Well, this will be my first post after the TikTok debacle. Since a lot of this blog’s traffic comes from TikTok, I wasn’t sure what would become of this site if the ban went through and ended up being permanent. Plans for the Dawn of the Deadwax Podcast are still underway, but there’s no doubt that TikTok users in particular help this site out a lot by checking out the pictures over there and coming to read about these records over here. Of course, we can’t be sure if the ban will return or not, but I would like to say “thank you” to everyone that comes to this site from over there. It’s appreciated, and I plan on continuing with the blog either way. Set you bookmarks just in case!
Here’s a record that I’ve had for a few months but just got around to listening to in the last few days. SARS-Stock was a 2003 benefit concert held in Toronto, Canada that was organized by The Rolling Stones. Despite the fact that Keith Richards got arrested there for drugs in 1977, the band decided to help revive the local economy after it was ravaged by a SARS outbreak. The bill had three main acts (as far as I’m concerned), including The Rolling Stones, Rush, and of course AC/DC. The event turned out to be the largest outdoor ticketed event in Canadian history, with as many as half a million tickets being sold. There is no doubt this was a historic musical event, even if Justin Timberlake was on the bill.
Toronto Rocks 2003 is a 2 LP set released by XeRocks Records and features the full AC/DC set from that show. The label has also released the Rush performance as well, but I haven’t picked that one up. This isn’t the first time I have heard of XeRocks, as they released a great version of the Ozzmosis Sessions about a year ago. As a matter of fact, that should definitely be something I cover here on the blog. A note to self has been made. Anyway, this is a killer set that any fan of AC/DC will almost certainly love.
In addition to the full SARS-Stock show, there are some bonus tracks as well. “Rock Me Baby” was recorded during the same show. This a B.B. King cover song played by the Stones with Angus and Malcom guesting on guitar. The quality of this track is the same as all the others, and it sounds to me like it was pulled from the same source. “Shot Down in Flames” and “Girls Got Rhythm” are taken from the legendary River Plate 1996 performance, and they sound a little bit better to me audio quality wise.
Soundboard Recording – Downsview Park – Toronto, Canada – 30 July, 2003
A1 Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be
A2 Back In Black
A3 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
A4 Thunderstruck
B1 If You Want Blood
B2 Hells Bells
B3 The Jack
C1 T.N.T.
C2 You Shook Me All Night Long
C3 Whole Lotta Rosie
C4 Let There Be Rock
D1 Highway To Hell
D2 Rock Me Baby
D3 Shot Down In Flames*
D4 Girls Got Rhythm*
* Tracks D3 and D4 recorded at River Plate, Argentina – 10 October, 1996
As you can see, all the hits are present. This set comes pressed on heavyweight red wax, and the manufacturing quality is great overall. The labels are full color, including a picture of the Canadian maple leaf as well as the little XeRocks guy that pops up on all of their releases. The jacket is an oversized single sleeve, plenty thick enough to accommodate both records, and the artwork is nice and clear. This is one of those pressings that includes the weird artwork inside the actual jacket itself, and I have attempted to show it to you as best I can without having to cut the thing open. Lots of labels are doing this now, but I find it kind of weird. As a bonus, the set also comes with an album sized poster that’s got some photos from the show, as well as a newspaper review.
The records themselves are a nice deep red color, and both of mine were totally flat and without any defects. The inner sleeves are standard paper, but I didn’t have any issues with scratching or anything like that. I gave them a standard cleaning, and after holding onto this set for months, finally decided to give them a spin.
Overall, the audio quality is really good. It’s got a little bit of distortion, but it’s pretty nice for what it is. The volume is a bit low, but you’ll have no issues wanting to crank this one. This is advertised as a soundboard, and it definitely is one. The mix is alright, but the crowd noise is extremely low. You wouldn’t think that would be an issue, but it makes the audience interaction portions of the show, like “The Jack”, sound a little bit weird. You kind of get the feeling that the audience is dead silent and non-responsive, which obviously wasn’t the case. Most reports indicated that AC/DC stole the show, so I suppose it’s a shame the audience reaction wasn’t better captured here.
All the songs are great, and the audio quality and mix are consistent throughout the performance. You can tell that the band is really having a good time and wants to be there, which is nice. I don’t think there’s any point of a song by song here, since everyone reading this probably has a good idea of what the overall musicianship is like for an AC/DC show in 2003. The guitar solos are incredible, and Angus is certainly at the top of his game. He takes a little creative license here and there, but as usual, his solos are pretty much note for note with extra bits added here and there. Brian Johnson doesn’t disappoint on vocals either. I can’t imagine being in a crowd of half a million people, but what a show this must have been to see in person.
“Rock Me Baby” also sounds great, but this isn’t the song I would have picked to hear these guys all playing together. “Shot Down in Flames” and “Girls Got Rhythm” are nice additions, and the mix isn’t so much different that it sounds out of place. The main show ends with “Highway to Hell”, but I think you would be able to keep the record going and not really notice the venue change unless you knew it was coming. This is probably one of those cases where they really had to add some extra tracks, so they didn’t end up with an LP with only one song on it. They chose some good ones, and I think this set is a great value for fans who want to relive this show or experience it for the first time.
Overall, the audio quality is a 7.5/10. This might sound a bit low, but it shouldn’t dissuade you from checking this out. It’s a nice soundboard recording, but it’s a little quiet and does have a bit of distortion. Pressing and packaging are a solid 9/10. This is not a luxury quality release, but it was worth what I paid, and I couldn’t find any issues with my copy. If you haven’t heard of XeRocks Records before, a lot of their other stuff is worth checking out as well. In the future, I’ll try to cover some of their Ozzy and Sabbath releases. Toronto Rocks is a few months old now, but you should not have much trouble finding a copy if it’s something you are interested in. Any day is a good day for some AC/DC, so good luck on the search!