In the wake of the tragic loss of their bandmate Bon Scott, AC/DC embarked on a memorable escapade in the Scottish highlands that would become the stuff of rock legend.
In 1981 or 1982, then-new vocalist Brian Johnson and guitarist Malcom Young found themselves drawn to the mystique of Loch Ness, famed for its elusive inhabitant, the Loch Ness Monster. Their plan? To coax the mythical creature out of hiding using an unconventional bait: a box full of fireworks.
Recalling the escapade, Johnson reminisces,
“We walked straight into the water; we didn’t even take our shoes off. And there we were giggling and laughing trying to set these fireworks. Everything got soaked in the water and we all fell down, and of course we thought we had seen it. We weren’t sure.”
Though the hunt for Nessie may not have yielded the desired result, the adventure epitomizes the spirit of AC/DC—bold, spontaneous, and unapologetically rock ‘n’ roll.
