It is unusual for a band to stay active for 30-plus years. For a tribute act it is highly unusual, which makes the five-piece, Massachusetts-based AC/DC tribute band — Back In Black — one for the books. With a lineup of Tony Sitler (as lead vocalist Brian Johnson and the late Bon Scott), Dan Molkenthin (as guitarist Angus Young), Miguel Goncalves (as bassist Cliff Williams), Bobby Sitler (as the late guitarist Malcolm Young) and Steve DeNola (as drummer Phil Rudd), the group is headed back to Maine for an Aug. 12 show at the Somerset Abbey in Madison. To that end, I got a chance to chat with the band’s founder, Miguel Goncalves about their upcoming show.

Q: Now you have performed up at the Somerset Abbey before, correct?
Goncalves: We have, we’ve been there a couple of times.

Q: Is Back In Black your sole source of income?
Goncalves: It is not my sole source, but it is my main source.

Q: How long have you been doing this?
Goncalves: Thirty-two years.

Q: How many of your bandmates have been with you all that time?
Goncalves: The singer and myself are still originals; everybody else is different, you know, and I’m the bass player.

Q: Now with over three decades of doing this, I would imagine you have quite a repertoire of AC/DC songs worked up.
Goncalves: Our set list contains about 80 songs, but unfortunately as you change band members here and there, your repertoire of songs declines until they get up-to-par, or on-track. It’s not learning all over again, though.

Q: For example?
Goncalves: Well right now, of our 80 songs, we have a drummer that’s only probably six months old with us. his repertoire is about 35 songs, so it limits us.

Q: But I’m sure as time goes on he’ll get his chops up.
Goncalves: Correct, we keep learning and working consistently.

Q: Also, I would imagine that new musicians can bring renewed energy and freshness to the group.
Goncalves: Yeah, that’s good, and we’re also very diverse with our set lists: we’re not like the typical band, you’re not going to hear the same set whether it’s a month later or the night after another show. I actually keep track of all the set lists so when we go back to a venue we don’t replicate any of our introduction songs, so we always give a different look and a different show, which is very cool to be able to do that.

Q: I’ll say. I guess that’s another benefit for having 32 years under your belt.
Goncalves: Well, we’re a little less choreographed for our shows; we switch it up all the time so it’s always a different production, you never know what you’re going to get (chuckle).

Q: (Laughter) And that keeps it fresh for the audience and for you, as well.
Goncalves: Yup, 100 percent.

Q: What are your thoughts on Somerset Abbey?
Goncalves: We’ve had fun every time we’ve been there, we enjoy what we do and we have a good time doing it, and that’s it.

Q: How far afield do you guys get touring?
Goncalves: Well, we will play anywhere, you know? We’ve played all over the country but on a normal basis, without flying out to a show, we go all over the Northeast anyways, as far as Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Q: How many gigs do you typically do in a year?
Goncalves: Well, this year is going to be a good year, I think we’re doing a little over 80 shows.

Q: Is this like going out for the weekend?
Goncalves: Yeah, for example I’ll hit the road early tomorrow morning and I’ll be gone until Sunday evening, then I’ll do it all over again next week (chuckle). It’s not a life of luxury or of wealth, but it’s more of a life of gratification, I guess, to make somewhat of a living off a passion.

Q: Well, if you’re doing what you love, that’s worth something.
Goncalves: Yeah, you know what it’s all about then.

Q: I’d like to go back to the subject of set lists; are there any songs you just have to play for a show?
Goncalves: There’s probably at least 10 songs we need to play every night that are just too big of hits not to play, that any AC/DC fan’s going to want to hear if they buy a ticket to go out and see you.

Q: Do you go into the deep cuts?
Goncalves: We do, we sure do.

Q: Now, I would imagine that with your longevity in the business, it must help out tremendously in getting gigs and stuff like that.
Goncalves: Absolutely! I have a lot of connections, we’ve built a brand over a lot of years. Although there are other Back In Blacks around the country now, we were the first one, a hundred percent!

Q: That’s cool. Look, Miguel, is there anything you’d like me to pass on to the folks reading this article?
GONCALVES: Well, for the people who haven’t seen Dan Molkenthin, our Angus, the guy has turned into a monster (chuckle) and he’s really taken our show to a whole other level, even in the last two years!

Lucky Clark, a 2018 “Keeping the Blues Alive” Award winner, has spent more than 50 years writing about good music and the people who make it. He can be reached at luckyc@myfairpoint.net if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.

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