Reviews and Reports
Opening Act- Foreigner opened (only Lou Gramm and the original drummer)
Next was Bad Company- Only know the bassist who subs and plays at Tarpon Bend in Fort Lauderdale.
AC/DC with Brian and Cliff- Opened with BIB, then some local guy who played in Angus spot played his song then YSMAL, Rosie, TNT etc About 6 AC/DC songs
I was right by the stage where the band went on. I shook brian's hand and Cliff's hand while my wife took a picture with Cliff. Tell me how that happens. I have been an AC/DC fan for 25 years and my wife gets the glory!!! GO FIGURE. Anyway, it was a good show.
Jeff Annett
I went to the concert last night because I live near Brian Johnson and Cliff Williams.
They played with Lou Gram (Foreigner) and Brian Howe (Bad Company) which was great.
Brian and Cliff came out with 3 other local musicians and introduced them. They were excellent especially the guy who played lead.
They played Dirty Deeds, Back in Black, Whole lotta Rosie, You shook me and TNT twice thats right twice. Brians voice gave out and he had to take a break.
The band continued to play with the lead guy singing excellent blues/rock tunes. Brian Johnson also sang a Tina Turner song I think it's called Nutbush city Limits, sounded great. It was like a neighborhood jam and they stressed the fact that this money would benefit the hurricane victims. It was an excellent show and I had great seats. It worried me that Brian's voice went out but he did say he did not have much time to practice with the local guys before the concert.
Michael P
I drove 100 miles across the state to watch Brian and Cliff perform...Although it wasn't the whole band...it's the next best thing I've seen since the 2000 tour.
Brian, Cliff and some locals performed the following: (Not in order)
Back In Black
You Shook Me All Night Long
Highway to Hell
Dirty Deeds
Whole Lotta Rosie
TnT (Twice)
*also Nut Bush City Limits
Cliff announced Brian's voice was "shot", during the encore, but Brian came back out shirtless and belted out TnT for the second time for the encore.
The local muscians did a good job playing the tunes with (as Brian mentioned) "only 2 days of rehearsal".
Brian Howe, the 2nd singer of Bad Company and Lou Gramm from Foreigner opened the benefit concert and sounded good...but the boys from AC/DC were who the crowd (of about 2000) were waiting for...
Gotta give those guys credit for helping out with this rare freebie concert...it was worth the 100 miles just to get a taste of the band....
Thanks to David Aurand
11th September 2004
AC/DC concert raises tens of thousands for Red Cross
By JONATHAN FOERSTER,
Gina Godsell got into line early at the Germain Arena box office two weeks
after Hurricane Charley ripped through Southwest Florida to get good seats
for one of the area's biggest concerts of the year.
Her reward was evident Friday night as she was front row center to see
members of her favorite band, AC/DC, headline a 96 K-Rock FM-sponsored show
to aid the American Red Cross in helping out those whose lives were uprooted
like the trees the storm toppled.
With another powerful hurricane - Ivan - making its way toward the Florida
coast. Godsell, 37, of Fort Myers already has begun making preparations for
her safety. But those worries were put aside as the lights dimmed for the
show.
"I would have paid hundreds of dollars to see them," she said. "But this is
even better 'cause it's giving something back to the community at the same
time."
A week after serving as a shelter for people fleeing Hurricane Frances and
most likely just a few days away from being home to those hiding from
Hurricane Ivan, Germain Arena became a center of relief of a different kind
as more than 4,000 hard rock fans came to see the Aussie rockers, along with
former Bad Company singer Brian Howe and former Foreigner front man Lou
Gramm.
The show was an obvious choice for Howe and the AC/DC duo of Cliff Williams
and Brian Johnson. All three are Southwest Florida residents.
Howe's Sanibel home suffered some damage from Charley, so he said he
understood some of the frustrations and hardships felt by area residents.
A few phone conversations with people at the radio station and the concert
was set.
"I'm part of this community," the 18-year resident said before the show.
"It's important for us to get out and do something to help."
Many in the audience flocked to the show for a much needed catharsis to the
worries the weather both past and future has caused.
