It was 41 years ago today that AC/DC front man Bon Scott took the stage for the first time with the band.

On October 5, 1974 Bon and AC/DC played their first show at Brighton Le-Sands Masonic Hall in Australia. Bon, who had replaced Dave Evans, solidified his place in AC/DC after having originally turning down an offer from Malcolm Young.

“We were playing Largs Pier, out on a jetty,” drummer Peter Clack said. “Bon was in the crowd. We knew he was a fantastic singer so Malcolm, who was the brains, said, ‘I’m going to put it on Bon, maybe he’ll be interested.’ Bon said, ‘Piss off, I’ve got my wife and I’m about to start a job.’ When we got back to Melbourne, Bon called up and said, ‘Okay, Malcolm, I’m in.’ It turned out his job was to paint this big rusty ship in the dock at Adelaide. He was on his way in the cold, looked at the ship and said, ‘F– this, I’m not doing this for a living,’ turned round, phoned Malcolm and packed a suitcase.”

AC/DC would later go on to record the band’s first studio album High Voltage with Bon. Bon’s perfect fit as AC/DC’s front man would be short lived, as he died six years later from acute alcohol poisoning. Regardless, Bon proved that his legacy would live on through his vocals on platinum hits such as Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Highway to Hell and many others.