Rock fans have smashed attendance records at an Angus museum to see a collection of memorabilia from the career of legendary AC/DC singer Bon Scott.
With just over a week left to run, the exhibition at Gateway to the Glens Museum in Kirriemuir has exceeded all expectations.
Museum assistant Sheila Philp said, “We wondered if we were going to break the previous record of 275 visitors in a day. On what would have been Bon Scott’s 65th birthday we got 402 visitors. We didn’t break the record we smashed it.”
Bon Scott was born Ronald Belford Scott in Forfar in 1946 and lived in Kirriemuir until 1952, when his family moved to Australia.
Fans have packed the museum to see the Bon Scott memorabilia owned by Neil McDonald, who has the biggest collection in the UK.
Items include a Let There Be Rock 1977 UK LP and a rare Australian cassette album, 12 Of The Best, which was an AC/DC “best of” album scheduled for release in 1978 but scrapped at the last minute.
Ms Philp said, “It’s the first time so many rare items have been under the one roof. We took a chance doing something like this and it’s good to know it has come off.
“The exhibition will close on August 6 so we would urge anyone who wants to see it to come along.”FestivalThe record was broken during the Bon Fest in Kirriemuir, which has been organised by local group DD8 Music every year since 2006 to pay homage to AC/DC’s former lead singer, who spent his early childhood in the town.
The festivities continued with pub gigs before a concert at the town hall, headlined by top AC/DC tribute band Bon’s Balls.
Neil McDonald has been a fan of the Kirriemuir-born rocker since the 1970s and was keen his collection go on show in Bon’s home town.
He said, “I have already had extremely positive feedback from those who visited the museum, many of whom plan to return at a future date.
“I have also been contacted by many fans from overseas who have since heard about the exhibition, at least one of whom intends to visit it before it ends next month.
“I am hopeful that, with the success of this year’s event, I will be able to exhibit other rare items from my collection at the museum next year.
“Attendance at the Bon Scott exhibition exceeded all expectations with a record number of visitors to the museum. It is great that Bon Scott has left Kirriemuir with a legacy that will live on.”