AC/DC tour announces The Answer as opening act for North American dates

Fans wondering who will open for AC/DC on the band's much anticipated North American tour opener now have the answer -- literally. The hard rock icons picked The Answer, a relatively new band out of Northern Ireland, to provide support for the first leg of dates for the worldwide tour.

The opening stint serves as The Answer's North American debut, though the group is already receiving critical acclaim overseas. According to a statement, the band has already opened international concerts for iconic bands like the Rolling Stones, The Who and Aerosmith, as well as completing their own headlining tours of Europe.

Despite that experience, the band is said to be looking forward to the experience of performing with AC/DC. "It is an honour and privilege for The Answer to be offered the opportunity to support probably the greatest rock 'n' roll act on the planet," lead singer Cormac Neeson said in the band's statement. "We are incredibly humbled."

Comprised of Neeson, Paul Mahon (guitar), Micky Waters (bass) and James Heatley (drums), The Answer has one U.S. gig scheduled prior to the opening run with the hard-hitting rockers from Australia. The band is set to perform at the CMJ Music Marathon at The Crash Mansion in New York City on October 25.

A couple weeks into the tour, the band will release an introductory EP for American audiences, a four-song record with a bonus DVD of live footage called "Never Too Late." The November 11 release is meant to serve as a precursor to The Answer's first full-length U.S. debut, set to hit stores in early 2009.

When the Black Ice World Tour kicks off on October 28 at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, PA, it will be AC/DC's first time back on the road in almost seven years. The band has already announced an additional stretch of dates for the initial leg of the tour, extending the band's North American run into 2009.

In mid-September, AC/DC and Ticketmaster announced that fan club ticket presales would be processed via the primary ticket seller's paperless ticket technology. The system requires patrons to scan the purchasing credit card and a personal ID at the venue door immediately before entering.

Singer-songwriter Tom Waits debuted the system in the U.S. during his Glitter and Doom Tour in spring 2008. Meanwhile the ticketing giant stated that Metallica's early September introduction of paperless ticketing in Europe went successfully, admitting more than 17,000 fans to London's O2 Arena in just over two hours.