Scott Reed, 35 of Naples said he was tired of fretting over whether he would
lose everything because of Ivan. The waiting was making him stir crazy.
"I just needed to get out of the house," he said.
For 15-year-old Colby Johnson, the show was a way to experience bands she'd
only heard on CD. She was glad to help the victims and get a chance to see
the members of AC/DC, but wasn't too worried Naples would be hurt by Ivan.
"I kind of think it's a bunch of (baloney)," she said. "Nothing big like
that ever happens in Naples."
Others in attendance, even if they don't experience physical or financial
damage from the coming hurricane, knew their lives will be affected.
Lee County Red Cross Chairman John Steakley waited outside the arena for his
family to join him, but his mind was on more than the concert.
He expected to get word soon that county officials would be relying on his
organization to convert various hurricane-resistant buildings across the
region into shelters for thousands of people looking for a safe place to
ride out the storm.
Ivan had already set preparations in motion enough that many of the people
for whom Steakley had tickets weren't going to be able to attend the show.
"I have a bunch for some of the volunteers, but now they aren't going to
make it," he said.
As of 6 p.m., more than 4,100 of the $25 tickets had been sold, said Ronnie
Kabansky, promotions director for Beasley Broadcast Group, which owns 96
K-Rock. And he was hoping walk-up business would be brisk.
"I'm hoping to sell this place out tonight, man," he said.
If all 6,600 seats were sold, the show would raise more than $150,000 for
the American Red Cross after expenses. That would be on top of the $1.1
million the group has raised so far in Lee County alone for hurricane
victims.
Unfortunately, Steakley said the cost to the organization has been
tremendous, topping $1 million so far. That makes the proceeds from the
night's show even more important as considerable work is left to be
finished.
www.naplesnews.com
10th September 2004
Florida rockers give area band aid
BY HELENA FINNEGAN SUTER CORRESPONDENT
ESTERO -- Brian Johnson isn't so sure it's a wise idea to sing "Bad Moon Rising" at a hurricane relief concert.
"Just listen to these lyrics," said the AC/DC frontman and Bird Key resident before singing the lines to the Creedence Clearwater Revival song: "I hear hurricanes a-blowin'/ I know the end is comin' soon/ I fear rivers over-flowin'/ I hear the voice of rage and ruin."
"I'll have to phone Cliff up and ask him about this."
"Cliff" is AC/DC bassist and Fort Myers resident Cliff Williams, who asked Johnson to participate in today's K-Rock for Relief concert at the Germain Arena.
"He called us up and said, 'I'll put your name down, Brian, because if you don't show up, everyone will think you're a twat," Johnson said with a laugh.
The pair are just two of an all-star lineup scheduled to perform at the event, with all proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross' hurricane relief efforts in Southwest Florida.
For many who rode out Hurricane Charley, (battery-operated) radio became a lifeline when power was doused during the first few hours of the storm. Now Beasley Broadcasting wants to extend that helping hand via a concert that features Johnson and Williams; Brian Howe, lead vocalist of Bad Company from 1986 to 1995; and Lou Graham, lead singer of Foreigner.
"The show pretty much came together when we contacted Germain Arena about their availability," said John Rozz, program director for 96 K-Rock, which is part of the Beasley Broadcasting group. "The arena was donated, and then we began making calls to our local friends."
Those friends included Fort Myers Beach resident Howe, whose own home suffered damage.
"Luckily, I wasn't working this weekend," quipped Howe in his native English accent. "This has been one of my best years since Bad Company, playing shows and working on a new CD. I haven't had a weekend off in nine months. So when John mentioned the show, I said, yeah, of course I'd do it."
In the past month, Germain Arena has served as a shelter from hurricanes Charley and Frances for thousands of people from all over the state -- including many from its own back yard when Charley barreled through the area.
"What I am looking forward to with this concert is to see how much this area really cares about itself by helping out," Howe said. "You never know; the money raised could go back onto their own roof."
Each act will perform separately, and there may be a jam session at the end, Johnson said. Fans can expect hits from AC/DC, Bad Company and Foreigner, as well as some covers.
"We're just doing a mix, because it's not the (AC/DC) band, it's just me and Cliff," Johnson said.
