AC/DC Forced To Cut Oslo Concert Short

When AC/DC played Oslo, Norway Sunday night (May 30) at the 40,000-capacity outdoor stadium Valle Hovin, the Anglo-Australian rockers skipped their set closer "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)". It was the first time on the "Black Ice" tour that the band left the stage without playing "For Those…", and one of the few times (the only time?) since the song's release in November 1981 that they didn't perform the song.

Kristin Svendsen of Live Nation Norway told "Lydverket", the biggest music show on Norwegian TV, that the band was stuck in Berlin before the gig.

"The reason is that AC/DC's plane had a malfunction in Berlin, and it took some time to charter another plane," Svendsen tells "Lydverket"'s web site.

The delay meant that AC/DC didn't hit the stage at Valle Hovin until 9:45 p.m. In Oslo, the local government enforces a strict curfew of 11:00 p.m., so AC/DC had to skip "Shot Down In Flames", "War Machine" and "Black Ice" from its main set. After the band performed "Highway To Hell", singer Brian Johnson said good night, and explained, "We have to stop now because of the curfew," and AC/DC's massive canons were left unused for the first time on the "Black Ice" tour.

The concert ended at approximately 11:15 p.m., and Svendsen says there was constant communication with the police.

"We evaluated the situation continuously, talked to the police, and agreed that the safest was to go through with the concert even though there would be some delays," he says. "Luckily it worked out, even though it was pretty nerve-wracking at times."

"It was a classic AC/DC concert, but it was obvious that the band rushed through some segments," says Asbjørn Slettemark, host of "Lydverket" TV. "Both Angus' [Young] guitar solo on 'Let There Be Rock' and his stripping segment on 'The Jack' was shorter than usual. I don't think people minded that, though, as those sections often get a little overlong. But people were really bummed out about AC/DC not playing 'For Those About...'".

The Oslo show marked AC/DC's third concert in Norway on the "Black Ice" tour. In 2009 they played for 22,000 fans in Telenor Arena and a 40,000-capacity crowd at Valle Hovin, meaning AC/DC has now performed to more than 100,000 people in Norway on its current tour.

Photo of AC/DC's original Oslo setlist can be viewed below.