Hide your sons! AC/DShe is Agnes Young (center) and, from left, Mallory Sarracuda, Phyllis Clementine, Amelia Ward and Nici Williams.
Gender benders
Chalk up Nici "Riff" Williams' introduction to the forbidden sounds of AC/DC to inattentive guardians more interested in making time than minding their responsibilities. "I grew up in the Midwest, in Indiana, where AC/DC is just kind of like the soundtrack to your life," Williams explains. "I always had baby sitters that would play it while making out with their boyfriends." The recollection elicits a chuckle from the nimble-fingered bassist. "So I'm watching them French kissing and stuff, and I don't know, it just made the music seem like it was bad in a way, but yet so good."
AC/DShe
Where: Wave Waikiki, 1877 Kalakaua Ave.When: 9 p.m. today and tomorrow (local bands Missing Dave and Plumpus open, respectively)
Tickets: $13, 21 and over, available at the club, Cheapo Music in Puck's Alley (943-0500), Jelly's the Original (484-4413), TooGruvz Records (386-7776), Hungry Ear in Kailua (262-2175) and Dan's Guitars (942-4900)
Call: 941-0424
As one-fifth of all-female AC/DC tribute band AC/DShe, Williams, like her bandmates with whom she will perform at Wave Waikiki tonight and tomorrow night, has long relished the gritty allure of hard rock's poster boys of bad behavior. In particular, she says, the underappreciated genius of former AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott (who met an untimely death following an all-night drinking binge nearly 25 years ago) is a primary source of musical inspiration.
"For most of us in the band, we never got to see AC/DC with Bon, but we really identify with the Bon-era music," gushes Williams. While AC/DC may have entered their greatest period of commercial success with the smash album "Back in Black" featuring vocalist Brian Johnson in Scott's stead, many AC/DC fans, including AC/DShe, remain loyal to the band's earlier incarnation. According to Williams, AC/DShe strictly adheres to a policy of playing music from Scott's tenure.
"'Back in Black' was a fabulous album and a lot of AC/DC fans really identify with that album, but for us, we have such a respect for Bon because he really was one of the best lyricists and performers of all time and he just had this incredible persona on stage," she says, "and I think it's really hard to switch personas when you're Bon and then try to be Brian. It just doesn't work when you're a tribute band."
Not content to simply exist as a novelty on the tribute band circuit, AC/DShe has placed considerable emphasis on duplicating the sound of vintage AC/DC as accurately as possible. So much so that if you close your eyes, you'd almost swear the squeals of Amy Ward (stage name: Bonny Scott) were the genuine article. Their near-obsessive attention to detail and vigorous renditions of hard-driving AC/DC classics have reaped an ardent following for the hard-rocking act.
"We have fans that have AC/DShe tattoos, others who have been to more than 60 of our shows and are so enthusiastic every time they see us play live because hearing that music really strikes a chord with them," attests Williams. "We had a guy who came up to us after we played, saying he teared up during our show because it really reminded him of going to see AC/DC when he was younger and it's really great to see that emotion."
As a tribute band, AC/DShe realizes prospects for recording an album will always be limited, but Williams and her touring mates find that sharing the music of the group they most revere with the world is a thrill in itself. "There's whole albums I identify with that really represent parts of my life and growing up and hearing those songs always takes me back to that place," she affirms. "We never tire of it. Even if we've had two hours of sleep and we've been driving all day and loading all the gear, when we hit the stage, it's like renewed energy from playing this great music. It's just real good-time rock 'n' roll."
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