One of Howe's hits, "Holy Water," is slated for the show. He feels the same about that song as Johnson does about "Bad Moon Rising."
"With another hurricane (Ivan) out there, I'm not sure about that one!" Howe said.
Organizers hope K-Rock for Relief will go a long way toward providing both financial and emotional healing.
"It will be a good, fun evening with some good sing-along," Howe said. "It is, after all, a 'relief' concert."
www.heraldtribune.com
9th September 2004
Rockers come to the rescue for storm victims
Cliff Williams was less than an hour from his Fort Myers home when he caught his first glimpse of Hurricane Charley's destructive path.
Driving along Interstate 75, Williams and his family were making their way home from North Carolina when they noticed how the lush landscape of Port Charlotte turned into an ugly mix of browns and twisted metals.
Once majestic trees resembled giant broken toothpicks. Rigid street signs looked like crumpled aluminum foil.
Williams — the 54-year-old bassist for the popular 1980s hard-rock band AC/DC — could only imagine the devastation that lay ahead.
"When I saw that, I said, 'Oh (expletive),' he said. "I didn't hear from anyone, and I didn't know what to expect."
The damage wasn't nearly as bad as Williams had anticipated. "I lost some roof tiles. The pool cage and the yard look like bloody hell," said Williams, who'll perform a hurricane benefit concert at 7 tonight at Estero's Germain Arena. "It's the price you pay for living here."
As Southwest Floridians began piecing back their lives after Charley's devastation, officials at 96K-Rock thought of organizing a hurricane relief concert.
"We wanted to see how we could maximize our donations as a radio station," said John Rozz, K-Rock's program director.
One of K-Rock's first calls was to Germain Arena. Once the station learned the venue was available, the next call went to Williams.
He agreed, and he knew his next call had to be the person who brought him to Southwest Florida in 1986 — AC/DC's lead singer and Sarasota resident Brian Johnson.
Soon other big-name rockers — Bad Company's former lead singer, Fort Myers Beach resident Brian Howe, as well as Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliott of Cape Coral — joined the K-Rock For Relief concert.
A bit of luck brought another Foreigner member into the fold, too.
"A couple days later, Dennis' wife called and said Lou Gramm (Foreigner's lead vocalist) canceled a show in Tampa and would be driving through the area at that time," Rozz said.
Gramm is scheduled to open tonight's concert with a five-song set of Foreigner songs as well as some solo work.
Then, Howe will play for about an hour. Williams and Johnson will close out the night with a variety of AC/DC songs, Rozz said.
None of the rock stars are being paid for the performance, and all proceeds will go to local Hurricane Charley victims, Rozz said.
Both Williams and Howe said the benefit is something they wanted to do because Hurricane Charley had an of impact on everyone in Southwest Florida.
"I lost part of my roof, a grapefruit tree, orange tree — almost all of our trees. And now there's another one out there," Howe said Tuesday, referring to Hurricane Ivan. "It would really be ironic if this hurricane relief concert gets postponed because of another hurricane."
Howe said Southwest Floridians are proving to be a resilient bunch and that living here is still worthwhile.
"We haven't had anything in like, what, 40 years," he said. "Southwest Florida is a wonderful place to live."
Like Williams, Johnson persuaded Howe to move to Southwest Florida.
"Most rock 'n' rollers don't want the New York, Los Angeles and Miami excess," Howe said. "I wanted a place that wasn't rock 'n' roll. Who wants to pay $2 million to live in a (box-sized apartment)?"
Added Williams: "I wanted peace and quiet at home — that's why I moved here," he said. "The rock 'n' roll is for the road."
By MARK S. KRZOS
news-press.com
Friday 27th August 2004
Brian Johnson and Cliff Williams are to headline
a benefit concert in aid of the victims of Hurricane Charley.
The concert will be held at the Germain Arena Estero on the 10th September
and is sponsored by the radio station 96 K-Rock.
Brian Howe (formerly of Bad Company) is also lined up to appear at the show.
Proceeds from the show will benefit the American Red Cross and the Hurricane Charley Disaster Relief fund.
AC/DC - Black Ice 
well they moved on down