Dave Grohl led the Foo Fighters through a performance of the AC/DC classic “Let There Be Rock” last night (Nov. 18) as a tribute to the late Malcolm Young.

At the 8:29:41 mark of the video above, the Foo Fighters start their show with an image of Young appearing on the stage screen. Grohl then hits the stage, declares “we’re going to play some rock and roll for Malcolm tonight," and launches into the song. (You can also watch a partial clip of the performance below.)

AC/DC had confirmed Young’s death, following several years of poor health, earlier in the day. The onstage tribute took place during  the Foo Fighters’ set at the Corona Capital Festival in Mexico, hours after Grohl had posted a touching personal message to his band’s Facebook page.

Grohl wrote: “37 years ago my friend Larry Hinkle and I went to see a midnight movie on a Friday night at the Uptown Theater in Washington DC. It was 1980. We were 11 years old. the movie was Let There Be Rock. And it changed my life.

“That film, a live AC/DC performance from Paris, 1979, is everything that live and roll should be. Sweaty. Loose. Loud. A relentless performance from the perfect band. It was the first time I lost control to music. The first time I wanted to be in a band. I didn’t want to play my guitar anymore, I wanted to smash it.

“Thank you, Malcolm, for the songs, and the feel, and the cool, and the years of losing control to your rock and roll. I will do just that tonight, for you.”

Young formed AC/DC in 1973 with younger brother Angus Young, and remained their de facto leader until he retired in 2014 after it had been announced that he was suffering from dementia. Tributes were paid online from a wide range of musicians.

More From Diffuser.fm