“We know we aren’t AC/DC, we do everything from Bon Scott to Brian Johnson and fuck Axl Rose!” says frontman Dave Moody for the AC/DC tribute band Thunderstruck: America’s AC/DC.
Thunderstruck is a Kentucky based tribute band out of Louisville that blew the roof off at Manchester Music Hall; one of the best venues located in Lexington, Kentucky. Thunderstruck is comprised of five members, frontman Dave Moody, Drummer Jerry Lawson, Rhythm Guitarist Kevin Feller, Bassist Chris Jones and on lead guitar Caleb White. This band, in my opinion, is one of the premiere tribute bands filling some big shoes by covering all of AC/DC’s mega hits! From guitar setups, equipment, song selections, wardrobe, band merchandise and putting on one hell of a stage show, Thunderstruck has no problem living up to the task! I spoke to bassist Chris Jones about some of his equipment, he explained if AC/DC didn’t use it on stage they didn’t either, keeping things as close to the original band as possible. He also added “We want to be as close as we can so the fans get what they are coming to hear.” Thunderstruck has one of the best stage shows I’ve seen in a long time. They go that extra mile to give the audience a show to remember. One of the coolest things that caught my eye was the two big ass cannons on each side of the stage which I later found out, had been custom made specifically for them to use on stage. The clothing worn by Dave and the man playing the part of Angus was dang near spot on. Of course, no one will ever be the Young brothers but Dave and Caleb clearly have a killer crowd appeal and are masters of entertaining the crowd. At one point in the show, Caleb recreates one of Angus’s famous stage performances by wowing the crowd with an outstanding guitar solo and a little striptease whipping the crowd into a frenzy! I can remember standing there side stage watching Dave and Caleb run around the stage like a pair of madmen! Dave is truly one of the best vocalists and stage performers out there. Let’s not forget about that kick-ass rhythm section powered by Chris Jones on bass and Jerry Lawson on drums. One word comes to mind when putting these two together “TIGHT”, the two have an amazing chemistry and play flawlessly together. The pair play off one another as a true rhythm section should. Jerry’s chops and timing was spot on. His red Pearl drum kit was killer and the kick drum would stop your heart it pounded so ferociously! I can’t say enough good things about this band. Offstage some of the best dudes you will ever meet; on stage, all business and 100% rock stars.
Thunderstruck laid it down with all the best AC/DC songs, “Back In Black”, “Hells Bells”, “T.N.T.”, “Shoot To Thrill” and “Dirty Deeds” just to name a few. I honestly had a fantastic time and enjoyed the jaw dropping performance by this very talented group of musicians. If you ever have the opportunity to catch this group at a venue near you, I strongly suggest going to check them out. If you ever get to talk to Dave be sure to ask about life on the road and one particular venue’s green room with a few holes in the wall and some questionable artifacts left from a previous business.
