AC/DC Angus Young and Brian Johnson on Troubled Drummer Phil Rudd’s Future With Them, Continuing Music Without Malcolm Young [VIDEO]
The AC/DC are on a promotional radio tour for their new album “Rock or Bust,” and their subject is mostly about their errant drummer Phil Rudd. Founder Angus Young and vocalist Brian Johnson have opened up about Rudd’s run-in with the New Zealand law, and why they are moving on without Malcolm Young.
Rudd was arrested earlier this month after a police raid on his home in Tauranga, NZ. He was initially charged with attempting to procure murder, but that charge was dropped less than 24 hours later. However, he is still facing possession of methamphetamine and marijuana and threatening to kill.
He has been out of jail on bail, and as part of his bail conditions, he must live at his home. This poses a serious problem for the Australian rock band, which is set to go on tour in support of their new album “Rock or Bust.”
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Young previously spoke about Rudd in an interview with USA Today, saying their bandmate “sort himself out.” He said that although Rudd is a great drummer, he “seems to have let himself go. He’s not the Phil we’ve known in the past.”
Read: Angus Young on AC/DC Drummer Phil Rudd: He Needs to Sort Himself Out
Young also recalled how he found out about Rudd’s arrest, saying he fell out of bed upon hearing the news.
“My wife woke me up and said, ‘Hey, hey, Phil’s been up to no good,’” he laughed during a guest appearance at the U.S. shock jock Howard Stern’s radio show. The rock icons didn’t appear to be defending their bandmate, and even gave the impression that they would still go on no matter what happens with Rudd.
“We’ve got to resolve that,” Johnson told Stern when they were asked if Rudd would still be joining them on tour. “...I don’t think we even need to do anything. I think the situation is going to take care of itself. He’s got himself into a pickle, and there’s nothing we can do about it. I mean, we’re talking about criminal courts here, we’re talking about judges, we’re talking juries ... There’s nothing we can do about it. And we’re going on tour and nothing’s gonna stop us.”
In a separate interview with Loudwire, Young and Johnson discussed making music despite founding member Malcolm’s absence. Malcolm, Young’s brother and co-founder of the band, has been diagnosed with dementia, and has therefore permanently retired from the band. The boys are set to release their first album without Malcolm.
“He said, ‘Keep making music,’” Johnson recalled Malcolm’s advice to them. “He just said what he meant, and what he said usually meant a lot.”
Young and Malcolm’s nephew, Stevie Young, replaces Malcolm in the band. Their album “Rock or Bust” will be released on November 28.
