Official: Axl will join AC/DC for stadium tour/US dates

[Black Sabbath]

Sucks.

I mean fuck, how bad is his hearing and how bad was it before they started the tour for Rock or Bust? Shit.

My mom had tickets for Philly too so that's unfortunate for her, but she said she has no interest in seeing a guest singer. Can't say I blame her.

[Teroz]

Geddy Lee is available... and so is Vince Neil.

[DirtyDeeds]

I feel like I missed AC/DC's final show ever by four days. Four. Fucking. Days. I have tickets to the Sunrise, FL show. Tickets I really couldn't afford but I bought anyway because it's AC/DC and they are my favorite band and I knew they couldn't go on forever, especially given this last couple years, and I wanted my girlfriend to see their phenomenal stage show. And we were four days away...

 

I'm looking at the calendar hanging on my wall and I drew the freaking lightning bolt on the date, like I did on all my class notes back in high school. It's so disappointing looking over at that.

 

We dropped way too much money on resale tickets from a shady website that I'm sure will not be offering a refund. The tickets are worthless now. I might as well hang on to them in hopes that somehow Brian can return. I just cannot see AC/DC of all bands continuing on with a different singer, as others have stated. The replacements they have on this tourI have a lot of respect for, since they were both AC/DC replacement veterans anyway, and I feel that the band chose them very tastefully. It still hurt to not have the Back in Black lineup there. I mean, I consider the Back in Black lineup to be the "second original" AC/DC if you will, completely as legitimate and original as the TNT/High Voltage lineup. But it's just not AC/DC anymore without Brian. I love Angus, I'll always love him, and if he wanted to go do the Angus Young Band and play a bunch of AC/DC classics plus some new stuff, then I'd buy tickets in an instant, but it's just not AC/DC. Hell, maybe in his own free time Angus actually does a bunch of crazy effects and different guitar styles we never hear and just does the tried-and-true AC/DC stuff for the public because he knows it's what they want to hear. But damn, just damn. 

 

Best wishes to Brian, but I'm just shattered. This is certainly not how I wanted my favorite band to go out. 

 

EDIT: I will add this in, though. AC/DC throughout its history has been great to their fans. They have made lineup changes sparingly and tastefully, and in the case of Brian carrying the torch for Bon, more successfully than any other musical act ever, bar none. If they do finish this tour out with a guest singer, they will not just get any old 5-foot-tall dude in a pair of jeans to fill in; this will be carefully pondered. I trust their judgement better than any other band, and I'm sure whomever they choose will do a great job and will honor AC/DC's place in rock history while also knowing their place as the fill-in for a legend. Therefore I will not go so far as saying I'm done with this band. They've never let us down before, and so the least we can do is give them the chance to surprise us again. But it sure does hurt. 

Edited March 9, 2016 by DirtyDeeds

[James Bond]

I think the only way for the guest singer thing to work is to get big names to fill in - Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, etc... Not necessarily those guys in particular, but guys who have their own legacy and their own unique voice. Around the same age as well which is ideal. I'd fear for AC/DC stepping into sound alike territory by hiring someone half their age who is a more like a parody Brian. Luckily, Angus is a smart man and I trust he knows what's the best move forward.

The tricky thing is getting a voice that fits the material but doesn't sound like a Brian-clone. I'm not even sure that's posssible. That's why it'll just be time to call it a day. There's no need to make such a drastic line-up change this late in their career. Farewell shows and/or finishing the tour is fair enough, but beyond that there's no need. Malcolm and Brian both gone? It's crazy.

Hopefully Angus and the boys keep making music - just not as AC/DC. I'll support that! All the same I guess we can't rule Brian out for studio work, so we'll see what happens. I really hope they address the situation soon.

I know it seems silly because Brian is still alive and kicking, but I've been incredibly bummed since it was announced. This might be the only "bad" music news that I've ever been this upset over. I think the worst part is that he isn't retiring by choice. If he had finished the tour and then said it was time to call it a day then you'd get it, but he didn't get to decide that for himself.

On a side note - holy shit, Slade is fucking 70 this year. How can he still drum so powerfully?

[Teroz]

People it is Gene Simmons!

[DieselDaisy]

I just think they should retire. The guest singer idea is awful. It is too late in the game to replace Brian. And, you are sort of relying more on Brian - as a sort of 'honourary' founder - to give it a bit more legitimacy, as Malcolm not being there was a hard sell no matter how many Youngs you draft in to replace him.

Is this just a temporary thing for these dates? (I get the impression the band have not considered their long term future). I would not want DC to become this inferior thing stuffed with randoms - we have endured that with Newgnr! They usually make good decisions though, the Young lot; they like to keep it in the family.

[James Bond]

3 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

I just think they should retire. The guest singer idea is awful. It is too late in the game to replace Brian. And, you are sort of relying more on Brian - as a sort of 'honourary' founder - to give it a bit more legitimacy, as Malcolm not being there was a hard sell no matter how many Youngs you draft in to replace him.

Is this just a temporary thing for these dates? (I get the impression the band have not considered their long term future). I would not want DC to become this inferior thing stuffed with randoms - we have endured that with Newgnr! They usually make good decisions though, the Young lot; they like to keep it in the family.

I gather that it's just temporary. Apparently the boys have known about Brian's hearing issues for a while so I wouldn't be surprised if it was added as some kind of insurance policy in the tour contracts. The promoters, knowing Brian might not finish, were possibly hesitant to book them at all without it. That's pure speculation on my part but the situation does seem odd. Why add the additional dates in December? They could have left well enough alone. Something doesn't add up and now this "guest singer" thing being mentioned by the band is just so unlike them.

