Brian Johnson Statue

Bronze bust of the AC/DC singer in a small Namur square

A modest bronze bust in a side street near Place Saint-Hilaire commemorates AC/DC's first ever gig with Brian Johnson as their new singer — a small venue performance at the Namur Casino in March 1980, just weeks before the recording sessions that produced Back in Black. The statue was unveiled in 2019 on the date of that anniversary.

It is a slightly absurd Namurois monument that has nonetheless become a small pilgrimage spot for AC/DC fans passing through Belgium. Combine with a wander through the old town's bars, several of which will happily play AC/DC on request.

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A story
AC/DC played an unannounced gig in Namur on 18 March 1980, a few weeks after the band recruited Brian Johnson as their new singer following Bon Scott's death. The Namur Casino performance was effectively the new line-up's first concert anywhere — the warm-up before Back in Black went on to become one of the best-selling albums in history. The city commemorated the gig in 2019 with this bronze.