AC/DC Headlining Coachella Festival with Jack White and Drake; Phil Rudd’s Future With Band Still Unknown
Australian rockers AC/DC has been announced to headline the 2015 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the U.S., but it remains unclear if drummer Phil Rudd will be joining them. Rudd is still facing charges in New Zealand, where he is based.
Coachella has just announced the three headliners for the festival in April. AC/DC, Jack White and Drake will be taking the main stages from on two consecutive three-day weekends, April 10 to 12 and April 17 to 19.
AC/DC will be headlining the April 10 and 17 events, with Tame Impala, Interpol, Steely Dan, Alesso, Alabama Shakes, Ride, Nero, Azealia Banks and more also taking the stage. Jack White is on April 11 and 18, with Weeknd, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, alt-J, Belle and Sebastian, Ratatat, Hozier, ang FKA Twigs among others also performing. Drake takes the main stage on April 12 and 19, with performances from Florence and the Machine, Kaskade, Ryan Adams, David Guetta and St Vincent.
With AC/DC having just released their first album “Rock or Bust” without co-founder Malcolm Young, it’s unsurprising that they are performing in one of the biggest music festivals in the U.S. However, the question still remains if Rudd will be joining the group.
Rudd, 60, was arrested in November after a police raid on his home in Tauranga, New Zealand. He was charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill, and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. The attempting to procure a murder was dropped the following day.
In a previous interview, members Angus Young and Brian Johnson said they weren’t sure if Rudd would be there with them during the band’s tour for “Rock or Bust” as he wasn’t so reliable even before he was arrested. Johnson vaguely told USA Today that the “situation is going to take care of itself,” which probably meant they would have to wait and see if the NZ courts would allow Rudd to join them on tour.
Read: Angus Young and Brian Johnson on Troubled Drummer Phil Rudd’s Future With Them, Continuing Music Without Malcolm Young
Rudd, on the other hand, is adamant that he be back on stage again. Speaking up for the first time since he was arrested to One News, the Australian-born rocker said, “I’m going back to work for AC/DC and I don’t care who likes it and who doesn’t.”
Read: Phil Rudd: I’m Coming Back to Work for AC/DC
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be held in Indio, California from April 10 to 12 and April 17 to 19. The full line-up of acts can be found here.