All Night Long: fan frenzy as AC/DC tickets go on sale
Freezing temperatures, hail and drenching sideways rain couldn't deter AC/DC superfan Shane Merrett as he camped outside overnight to be first in line to get his hands on sought-after concert tickets.
The Aussie rock legends are gearing up for a long-awaited homecoming tour, lighting up huge stadium shows across the nation for the first time in a decade.
With just a camp chair, the 47-year-old floorer came straight from work and waited outside Ticketek's Melbourne office for 24 hours on his day off to be first in line on Thursday.
"It was worth it," said Mr Merrett, who snagged eight front-row tickets at the MCG for friends and family.
"It was very tough conditions. I could feel my heart beating not normal, you could feel something clicking in the chest region, but I had to push on."
Original band member Angus Young will lead the charge, joined by longstanding vocalist Brian Johnson, Stevie Young on rhythm guitar, drummer Matt Laug, and bassist Chris Chaney.
Feeling a bit edgy after downing a few celebratory pints at the pub with tickets in hand, the self-described bogan said he was 10 when his father introduced the band to him.
"I got connected with them more than he did, and I got into the tapes and then the CDs, into the boom box and into the vinyls. It just exploded," Mr Merrett said.
So enamoured with the Aussie rock quintet, he waited for three days outside the ticket office when they last toured the nation in 2010 and 2015.
Tickets went on sale at staggered local times on Thursday, with Sydney from 9am followed by Brisbane at 11am, Melbourne at 1pm and Perth at 1pm (AWST).
Ticketek Entertainment Group's Tim McGregor said the response from fans had been huge, but the website held up to demand.
"Sales have been fantastic and it's clear fans are pumped to see AC/DC back on Aussie stages," he said.
"No surprises there with a band like this."
Ticketek urged customers to only purchase tickets from its website and warned against buying from third-party resellers.
The tour opens at Melbourne's MCG on November 12 before heading to Sydney on November 21, Adelaide on November 30, Perth on December 4 and Brisbane on December 14.
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