AC/DC – “T.N.T.” Live at the Capital Centre, Xmas 1981

An oldie but goodie from the Baltimore Or Less Christmas archives. Happy Holidays!

AC/DC performed their classic “T.N.T.” live with a Christmas twist when they played the Capital Centre in Largo, Maryland on December 21st, 1981. Their album “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” was at the top of the charts. Watch the video after Scott’s long-winded recollection.

An anecdote from Scott “Unpainted” Huffines:

“I was working at Friendly Ice Cream back in ’81 and my drinking buddy Tim R. scored four tickets to see the sold-out AC/DC show at the Cap Centre. He invited a biker waitress named Donna who was somewhat on the matronly side and she was bringing a friend. Donna offered to drive us in her Nova so we knew we could get good and drunk.

I figured we would be hanging with another rough biker chick and I was cool with that, I wanted to party and rock out to AC/DC. But lo and behold her friend was a vision of Essex beauty, a high-schooler with feathered brunette hair, freckles, fringed leather jacket, skin-tight Levi’s and even a roach clip in her hair. She was straight out of a Rick Altergott comic (though I didn’t realize that til almost 30 years later.)

Rick Altergott art from “Raisin Pie”

We picked up fifths of Jack Daniels (liquor is quicker – you don’t bother with beer on your way to a concert!) and while Donna drove with Tim chugging Jack shotgun I sat in the back with the hot metal biker chick, another fifth of J.D. and a pinner joint. We left Essex and started really hitting the Jack.

We were barely on the Capital Beltway when her hand purposely brushed against my leg and stayed there — before I knew it we were making out! Donna and Tim were up front getting angry drunk but I was in the back seat sucking face with a hot chick I just met.

Traffic slowed to a crawl as we approached the Cap Centre — cars were bumper to bumper — we were going to be late for the show.

I decided to make my move — I moved my hand under her jacket, inside her Western-style shirt and on top of her Danskin-covered left boob. I was about to get some titty action!

But then out of the blue Tim went into a J.D.-fueled angry drunken freak-out. He started yelling at Donna, then jumped out of the car, slammed the door, ran across the traffic jam, climbed over a fence and ran off into a field! That ended my makeout session and clumsy pass.

The chicks lit up cigarettes and started chain smoking as we pulled over and waited for Tim to climb back over the fence. But he was gone and not coming back and we realized that we had missed the opening act and probably half of the AC/DC show. We drove and parked and went into the concert hall.

We made it to our seats barely in time for AC/DC’s encore: “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “For Those About to Rock” and “T.N.T.” During “T.N.T.” a roadie came out dressed as Santa Claus and danced around the stage, two roadies stumbled around in a reindeer costume and roadies with Santa hats in the lighting rigs tossed confetti down on the band.

Suddenly Tim appeared in his seat — it was a Christmas miracle! We shook our metal fists in the air and screamed through the marijuana haze while Tim enjoyed exactly one half of an AC/DC song.

Afterwards it was a sullen drive back to Essex.

I never saw the sexy biker chick again. I’m sure she had a biker boyfriend, probably a meth-making “Pagan,” one of the worst biker gangs in Essex.

Tim was never able to explain how he made it to the concert after he ran off and climbed the fence.

The AC/DC encore was one of the best endings to a rock concert I’ve ever seen in my life.

And finding the video online was a true Christmas miracle.”

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