Stevie Young

Stephen Crawford "Stevie" Young is a Scottish musician, and the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the Australian hard rock band, AC/DC. He officially joined the band in September 2014, replacing his uncle, Malcolm Young who retired due to dementia.^[1][2] He had previously filled in for Malcolm on AC/DC's 1988 U.S. tour.^[3]

In addition to Malcolm, Stevie is the nephew of Angus Young, George Young and Alex Young, and the son of their eldest brother Stephen Crawford Young (1933–1989).^[4] He emigrated with his family from Scotland to Sydney, Australia in 1963. The family settled in Concord, New South Wales. ^[5][6]

Career

After his first bands, The Stabbers, Prowler and Tantrum formed in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick in the late 70s, Young made two albums in the 1980s with his rock band Starfighters, formed 1980 in Birmingham. Starfighters were chosen as support for AC/DC's Back in Black UK Tour in 1980.

Starfighters split in 1983 before coming back together in 1987 for another shot. When that did not work out, Stevie Young formed Little Big Horn whose demo tape was produced by Malcolm Young. They soon broke up after a lack of success in signing a record deal, although not before they had recorded a session for Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show on BBC Radio 1. Stevie later formed Up Rising, a band that also split up. Starfighters are mentioned in the book Get Your Jumbo Jet Out of My Airport (Random Notes for AC/DC Obsessives) and also feature in the 2007 rare record guide.

In 1988 Stevie produced a demo for thrash metal band Cancer titled No Fuckin' Cover.^[7]

In 2009 Young was a member of Birmingham rock band Hellsarockin.^[8]

From July 2013 Stevie and Pat Hambly from the Starfighters performed in a blues trio with singer Martin Wood called Blue Murda.^[9][10] Blue Murda were later joined on guitar by Stevie's son, Angus (Gus), and John Malan on bass guitar. Gus is thus the grand-nephew of AC/DC's Angus Young and was briefly a member of AC/DC tribute band AC/DC UK.^[11]

Career with AC/DC

The connection to AC/DC goes back to the 1960s where Stevie, Angus and Malcolm attended the same school and played guitar together while growing up in Sydney.^[12] Coincidentally, Starfighters was also the name of a Dutch band of AC/DC co-producer Harry Vanda, before his family moved to Australia.^[13]

During the late 1970s Stevie and his brother Fraser occasionally travelled with AC/DC on tour, both were photographed with Angus and Malcolm backstage at Wembley in 1979 during the Highway to Hell Tour.^[14][15]

During the 1988 U.S. tour for AC/DC's album Blow Up Your Video, which started on 3 May 1988, Stevie filled in for Malcolm on rhythm guitar, while Malcolm left to deal with a growing alcohol dependency. Many fans were not even aware that Malcolm had been replaced, because Stevie bore a physical resemblance (at the time) to him.^[16] Malcolm overcame his drinking problem and returned to the band, staying until his retirement in 2014.

In July 2014, AC/DC's Brian Johnson confirmed that Stevie had recorded with the band for their upcoming album Rock or Bust, again replacing his ill uncle Malcolm.^[17] In September it was confirmed that Stevie would replace Malcolm on a permanent basis.^[18] It was revealed in a Rolling Stone interview that Stevie had been recruited by Angus as far back as January 2014, before contact had been made with other band members.^[19]

Equipment

Stevie Young has played a selection of Gretsch Jet Firebirds throughout his career. His first was a black, left-handed Firebird which was modified with an additional set of half-moon fret inlays on the fingerboard, and had the neck pickup removed. It had an additional jack slot fitted, and a Burns tailpiece. This Firebird was inherited from Malcolm Young, and was used to record with Starfighters in the early 1980s. ^[20]

Stevie also inherited another Firebird from Malcolm Young; this one was almost exactly the same as Malcolm's main Gretsch, with the neck pickup removed, a third pickup cavity, and the finish removed to leave clear maple. It has a Burns tailpiece, and was Stevie's no. 1 guitar on AC/DC's Rock Or Bust World tour. ^[21]

Stevie uses no. 11 gauge strings. ^[22]

For the Rock or Bust tour Stevie uses Marshall Amplifiers with Celestion Creamback and Classic Lead 80 speakers as part of his touring set-up. ^[23]

Family

As of July 2014 Stevie's son Angus (known as Goose or Gus) also plays guitar for Birmingham reggae band Young Culture Collective alongside his younger brother Stevie.^[24][25]

Discography

Starfighters

• Starfighters (1981) Jive Records
• In-Flight Movie (1983) Jive Records

AC/DC

• Rock or Bust (2014)^[1]

Notes