Perth
The next stop was Perth, on the complete opposite side of the Australian continent. It bills itself as the world’s most remote capital city. We arrived in Perth a day before the WAMi conference was set to begin, and I knew exactly what we had to do, right after we checked in (at the Ibis Hotel, right in the heart of Perth, and in walking distance of everything) and dropped off our luggage… visit Bon Scott’s grave, in nearby Fremantle.
A central walkway in Fremantle cemetery. We trekked around here for hours looking for his grave.
Once we found it, the three of us had a bit of whiskey. It’s traditional to “have a drink with Bon” at the end of your journey to Australia, but this was our chance, so we took it.
Sitting on the bench near Bon’s grave. There’s also a gate near his grave. If you ever get a chance to go to Perth and decide to head down to Fremantle cemetery, follow the outside walls until you find the gate. Find the gate, find the grave. Actually, scratch that. Wander around for a few hours. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and full of wildlife.
The decorations embedded in the path on the way to Bon’s grave.
This statue is on the waterfront in Fremantle. My hand is where you would expect it to be.
On the amp: Ronald Belford Scott (Bon Scott), “The Greatest Rock n Roll Front Man of All Time” (July 2004 issue of UK music magazine ‘Classic Rock’) was born on 9th of July 1946 in Kirriemuir, Scotland. The Scott family migrated to Australia in 1952, finally settling in Fremantle in 1956, where Bon attended North Fremantle Primary School and later John Curtin High School. His passion for music intensified during his teenage association with ‘The Caledonian Scots Pipe Band’ of Fremantle who awarded him ‘Novice Champion for Drumming’ four years running. Bon dreamt of being a ‘Rock n Roll Star’ and began living his dream with voracious passion. He first performed with ‘The Spectors’ 1965, ‘The Valentines’ 1966-70 and ‘Fraternity’ 1970-73 before joining ‘AC/DC’ in 1974 with whom he proceeded to shake the foundations of Rock n Roll music through his writing and performance of what have become recognised by millions of fans around the world as the greatest Rock n Roll anthems ever written including: ‘It’s a Long Way To The Top’, ‘TNT’, ‘High Voltage’, ‘Jailbreak’, ‘Let There Be Rock’, and ‘Highway To Hell’. The tragic and untimely death of Bon Scott on the 19th February 1980, in London UK, left us with an enduring musical legacy that continues to inspire the Rock n Roll spirit in successive generations. A ‘Rock n Roll Legend’ whose star continues to rise.
This is a collage of some of the AC/DC graffiti in AC/DC Lane in Melbourne. Most of these pieces are at least 2’ x 4’ or so… i.e. BIG.
Thuggin’ it on AC/DC lane, where you’ll find a rock venue called Cherry Bar. The bands playing on the night we went weren’t great, but the beer was cheap, and between bands the bartenders play vinyls from the extensive collection behind the bar. On deck that night was Gun Club, but I saw a good lookin’ copy of Kiss’ Destroyer, as well as all the other staples you’d expect.
