Melbourne’s AC/DC Lane to unveil Bon Scott sculpture

Original AC/DC singer Bon Scott is being honoured with a permanent larger than life sculpture on Melbourne’s AC/DC Lane.

Standing approximately three metres high and two metres wide, it protrudes 15 cms from the brick wall of the hard rock club Cherry Bar, and overlooking AC/DC Lane.

The official unveiling is on Tuesday March 6 at 11 am.

Cherry owner and booker James Young, who was among those instrumental in the naming of AC/DC Lane, was supported in the new venture by the Victorian Government’s ‘Rockin’ The Laneways’ scheme through Creative Victoria.

The sculpture is by renowned local street artist Mike Makatron (www.makatron.com)

Makatron is primarily a painter of murals and canvas. He’s done many sculptures and installations, but this is his first large-scale piece of this kind.

He says, “I’ve painted the laneway annually for about five years now - always a varied interpretation of the theme of music and it’s an honour to add a permanent 3D element that pays tribute to a great Australian rock and roll band and its lead singer Bon Scott, but also to music in general. “

Makatron and his team have worked for six days in Everfresh Studio.

The sculpture is rendered with multiple layers of concrete onto carved high-density polystyrene and finished with a protective clear coat.

The sculpting was lead by Steven Carroll, utilising a number of tools and techniques to achieve the denim textures and cracked stone look.

The metal fabrication (backing plate) and installation come thanks to Richie Red Steel (also a multi-instrumentalist and professional mixer.)

The brick explosion work is by scenic artist Rob Gough, blending fake plaster cast bricks into the existing wall

Scott was born in Scotland, grew up in Fremantle, WA and lived in South Australia where he was in bands in the early ‘70s.

He also lived in the western suburbs of Melbourne in Sunshine.

AC/DC lived in Melbourne in a “24 hour party house” in East St. Kilda.

Swanston Street, the main thoroughfare on which Countdown director Paul Drane filmed the iconic video for ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock n Roll)’ with the band performing on the back of a flat bed truck, is just around the corner from AC/DC Lane.

The UK’s Classic Rock magazine put Scott on top of its "100 Greatest Frontmen Of All Time" list, ahead of Queen’s  Freddie Mercury and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant.