# In the 1970s, punk fans started spitting at AC/DC. The band spat back

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-the-1970s-punk-fans-started-spitting-at-ac-dc-the-band-spat-back/
- Published: 2026-10-23T22:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T22:13:06+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-the-1970s-punk-fans-started-spitting-at-ac-dc-the-band-spat-back/
- Topics: Art, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Punk fans sometimes spat at AC/DC during 1970s gigs.
- The band spat back and rejected the punk label.
- AC/DC described their music as rock and roll rooted in blues and R&B.

## Summary

AC/DC drew punk audiences in the 1970s because their loud, distorted guitar sound overlapped with punk, but the band rejected being labelled as punk. Angus Young recalled that some fans spat at the group during shows, and AC/DC spat back, reflecting a clash between the audience’s expectations and the band’s own identity.

The article contrasts punk’s emphasis on accessibility and rebellion with the blues and R&B influences AC/DC saw as central to their music. Young said the band had been placed on bills with punk acts and audiences “got the wrong idea”; AC/DC considered themselves a rock and roll band and dismissed punk as a fad.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.