In 2016, AC/DC singer Brian Johnson was forced to step away from the band due to hearing issues. The band went on to complete their European and North American tours with Guns N’ Roses frontman, Axl Rose.
AC/DC with Axl received some criticism from fans, but in general, Rose got good reviews. GNR bassist Duff McKagan previously told comedian Joey Diaz on the “The Church of What’s Happening Now” podcast: “The way he did that was amazing,” he said.
“He was, like, ‘If you guys don’t mind, I’m gonna go try out. They need a hand here.’ Bon Scott’s his all-time (hero.) We said, ‘Dude, you know you don’t really have to try out for AC/DC.’ But he was really nervous. ‘I’m gonna go try out. It fits in with our touring perfect.’ And Slash and I were, like, ‘You’ve got the gig.’ But he went to Atlanta and tried out, quote-unquote, and got the gig. I saw him twice on that tour. I flew to London to see him, and I flew to Cleveland to see that. It was great.”
Recently, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian chimed in on what he thought of the Rose-fronted version of AC/DC. After initial reservations, Ian said seeing Rose with AC/DC was one of the best concerts he ever attended.
“That Axl/DC show, it was fantastic, because I just thought he nailed [late AC/DC singer] Bon [Scott],” Ian told the Appetite for Distortion podcast.
“He nailed it — he nails Bon and Brian. And his joy as a fan of that band… ‘Cause I don’t know Axl, other than having said ‘hi’ to him a couple of times over the decades — I don’t know him. I think I hung out with him, kind of, one time in the ’90s at a bar in New York, but other than a, ‘Hey, how are you…’ But I’ve always been a fan of certainly [Guns N’ Roses debut album] ‘Appetite [for Destruction]’ and that record. And I’ve always known he’s an AC/DC fan, ’cause he talks about it.”
Ian continued: “He crushed it. And boy, his fanboyness came out so strong on that stage, you could tell how happy he was to be fronting one of his favorite bands of all time. And not only did he do it justice, but it just couldn’t have been… Other than Bon coming back from the dead and a zombie walking out onto that stage, it couldn’t have been better. I mean, he nailed it — he f*cking nailed it. He took a backseat to [AC/DC guitarist] Angus [Young]. It was just so respectful. The fact that between songs, it was, like, ”You probably know this next one,’ and then they bust into ‘Highway To Hell’. It’s just, like, ‘Jesus Christ.’ Everything about it was great. It was two and a half hours of headbanging — just non-stop. A fabulous, fantastic show.”
Originally Ian said he wasn’t sure about Axl fronting AC/DC. “I’ll be completely honest: when I first heard that Axl was gonna do shows with AC/DC, I just wasn’t feeling it. I can’t tell you why other than maybe because I’m just such an AC/DC fan for so long and it just seemed weird to me that all of a sudden Brian was pushed to the wayside.”
“A friend of mine who knows Axl and his assistant was kind enough to get a bunch of us on the guest list for that show. And I can’t speak highly enough about it … I’ve gone on record: it’s the best AC/DC show I’ve ever seen.”
- Dog The Bounty Hunter Shares Who Mentored Him On Reality Show - April 22, 2024
- Damian Priest Reveals Band He Wants To Play Him To The Ring At Wrestlemania - April 22, 2024
- Rock Hall Class Of 2024 Inductees Announced - April 21, 2024
