1974

• Club dates in Sydney, including Chequers. During these early gigs, Larry Van Kriedt also plays saxophone while Malcolm is on bass.

 

• The first single, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl / Rockin’ In The Parlour", is cut at Sydney’s EMI Studios. An earlier version of "Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer" is also recorded. George Young produces the sessions with Harry Vanda and also records the bass parts.

 
• A week following the sessions, drummer Colin Burgess collapses on stage at Chequers and is immediately fired. George Young fills in on the drums for the band’s second set. Bass player Larry Van Kriedt is also asked to leave shortly after.

 
• Malcolm fills in on guitar for a gig with the band Jasper and asks bass player Neil Smith (ex-Rockery) and drummer Noel Taylor to join AC/DC.

 

• Residency at the Hampton Court Hotel in Sydney.

 
• Various dates around Sydney, including a gig in Newcastle supporting Sherbet.

 

• Angus wears his school uniform for the first time at his sister’s suggestion at a concert in Sydney’s Victoria Park. The band adopts a flashy image to differentiate itself from the rest of Sydney’s bands. Angus adopts this legendary outfit, sometimes switching it for a Gorilla, Zorro or Super-Ang suit.

 
• Neil Smith and Noel Taylor are fired after a mere six weeks in the band.

 
• Malcolm Young recruits Rob Bailey on bass and Peter Clack on drums (both ex-Flake), who played at the Victoria Park concert.

 
• The band gigs around the "dance circuit" in Sydney.

 

• 26: Major concert at Sydney’s Opera House, supporting Stevie Wright, in front of 2,500 people. 10,000 are turned away. Malcolm plays with Stevie Wright back up band after AC/DC’s set.

 

• The band officially signs with Albert Productions with distribution through EMI.

 

• 22: First single, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl / Rockin’ In The Parlour", released in Australia. The single is also released in New Zealand on Polydor.

 
• A clip filmed at the Last Picture Show Theater in Cronulla, Australia is shown on the only National rock television show, "GTK".

 
• The single charts locally in Perth, Australia.

 
• Small Australian Tour in support of the single.

 

• Australian Tour supporting Lou Reed.

 
• Bon Scott sees the band for the first time in Adelaide, Australia and Vince Lovegrove (ex singer of the Valentines with Bon) introduces him to AC/DC. He has been recovering from a serious motorbike accident and cutting demos with the Mount Lofty Rangers. The band, at this stage, is unhappy with Evans, arranges an audition with Bon and offers him the job.

 
• Six weeks residency at Perth’s Beethoven Disco supporting transvestite Carlotta. Dave Evans is occasionally replaced by manager Dennis Laughlin.

 

• The band reiterates its offer to Bon, who then joins at the end of the month. He joins the band on stage for the first time at the Pooraka Hotel for a jam session.

 
• Dave Evans is asked to leave after a last concert in Melbourne.

 
• Bon's first concert with AC/DC at the Brighton-Le-Sands Masonic Hall in Sydney.

 

• Dates in Adelaide, Sydney, and Melbourne for the Hard Rock Cafe Gay Nights.

 

• Michael Browning, manager of the Hard Rock Cafe, takes over the band’s management. They relocate to Melbourne and move into one house where scenes of pure debauchery become common.

 
• The first album, "High Voltage", is cut in ten days in between gigs at Albert Studios in Sydney. George Young & Harry Vanda are producing. George plays bass on some tracks and session musician, Tony Currenti, is brought in to cut most of the drum parts.
Drummers Peter Clack and John Proud (Who played on the Marcus Hook Roll Band album) also appear on one track each.
 

• By this stage the band plays constantly to any type of crowd, from gays to teen girls and rockers.

 
• Tour in South Australia.

 
• 31: New Year’s Eve gig at Festival Hall in Melbourne