roll… with class,” while Louder call their live show “spot on with the music, unforgettable in every way.” Beneath the glitter, boas and knowing wink is a band that takes the songs seriously, because the songs deserve it.
That respect is evident throughout their catalogue of lovingly subversive reworks, for example, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” becomes “Dirty Dudes (Done Dirt Cheap).” Their video for
“Gay Boy Boogie,” a homoerotic reimagining of “Bad Boy Boogie,” doubles as a tribute to
Twisted Sister’s We’re Not Gonna Take It, complete with approval from Dee Snider himself with Dee delcaring that “I think this is great!”
As Welch explains, “Twisted Sister took rock and drag further than anybody at the time. As young gay kids, seeing fully grown men in drag on MTV meant a lot to us, decades before RuPaul’s Drag Race was a thing.”
Even their take on “Highway to Hell” underscores how seriously the rock world takes the project, featuring cameos from Johnny Martin (L.A. Guns), John Bush (Armored Saint, ex-Anthrax) and dUg Pinnick (King’s X).
While the presentation may read as camp at first glance, the musicianship never does. Broadway Rock put it best: “While the band and their presentation may be campy, their musicianship is pure, unadulterated rock.”
For their first-ever Australian tour, GAYC/DC, rounded out by bassist Glen Pavan, guitarist Topher Ruby and lead guitarist Steve McKnight (known to ’80s and ’90s hard rock fans from Cry Wolf), will hit six cities across the country, playing intimate venues that suit their high-energy, sweat-soaked, up-close-and-personal approach.
Whether you’re a lifelong Acca Dacca purist, a rock fan open to reinterpretation, or simply curious about what happens when rock’s most masculine catalogue is flipped on its head, this is a live experience that makes its point the moment the first riff lands.
GAYC/DC don’t parody rock history, they reclaim it, reminding us that rock and roll has always belonged to those bold enough to step forward and claim it for themselves.
TOUR DATES
Thursday, February 19: The Brightside, Brisbane
Friday, February 20: Mo's Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast
Saturday, February 21: Stay Gold, Melbourne
Wednesday, February 25: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
Thursday, February 26: Milkbar, Perth
Friday, February 27: Mary's Underground, Sydney
Tickets & Information:
tributetouring.com
