In December of 1979 AC/DC rolled into Paris, France with two tour buses, two semi-trailers, twenty tons of equipment, 300,000 watts of lights, a 30,000-watt PA system, and 14 roadies. The Paris concert was a part of the band's Highway to Hell world tour. Two months later AC/DC’s lead singer, Bon Scott, died, leaving the Paris concert to serve as the last professionally filmed concert of him performing with the band. Let There Be Rock was originally released theatrically in September of 1980.
The film is primarily concert footage with bits of interviews and behind-the-scenes clips woven throughout. The first several minutes of the film show the band coming into town on their buses and the road crew building their stage. It’s a meandering look at the contrast between subdued life on the bus and the band's raucous stage show.
The interview segments provide some interesting insights from the band on their lives at the time, but the best parts of Let There Be Rock is the concert footage. The band energetically move through many of their classics like “Highway to Hell,” “Live Wire,” “Whole Lotta Rosie,” and the titular “Let There Be Rock.”
By today’s standards the stage show is underwhelming in special effects. Lighting is minimal, and there are no pyrotechnics, extra stage platforms, or even additional musicians. It’s just the guys in the band rocking out to the fullest. Fans of AC/DC will certainly not be disappointed in this film, however. The band is certainly at their best here. Bon Scott sounds great, Angus Young is impressive with his guitar soloing and all around stage presence, and the rest of the band provides a thunderous rhythm that gives AC/DC their signature sound.
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