Brian Johnson "just couldn't watch" videos of AXL/DC

[Blackstar]

Brian Johnson says he felt “despair” after being forced to leave AC/DC during their 2016 tour because of hearing issues.

He couldn’t even bring himself to watch replacement performances by Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, Johnson confirms in his upcoming memoir The Lives of Brian. In fact, Johnson admits he “wouldn’t have minded” if he died during one of his own motor races.

[...]

“I called Tim, the tour manager, on my mobile right there in the room to tell him that I just couldn’t continue,” Johnson writes. “It was one of the most difficult conversations of my life – the pain of it made worse over the weeks that followed when the tour simply went on without me. It was a sheer cliff. I didn’t tumble down, I was in free fall.”

For Johnson, “part of the pain of it was that I blamed myself. For most of my career, I’d been in the loudest band in the world. I’d flown constantly. I’d flown even when I knew I wasn’t well,” he added. “For a while, people would ask me if I was depressed, but depression is treatable. My hearing loss wasn’t. What I was feeling wasn’t depression. It was something closer to despair.”

Rose stepped in for the rest of AC/DC’s Rock or Bust world tour. “I’m told that he did a great job,” Johnson says, “but I just couldn’t watch – especially when you’ve been doing it for 35 years. It’s like finding a stranger in your house, sitting in your favorite chair. But I bear no grudges. It was a tough situation. [AC/DC co-founder] Angus [Young] and the lads did what they felt they had to do. That said, after the band released a statement confirming that I was leaving the tour and wishing me all the best for the future, I couldn’t relax or concentrate on anything. It was just always there.”

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/brian-johnson-leaving-acdc-tour/

[CAFC Nick]

Hard not to feel for the guy but from an incredibly selfish perspective, I’m eternally grateful that for a short spell of time we got to Axl firing on all cylinders. Axl/DC was the greatest live show I’ve ever seen.

[Karice]

1 hour ago, Blackstar said:

Brian Johnson says he felt “despair” after being forced to leave AC/DC during their 2016 tour because of hearing issues.

He couldn’t even bring himself to watch replacement performances by Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, Johnson confirms in his upcoming memoir The Lives of Brian. In fact, Johnson admits he “wouldn’t have minded” if he died during one of his own motor races.

[...]

“I called Tim, the tour manager, on my mobile right there in the room to tell him that I just couldn’t continue,” Johnson writes. “It was one of the most difficult conversations of my life – the pain of it made worse over the weeks that followed when the tour simply went on without me. It was a sheer cliff. I didn’t tumble down, I was in free fall.”

For Johnson, “part of the pain of it was that I blamed myself. For most of my career, I’d been in the loudest band in the world. I’d flown constantly. I’d flown even when I knew I wasn’t well,” he added. “For a while, people would ask me if I was depressed, but depression is treatable. My hearing loss wasn’t. What I was feeling wasn’t depression. It was something closer to despair.”

Rose stepped in for the rest of AC/DC’s Rock or Bust world tour. “I’m told that he did a great job,” Johnson says, “but I just couldn’t watch – especially when you’ve been doing it for 35 years. It’s like finding a stranger in your house, sitting in your favorite chair. But I bear no grudges. It was a tough situation. [AC/DC co-founder] Angus [Young] and the lads did what they felt they had to do. That said, after the band released a statement confirming that I was leaving the tour and wishing me all the best for the future, I couldn’t relax or concentrate on anything. It was just always there.”

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/brian-johnson-leaving-acdc-tour/

I find that kind of rude of Brian to say. Axl saved his ass by covering for him and THIS is what Brian says about it? He should have been kissing Axl's ass and singing his praises for saving AC/DC's ass. This is insulting to Axl.. 🤬 Doesn't even seem to thank Axl for saving AC/DC's ass! 🤬

[Blackstar]

5 minutes ago, Karice said:

I find that kind of rude of Brian to say. Axl saved his ass by covering for him and THIS is what Brian says about it? He should have been kissing Axl's ass and singing his praises for saving AC/DC's ass. This is insulting to Axl.. 🤬 Doesn't even seem to thank Axl for saving AC/DC's ass! 🤬

Axl would have probably felt the same if he had been in Brian's shoes. It's human.

