AC/DC’s Melbourne Return Registers on Seismic Sensors as Fans Shake the Ground
AC/DC’s first concert in Australia in 10 years delivered exactly the kind of force the band is known for, enough, apparently, to be detected by earthquake-monitoring equipment. When the group launched the Australian leg of its Power Up tour at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the energy inside and outside the stadium was so intense that local seismic sensors recorded low-frequency ground vibrations throughout the night.
According to data reviewed by the Seismology Research Centre in Richmond, located a little over two miles from the stadium, instruments picked up activity between 2 and 5 hertz. While not remotely close to an earthquake, the signals were strong enough to indicate that the performance literally moved the ground. Residents across Melbourne corroborated the phenomenon online, reporting that they heard or felt unusual rumbling during the nearly three-hour show.
One resident living more than six miles from the venue told ABC News that the concert was audible from their home. Early analysis from the Seismology Research Centre suggests that the readings captured were consistent with the combination of amplified bass frequencies, the venue’s vibrations, and the collective movement of tens of thousands of fans.
Adam Pascale, chief scientist at the Centre, emphasized that seismic readings do not reflect how loud a concert sounds to the human ear. Instead, the sensors detect physical ground motion. “We’re picking up the ground movement, not airborne sound,” he explained. Speakers on the stadium floor contribute to these vibrations, but the audience’s participation often plays a major role.
Crowds moving in coordinated rhythm, whether jumping or swaying in unison, create patterns that travel efficiently through soil and concrete. These motions often produce clearer readings than isolated vibrations from instruments or staging equipment. Pascale added that large sporting events have produced measurable signals as well, though concerts featuring heavy bass and synchronized audience participation tend to stand out.
In this case, fan enthusiasm appears to have amplified the data significantly, though AC/DC did not surpass the seismic activity generated by Taylor Swift’s 2024 Eras Tour shows, which remain the strongest concert-related readings the Centre has recorded.
The Melbourne performance marked a milestone for AC/DC: their first appearance in their home country since 2015. It also continued a tour that has already sold more than two million tickets across Europe and the United States. Their North American run, which began in Minneapolis earlier this year, sold out rapidly, reaffirming the band’s enduring global draw.
The Melbourne set list blended classics with rarities. In one of the night’s highlights, the band performed “Jailbreak”, a staple of their early catalog, for the first time since 1991. Fans responded with explosive enthusiasm, contributing to the seismic signatures documented throughout the evening.
For a group whose music has long been synonymous with raw power and electrifying live shows, the ability to trigger seismic readings decades into their career underscores AC/DC’s singular presence in rock music. Their return to Australia has already sparked national attention, not just for the concert itself but for the literal imprint it left beneath Melbourne’s surface.
The Power Up tour continues across the country in the coming weeks, and if opening night is any indication, the band’s homecoming will be felt (and possibly measured) far beyond the stadium walls.
