Free Sheet Music

The instance of AC/DC’s “A Long Way to The Top” being mistakenly played instead of the Australian national anthem (2nd item) reminded me of something I have observed at NRL games this year. Witness a game earlier in the season an Bluetongue Stadium. A sad blight of modern times is the seeming need to fill any quiet space before the game and at half-time with music at high volume. This day at Bluetongue, most of the music was Aussie guitar rock. Most of it nondescript and derivative and ignored by the crowd as best they can when blasted at you from the nearest speaker. Except for half-time when T.N.T. was played. All round people started to tap their feet and get into the song. It was nice moment of unscripted collective rocking out. Later, at a Tigers’ game a Leichardt, T.N.T. was played at the half-time break and again people , previously ignoring the music, started to give in to the beat. Next to me, a boy, no more than 10 years old, started singing along to the chorus. T.N.T. has been around for 33 years. Longevity is partly due to AC/DC still being around and very much too that it is a simple, memorable song. You have the gang chant of ‘oi, oi, oi’ at the beginning and an easy to remember chorus. It perfectly illustrates the simple science of AC/DC. Their music ain’t gonna cause you no transcendental experience, spark a reflective mood nor wow you with sophistimacated song wrangling. It is rock’n'roll formulated from the essential, elemental essences of the genre. Ain’t much to it but it can’t be denied. Update: Forgot to link to this great piece about playing AC/DC after Australia’s draw with Croatia in the 2006 World Cup.