Joe Bonamassa plays AC/DC’s Back in Black like you’ve never heard it before in this soulful rhythm ’n’ blues reimagining

Joe Bonamassa has teamed up with LA funk collective Scary Pockets and singer Joanna Jones on a brilliantly soulful cover of AC/DC’s Back In Black.

If you’re not familiar with Scary Pockets, the outfit are a group of veteran musicians drawn from across the LA scene who regularly get together to record funk covers and other jams. 

Their lineup includes guitarist Ryan Lerman (who has spent time on the road with Ben Folds and Michael Buble), drummer Dan Bailey, who plays with Father John Misty; and keyboardist Jack Conte, who – fun fact – is the founder of Patreon. Bassist Calvin Turner, meanwhile, has played with pretty much everyone, including Bonamassa – which is how we imagine Scary Pockets’ latest ramble came about.

In their new clip, the band invited the blues-rock giant, alongside Hamilton singer/actress Joanna Jones, to stop in with them at LA’s prestigious EastWest Studios, tackling an unlikely cover of AC/DC’s monster of rock Back in Black, in the process.

It’s perhaps not surprising given the pedigree of the musicians involved, but the cover feels like a genuine reinvention of the tune, which here comes across as some lost Stax track – something that might have featured Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper. 

Bonamassa opts for a red Gibson SG equipped with a Bigbsy tailpiece for the performance and makes good use of it, too. While he’s used to leading the line, here Bonamassa proves his worth as an ensemble player and, to our ears, sounds better than ever for sitting slightly back in the mix. 

Scary Pockets have not simply taken a Porsche and driven it to the grocery store, though, and Bonamassa is delivered the spotlight for a laid-back, fingerpicked and beautifully rendered interpretation of Angus Young’s iconic solo. 

It's one to keep in your back pocket and whip out the next time someone starts ranting unprompted about Gilmour’s touch and “feel players”...

Bonamassa, meanwhile, recently stopped in for another guest spot/cover, jamming Red House with Eric Gales, Marcus King and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at Australia’s BluesFest.