MELBOURNE, Australia -- Hundreds of bagpipers claimed a new world record on Wednesday by belting out AC/DC’s rock and roll classic “It’s a Long Way to the Top.”Billed as “The Great Melbourne Bagpipe Bash,” the eclectic performance took place in Melbourne’s Federation Square, on Swanston Street, which was the scene of the Australian hard rock band’s 1976 film clip in which they played the hit on the back of a flatbed truck traveling slowly through downtown traffic with music blaring from speakers.Federation Square is also a short stroll from the Melbourne Cricket Ground where AC/DC is scheduled to play their first Australian gig in a decade on Wednesday.Guitarist Angus Young, 70, is the only band member who played on the truck and is performing on the latest Australian tour.
Thousands of spectators crammed the square for the world record attempt.Many of the 374 pipers had to squeeze through the crowd to the stage area.
The oldest piper was 98-years-old, organisers said.Among the bagpipers was Les Kenfield and Kevin Conlon, two of the three members of Rats of Tobruk Memorial Pipes and Drums who played with AC/DC on the truck 49 years ago.“It didn't strike you at the time how big this event is until now," Kenfield told Australian Broadcasting Corp.“Now it’s one of the greatest things — probably the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”Having been declared world record holders, the massed pipers played “Happy Birthday” on request, followed by an impromptu “Amazing Grace” to a cheering crowd, many using their phones to record the moment.
The Australian Book of Records, which has been certifying records since 2012, confirmed that 374 pipers had together broken a record set by 333 pipers in Bulgaria in 2012.The U.K.'s better known Guinness World Records, which confirmed the Bulgarian record, told The Associated Press that it hadn’t been approached to assess the Melbourne record attempt.Many of the enthusiastic spectators wore ...