Posted by As I began expanding my familiarity with Long Island’s tribute bands, Shoot 2 Thrill was high on my list. Unfortunately, I missed the first couple of times I noticed they were playing nearby. It wasn’t until they performed at Stereo Garden in Patchogue that I finally had the opportunity to photograph them.
And that’s when I quickly learned something that has nothing to do with their music.
These guys are genuinely approachable and incredibly kind.
Of course, once they hit the stage, that’s another story.
As a longtime AC/DC fan, I’ve often asked myself what it is about this band that I love so much. It certainly isn’t because AC/DC spent five decades reinventing themselves with complex musical experimentation or constantly pushing the boundaries of originality.
Actually, it’s almost the opposite.
AC/DC perfected a formula—and then refused to mess with it.
Three-chord rock and roll. A pounding backbeat. Screaming guitars. A rhythm section that never seems to let up. The unmistakable vocals of Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. And, of course, a grown man in a schoolboy uniform running, duck-walking and sweating his way through a guitar solo.
What’s not to love?
AC/DC created a blues-based, high-voltage sound that feels less like listening to music and more like getting an adrenaline shot. There is an electricity to those songs that is almost impossible to resist.
And perhaps that’s why AC/DC has remained so timeless.
While other bands have evolved their sound over the years, AC/DC fans often love the band precisely because they didn’t change. They found their sound, perfected it and spent decades proving just how powerful that sound could be.
For the fan, there is something comforting about that familiarity.
You know what’s coming.
And you can’t wait for it anyway.
Capturing the AC/DC Experience
That is also what makes an AC/DC tribute band such an interesting challenge.
You can’t simply put together a setlist of AC/DC songs, plug in your guitars and expect the magic to happen. The music is only part of the experience.
The attitude has to be there.
The sound has to be there.
The energy has to be there.
And, perhaps most importantly, the performers have to make you believe that you’re watching AC/DC.
That’s where Shoot 2 Thrill excels.
The band has established itself as one of Long Island’s premier AC/DC tribute acts, bringing that familiar combination of sound, energy and visual authenticity to stages across Long Island, around the country and internationally.
And when you look at the individual musicians, it’s easy to see why.
Chris Antos — Bon Scott and Brian Johnson
At the front of the stage is Chris Antos, who has the unenviable job of channeling not one, but two of rock’s most recognizable vocalists.
Bon Scott and Brian Johnson don’t exactly have interchangeable voices.
Scott’s gritty, blues-infused delivery helped define AC/DC’s early years, while Johnson brought a completely different kind of high-voltage intensity to the band beginning with Back in Black.
Chris handles both.
His ability to move between the two eras allows Shoot 2 Thrill to cover the broad history of AC/DC rather than concentrating on just one period of the band’s career.
For an AC/DC fan, that’s important.
Whether you’re waiting for Highway to Hell or Back in Black, Chris has to make you believe you’re hearing the voice that belongs there.
And he does.
Tim Hoyt — The Angus Factor
Then there’s Tim Hoyt.
Let’s be honest. If you’re going to recreate AC/DC, there is one character who is almost impossible to overlook.
Angus Young.
The schoolboy uniform. The Gibson SG. The wild movements. The duck walk. The seemingly endless supply of energy.
Tim embraces all of it.
He has been touring throughout the United States and internationally since 2007, perfecting his portrayal of Angus Young and bringing the visual personality that is so closely associated with AC/DC to the stage.
But the appearance is only part of it.
Tim also uses vintage equipment and amplifiers designed to reproduce the raw, biting guitar tone that has become synonymous with Angus Young.
And that matters.
Because when those first notes hit, an AC/DC fan doesn’t just want to hear an SG.
They want to feel it.
Rick Cotrone — The Foundation
While Angus naturally attracts attention, AC/DC’s music would not be AC/DC without the contribution of Malcolm Young.
That is where Rick Cotrone comes in.
Taking on the role of the band’s rhythm guitarist, Rick provides the precise, driving chord work that forms the foundation of the AC/DC sound.
And this is one of those things that can be easy to overlook.
Malcolm Young wasn’t necessarily the musician standing in the spotlight demanding attention. His genius was in understanding that sometimes the most important part of a rock song is knowing exactly what not to play.
That solid, uncomplicated rhythm is what gives the lead guitar room to explode.
Rick understands that role and keeps the foundation locked in place.
Gary Ingraffia — The Backbeat
Behind them is Gary Ingraffia, filling the enormous shoes of Phil Rudd.
And once again, simplicity is the key.
AC/DC’s drums aren’t about unnecessary flash. They are about consistency, power and timing. That seemingly simple backbeat is what allows everything else to lock together.
Gary brings decades of drumming experience to the band, including extensive international USO touring for American troops.
That experience shows in the way he anchors the band.
The beat doesn’t need to call attention to itself.
It just needs to keep coming.
And with AC/DC, that’s exactly what it does.
Duane Lazoda — Locking It All Together
Completing the rhythm section is Duane Lazoda on bass.
Taking on the role associated with Cliff Williams, Duane provides the low-end foundation that works hand-in-hand with Gary’s drums.
That’s another essential part of the AC/DC formula.
The bass doesn’t need to compete with the guitars. It needs to lock into the groove and provide the pulse that keeps the entire band moving forward.
And that’s exactly what Duane brings to Shoot 2 Thrill.
Together, Gary and Duane create the engine underneath the guitars, while Rick provides Malcolm’s rhythmic foundation and Tim takes care of the Angus fireworks.
Then Chris steps in and gives the whole thing a voice.
Suddenly, you have AC/DC.
More Than Just a Cover Band
Shoot 2 Thrill regularly brings its show to prominent Long Island venues including The Warehouse in Amityville, 89 North and Stereo Garden in Patchogue. And when the temperatures drop here, they don’t necessarily slow down.
You may find them bringing their AC/DC experience south to Florida, including Cocoa Beach.
Their setlists are filled with the songs AC/DC fans expect: Highway to Hell, Back in Black, You Shook Me All Night Long, Hells Bells and plenty more.
And that’s exactly what I want from an AC/DC tribute.
I don’t want reinvention.
I don’t want reinterpretation.
I want AC/DC.
I want the guitars.
I want the pounding drums.
I want the vocals.
I want Angus Young running around the stage in a schoolboy uniform like he’s somehow discovered the secret to eternal youth.
Most importantly, I want to walk away feeling like I just experienced AC/DC.
That’s the challenge every tribute band faces.
The best ones don’t simply remind you of the original artist.
For a couple of hours, they make you believe.
When I finally caught up with Shoot 2 Thrill at Stereo Garden, I went there to photograph an AC/DC tribute band.
What I found was a group of talented musicians who have clearly put a tremendous amount of thought into recreating one of rock’s most recognizable sounds—and a group of genuinely good guys who were as welcoming offstage as they were explosive on it.
That’s something I have come to appreciate about the Long Island tribute scene.
Behind the wigs, costumes, vintage equipment and larger-than-life performances are musicians who love this music just as much as the audiences who come to hear it.
And perhaps that’s the real secret.
You can’t convincingly recreate something you don’t love.
Shoot 2 Thrill clearly loves AC/DC.
And judging by the reaction when those guitars start screaming, Long Island loves Shoot 2 Thrill right back.
Because AC/DC didn’t need to change the formula.
They perfected it.
And Shoot 2 Thrill understands exactly why.
Long Island Sounds 