AC/DC's rock'n'roll train steams in

AC/DC are playing a total of three New Zealand shows. Photo / NZPA

AC/DC's rock'n'roll train chugged and steamed its way into New Zealand last night - and tomorrow, it's heading to Auckland.

Well, guitar hero Angus Young, lead howler Brian Johnson, and the rest of the band might be a few days behind, but the giant stage set will be on its way.

The Australian hard rockers played the first of two nights in Wellington yesterday, with the second show tomorrow, after which the stage will be packed up into around 60 shipping containers and trained and trucked north for the show at Western Springs on Thursday.

More than 60,000 are expected to attend the band's first show in Auckland since 1996, which will be the biggest concert of the summer season.

The Black Ice Tour, in support of their 15th album, is one of the biggest and loudest rock'n'roll shows to come to New Zealand, with its towering walls of speakers and amplifiers, giant video screens, and hundreds of lights.

Then there's the traditional AC/DC toys, like Angus' fiery red inflatable horns, which sit atop the speaker stacks either side of the stage, and Rosie the giant blow up doll also comes out to play.

Throughout the two hour-plus set they play everything from 70's anthem Dirty Deeds (Done Dirty Cheap), through to storming new song War Machine.

"It's good to be back," said Johnson. "We're here to play some rock'n'roll - and the party starts right now."

And with that they launched into Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be, and then classic, Back In Black.

Wellington was crawling with armies of black t-shirt wearing fans, true blue bogans, and older fans who brought their kids along.

Like the Christchurch family of mum, dad and their two AC/DC-loving teenage daughters; or the guy from Hamilton who made the trip to the capital with his mates because "Auckland wouldn't be into it" and the bloke from Whangarei who quit his job so he could make it to all three of the band's New Zealand shows.

That's AC/DC fans for you: devout and passionate. And for those about to rock, this is a must see show.

* See TimeOut this Thursday for our AC/DC concert special featuring an exclusive interview with Angus Young and more.