Melbourne Bagpipers Set AC/DC Record Before Tour Kickoff

In Melbourne, Australia, hundreds of bagpipers set a world record on Wednesday by performing AC/DC's classic rock anthem "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" in a massive tribute just hours before the band launched its long-awaited Australian tour. The event, known as the Great Melbourne Bagpipe Bash, drew thousands of spectators to Federation Square and featured 374 participants, surpassing the previous record of 333 pipers set in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2012. The Australian Book of Records certified the achievement, though organizers had not yet contacted Guinness World Records for official verification.

The performance held special significance, taking place near the site where AC/DC filmed the song's 1976 music video on the back of a flatbed truck navigating downtown traffic on Swanston Street. Among the pipers were Les Kenfield and Kevin Conlon, two surviving members of the Rats of Tobruk Memorial Pipes and Drums who appeared in that original clip alongside the band. The oldest participant was 98 years old, and the ensemble included pipers from multiple local bands who had rehearsed for weeks to synchronize their instruments. Campbell Wilson, senior pipe...