[Powerage5]

8 minutes ago, James Bond said:

I gather that it's just temporary. Apparently the boys have known about Brian's hearing issues for a while so I wouldn't be surprised if it was added as some kind of insurance policy in the tour contracts. The promoters, knowing Brian might not finish, were possibly hesitant to book them at all without it. That's pure speculation on my part but the situation does seem odd. Why add the additional dates in December? They could have left well enough alone. Something doesn't add up and now this "guest singer" thing being mentioned by the band is just so unlike them.

Additional dates in December? Huh?

[James Bond]

1 hour ago, Powerage5 said:

Additional dates in December? Huh?

I probably wasn't clear. I meant announcing the 2016 dates this past December after the initial legs were done. If the end result is Brian retiring mid-tour and a guest singer, then it's a wonder why they even extended the tour. Maybe that's why they held off on the arena dates for so long - trying to get it all figured out.

[Bumblefeet]

16 hours ago, James Bond said:

On a side note - holy shit, Slade is fucking 70 this year. How can he still drum so powerfully?

He is amazing. My only regret of not going to see AC/DC for this tour is not being able to experience Thunderstruck with Slade. I became a fan of AC/DC following their Live at Donington album and the first time I saw them live was with Rudd (Stiff Upper Lip tour), who's still ok but I like how Slade made Angus & the band work a tad harder. 

 

[Powerage5]

1 hour ago, Bumblefeet said:

He is amazing. My only regret of not going to see AC/DC for this tour is not being able to experience Thunderstruck with Slade. I became a fan of AC/DC following their Live at Donington album and the first time I saw them live was with Rudd (Stiff Upper Lip tour), who's still ok but I like how Slade made Angus & the band work a tad harder. 

 

I think for a lot of us Live and/or Donington was either our first experience with the band, or what made us really fall in love with the band. Everyone on here holds that era and Slade in particular in such high regard. 

[James Bond]

Riff Raff was actually rehearsed for the Razor's Edge tour. Imagine how monstrous it would have sounded on the Live/Donington releases.

But yeah, Slade is the man. I think the minority who complain that Slade played the songs too fast forget about the Blow Up Your Video tour. I swear Simon took speed before every show. Even the FTATR tour saw some tempo increases from Phil.

[ZoSoRose]

Donnington was my first live exposure to them as well. Awesome concert film

[Powerage5]

I never knew Riff Raff was rehearsed for TRE tour. That would've been fucking awesome with Slade pushing the tempos the way he did back then, it's a song that thrives on being up-tempo. 

[James Bond]

51 minutes ago, Powerage5 said:

I never knew Riff Raff was rehearsed for TRE tour. That would've been fucking awesome with Slade pushing the tempos the way he did back then, it's a song that thrives on being up-tempo. 

Slade's mentioned it in a few interviews I've seen with him. Talk about a missed opportunity! What a version that would have been, especially with the heavier guitar tones. 

[Silent Jay]

Riff Raff would have rocked same with Who Made Who with Phil Rudd. 

Still enjoyed the live version on If You Want Blood.

[Georgy Zhukov]

I was really hoping to get one more album out of them.  It is going to be hard to find a good singer. Bon was a fucking hard singer to replace so Brian is going to be even harder. 

On 3/9/2016 at 4:31 AM, Teroz said:

Geddy Lee is available... and so is Vince Neil.

 

Get out.

[James Bond]

3 hours ago, Silent Jay said:

Riff Raff would have rocked same with Who Made Who with Phil Rudd. 

Still enjoyed the live version on If You Want Blood.

Phil played Who Made Who - once. Opening night of the Ballbreaker tour before the song was dropped for good. He dumbs down the big fills a little bit but I like how much it swings with him in the verses. Great groove. Another notable change is he plays the chorus with the hi-hat since he was never one for the ride cymbal.

I'd post a YouTube link but I'm on mobile. It's fairly easy to find though. Check it out! Great song and it's a shame it got dropped permanently.

I find I listen to the version on Live the most since the production on the studio version is terrible.

[Silent Jay]

Yeah I already know that version I thought it was a rehearsal session. 

[DieselDaisy]

3 hours ago, Georgy Zhukov said:

I was really hoping to get one more album out of them.  It is going to be hard to find a good singer. Bon was a fucking hard singer to replace so Brian is going to be even harder. 

 

Get out.

It will just become some shitty nugnr-esque vaudeville, playing in front of people who know they are seeing a piss poor alternative to what they  really want to see but still smile and rawk along because they are mindless drones; eventually it will end up in a Vegas casino like all garbage wrinkly 'rawk' acts.

Do a little blues album Angus. Keith has just done one and it is five million times better than what the Stones do these days which is just trot the hits out basically.

PS

Brian can surely sing in a studio. You can just stick your jack into the board and not even hear a noise if you prefer! I even know this from arsing around with a tascam 4-track. DC could become an album band and enter a Beatles-67 phrase, of releasing masterpieces at a prodigious rate (despite giving up touring). That is a path? Welcome it!

Guest singers haha.

[Georgy Zhukov]

At least we have like 17 albums from them.

[Georgy Zhukov]

Even if some of the Brian albums are inconsistent they all have at least one or two memorable songs.

[James Bond]

I don't see why Brian can't keep going in a studio capacity. This is why a statement from him or Angus will be most welcome so we know more of what's going on. These guys can be as annoyingly silent as a certain other band...

[Georgy Zhukov]

Rock or Bust > Chinese Democracy.

[Iron MikeyJ]

if you can only have 1 AC/DC album for the rest of your life, which one you taking? Me? I gotta go with Highway to Hell. Shot down in flames, girls got a rhythm, night prowler, highway to Hell are all too good for me never have again. For me, it's like Back in Black but with Bon.