The AC30 is loud. Actually, it is very loud. While there are still many questions along the boards wheather an amp with "only" 30 watts is loud enough for band/gigs, we may remark that watts are not a measure for volume. Either way, yes, an AC30 is loud enough for nearly any application and easily competes next to a 100 watts Marshall stack.
You may have already noticed that the AC30 sounds best when cranked. When we get the chance to play an AC30 at higher volumes, we realize there is a certain sweet spot in terms of breakup, punch, chime and overall musicality which just sounds very good. Unfortunately, this sweet spot usually will be too loud for most situations. And when you get the opportunity to play in a really huge location...