Earlier this year, AC/DC announced they would hit the road for their first tour since 2016. The band played at last year’s highly successful Power Trip festival, and the show marked the return of singer Brian Johnson who had to sit out the conclusion of the band’s “Rock Or Bust” tour due to hearing issues.
AC/DC will hit Europe starting in May, and following the announcement, the band sold a staggering 1.5 million tickets in a single day. Chris Dalston, the co-head of international touring at Creative Artists Agency, is one of the people behind AC/DC’s touring plans. In an interview with Pollstar, he revealed the hopes for AC/DC following this European tour, and he also outlined some of the challenges the band faces as they hit the road for the first time in eight years.
“There was a lot of thought that went into it because we had to work around the Olympic Games in France and the European football championships in Germany,” Dalston said of the tour. “Now as agents, we have to think about a lot of things that we didn’t have to think about many years ago, like the weather. One of the reasons the tour starts in Germany was because we had to find somewhere to rehearse for a week. And then it goes immediately into Italy and Spain, because we believed if it gets to July and August, it’s going to be way too hot and very dangerous for the fans and the band to be outside. I was in Europe last summer in Seville, and we had to delay shows until 11:30 at night because it was still 100 degrees outside.”
Dalston also said the Johnson’s voice is a concern. “And then we have to be very careful of Brian’s voice that we don’t push it, that he feels comfortable in the schedule. Then you have to make sure the finances work.”
Dalston went on to say that the hope is that AC/DC can tour for years to come. “We believed it was going to be one of the biggest tours ever, but you just never know until you put tickets on sale,” he said. “It’s like Christmas the night before we went on sale. You can’t sleep, you’re nervous. I woke up at 2:30 or 3 in the morning and Europe had already opened — and we’d sold out some of the shows already. They sold 1.5 million tickets in one day. … It’s staggering and it gives you great faith because they’re very particular in how they conduct their business. They don’t do VIP. They don’t do dynamic ticket pricing. They never want to hear fans complaining about ticket prices being too high. There’s also a point where we have to push it a little bit because otherwise they couldn’t afford to tour — especially when they’re playing one day on, three days off. … Obviously the goal is to hopefully have them continue if they enjoy it and it works well … to try to keep them out in ’25, ’26, ’27, however long they want to go, but we gotta get through Europe first.”
AC/DC won’t have longtime bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Phil Rudd on tour. Williams played the Power Trip festival but previously said he was retired from the road. Rudd likely has visa issues stemming from legal problems years ago. The band’s lineup will consist of Johnson, guitarist Angus Young, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and bassist Chris Chaney.
- Vince Neil Talks About Mötley Crüe Record He Hates - April 30, 2024
- Bruce Dickinson Blasts Fan From Stage - April 29, 2024
- Sum 41 Frontman Reveals Why Band Is Ending - April 27, 2024
