The Financial Motivation Behind Angus Young’s Schoolboy Uniform

Rock stars have been shaping fashion and pioneering style trends since the genre’s rise to the mainstream. The charisma of these rock icons significantly impacted teenagers’ clothes and accessories with their unique stage looks. These famous musicians’ leather jackets, hats, chains, and makeups have changed the way their fans wore them forever, so they influenced youth not only with their music but also with stage costumes.

For instance, KISS members’ makeups and stage costumes, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford’s leather outfits, Twisted Sister’s colorful and androgynous clothes, and Freddie Mercury’s jeans and white tank top can be considered as one of the most known styles that affected the whole fashion industry. AC/DC co-founder Angus Young is also one of those musicians who has his unique stage look, but his story is quite different than the others.

What Was The Inspiration Of Angus Young’s Schoolboy Uniform?

When Angus and Malcolm Young founded AC/DC in 1973, one of the most successful and popular pioneering hard rock bands of their time, Angus wanted to wear an extraordinary costume instead of regular pants or t-shirts. Thus, he tried Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a Superman costume for a parodical character named Super-Ang, but the guitarist found his true style thanks to her sister’s suggestion.

Their sister Margeret advised him to wear a schoolboy uniform for one of their early concert at an open-air concert in Victoria Park in Sydney in April 1974. The uniform was borrowed from her little son for the show, but Young then created and used uniforms exclusively designed for him. An adult man wearing a schoolboy uniform drew great attention back then, and it’s still one of the most striking rockers looks on the stage.

Previously, the guitarist revealed that the other band members, including his brother Malcolm, made fun of his look, saying that he would be like a nine-year-old boy. Also, their so-called plan was to present him as a music prodigy which would make them very rich with a few concerts. However, Young highlighted that they were still on the stage, so the plan didn’t work as a part of this ongoing joke about his costume back then.

Angus Young’s statement about his uniform follows:

“She gave me the school uniform because she said ‘Angus would look good and cute.’ They told me I’d get rich quick, and George said, ‘You know what, we’ll bill you as nine years old.’ I’m not nine, and they would say, ‘You are only nine years old, and you are a prodigy.’ You’ll only have to do a couple of shows, and we will make such a bad big mystery offer. Here I am still doing it.”

During his interview with Guitar World a few years ago, the AC/DC icon admitted that he was agitated about wearing this costume at the beginning. The main reason behind his tension was a possible backlash and harsh reaction from the audience while he was playing on the stage. Therefore, Angus Young stated that he decided not to stop to get away with being ‘a target for blokes throwing bottles.’

You can watch the interview below.