AC/DC: Beyond The Thunder

After Simon Wright's career with AC/DC 'blows up', he goes on to sit behind the drum kit for even more rock 'n' roll heroes, including Ronnie James Dio, Rhino Bucket, Michael Schenker & UFO, John Norum of Europe, Geoff Tate's Queensryche and Metal Gods with Tim "Ripper" Owens, the ultimate ode to Dio & Judas Priest. Through divorce, death, and decades of drumming, Simon's musical journey continues.

In this very special two-part, skin-bashing, foundation-shaking edition of 'AC/DC Beyond the Thunder', we sit down with veteran stickman, Simon Wright, the drummer for AC/DC who kept the band’s heartbeat alive throughout the '80s. After being plucked from obscurity and into the eye of the storm, Part 1 allows listeners to be a fly on the wall, from Simon's audition, to meeting Stephen King, and playing Rock in Rio...before things blow up when he decides to leave AC/DC for Dio. 

This finger-licking episode takes us to Nashville, TN to visit the four-piece bluegrass phenomenon—Hayseed Dixie, capturing exclusive moonshine-inspired renditions of both 'T.N.T.' and 'Let’s Get It Up' performed by the classic band lineup. The Southern boys also discuss how AC/DC became fans of the band, listening to Hayseed Dixie before shows and even hiring them to play an AC/DC end of tour wrap party.

On the day Elvis Presley died in 1977, 21-year Wisconsin native, Susan Masino, was assigned to organize a meet and greet for an unknown Australian band by the name of AC/DC. She not only remained lifelong friends with the band, but was also inspired to write two books about AC/DC, becoming the first female to do so. Masino discusses everything from recent tour rumors, thoughts on Axl Rose, her own ‘Suzy’ name-drop in “Down Payment Blues” and even the ghost of Bon Scott.

What do we think about Canadian singer songwriter, Kathleen Edwards? Well, to quote Bon Scott—she’s got balls! We first fell smitten with Kathleen after hearing her reimagined version of AC/DC’s highest charting U.S. single of all time, “Moneytalks”. Then we witnessed her share the same bill with AC/DC at Toronto Rocks. But she really had us when she said Brian Johnson's vocal style is as hard to sing as…opera!

The latest episode of AC/DC Beyond the Thunder, features Filippo “SoloDallas” Olivieri, telling a story spanning four decades, three continents, and eventually a summons to the recording studio from Angus Young. During the show, the inventor and obsessive music fan describes how he discovered the secrets behind the highly coveted AC/DC guitar tone that may have otherwise been lost forever.

Did AC/DC drive the serial killer known as 'The Night Stalker' down a personal 'Highway to Hell'? The podcast's first foray into the true crime genre unearths a chilling posthumous interview with Philip Carlo, author of The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez. 

The New England Patriots have won more Super Bowls, conference championships, division titles and overall games than any other NFL team in history. The man instrumental in the team's success, President Jonathan Kraft, also plays more AC/DC on game day than any other sporting venue in the world. Coincidence? We'll let him tackle that one!

Talk this way! Season 3 kicks off with Darryl McDaniels emceeing, the DMC portion of the greatest hip hop group of all time, Run-DMC. The rap pioneer professes his love for the thunder down under and discusses everything from producer Rick Rubin sampling 'Back in Black' for the Beastie Boys, overcoming drugs and depression through the power of music, and even a proposal to reunite Run-DMC to play the Super Bowl Halftime show...with AC/DC!

Often told by many, including the people being interviewed, that their own "behind the scenes" adventures were just as interesting as their main objective (to find out why AC/DC matters), in this 1st installment and bridge between seasons, engineer Eric Kielb sits down with co-creators, Gregg Ferguson & Kurt Squiers to discuss the origins of 'Beyond the Thunder', how the duo were shot down in flames, the unlikely metamorphosis into a podcast, and what to expect for Season Two. Maybe it is the journey and not the destination, after all?

Don't know who Phil is? Let's just say without him, there'd likely be no AC/DC. This former Senior VP of Atlantic Records opens up the AC/DC time capsule for our listeners, indulging us with stories told first hand by someone who was not only there in the flesh, (and in the trenches) with this undisputed Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, but also who can take credit for saving and catapulting AC/DC's monumental career. And oh yeah, how Bon Scott broke his wife's tooth...