[Karice]

4 minutes ago, Blackstar said:

Axl would have probably felt the same if he had been in Brian's shoes. It's human.

Brian still could have been a lot nicer about it saying something like,"I thank Axl for stepping in for me as lead for AC/DC when I couldn't be lead due to my health issues, he really did help us out when we were in a very tight bind,  but it still felt weird."

Edited October 23, 2022 by Karice

[James Bond]

21 minutes ago, Karice said:

Brian still could have been a lot nicer about it saying something like,"I thank Axl for stepping in for me as lead for AC/DC when I couldn't be lead due to my health issues, he really did help us out when we were in a very tight bind,  but it still felt weird."

Why would he need to say anything direct about Axl? It's his memoir and he's just describing how it felt to have to leave the band. He was, understandably, pretty down about it. It wouldn't have mattered who filled in. How is that rude? He doesn't need to lick Axl's ass - there's enough people over on a certain other forum to do that.

Brian's the real deal.

[invisible_rose]

40 minutes ago, Karice said:

I find that kind of rude of Brian to say. Axl saved his ass by covering for him and THIS is what Brian says about it? He should have been kissing Axl's ass and singing his praises for saving AC/DC's ass. This is insulting to Axl.. 🤬 Doesn't even seem to thank Axl for saving AC/DC's ass! 🤬

Axl saved Angus' ass, not Brian's. I know you're a huge Axl fan, but saying Axl saved Brian is incredibly bias and non-sensical. Brian said Axl did a great job, but it's like congratulating your mate hooking up with your ex wife. You might wish them the best but you don't say "awww mate, thanks for keeping her warm at night", do you?

[Georgina Arriaga]

44 minutes ago, CAFC Nick said:

Hard not to feel for the guy but from an incredibly selfish perspective, I’m eternally grateful that for a short spell of time we got to Axl firing on all cylinders. Axl/DC was the greatest live show I’ve ever seen.

Agreed with this. And I understand Brian totally. 

[D..]

Perspective.

The audience is the winner on this one. We got to hear Axl tackle the AC/DC catalogue and he was amazing at it, and Brian performed with Muse, and he was amazing.

[adamsapple]

1 hour ago, Karice said:

I find that kind of rude of Brian to say. Axl saved his ass by covering for him and THIS is what Brian says about it? He should have been kissing Axl's ass and singing his praises for saving AC/DC's ass. This is insulting to Axl.. 🤬 Doesn't even seem to thank Axl for saving AC/DC's ass! 🤬

Brian didn't say a single bad word about Axl. His reaction to the whole situation and the circumstances, his thoughts and emotions are totally understandable and relatable.

 

[El Guapo]

17 minutes ago, adamsapple said:

Brian didn't say a single bad word about Axl. His reaction to the whole situation and the circumstances, his thoughts and emotions are totally understandable and relatable.

 

This. I'm sure Axl has zero problems with Brian's words here and can relate.

[Guest]

I'm at a loss to understand how anyone can read what he wrote and think there is anything wrong with it at all. like El Guapo has said i'm sure axl can relate on some level. The despair he felt sounds more like anxiety than depression.

[axlvai]

Always  good to hear some real feel answers. We got so much polite shit that some ppl get offended with some real stuff wtf.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, axlvai said:

Always  good to hear some real feel answers. We got so much polite shit that some ppl get offended with some real stuff wtf.

That's the world today sadly man

[Ratam]

I isn't see nothing bad in the Brian answer.

[darkside259]

i really think AXL/DC is the ebst thing could happend to an Axl rose fan who always fantasied about how would sound axl on ac/dc songs, but i undesrstand brian s pain, also feel angus is a cold motgherfucker who doesn t hesitate to do what he need to do to keep the ac/dc machine on n on , and maybe brian need to remember the hell bells lyrics 

[Lies They Tell]

43 minutes ago, darkside259 said:

also feel angus is a cold motgherfucker who doesn t hesitate to do what he need to do to keep the ac/dc machine on n on

I really think that a big reason why they didn't cancel the tour was because the tour was literally called the Rock or Bust tour. You just can't call your tour that and then bust.  

[grouse]

To me Axl actually surprised me with the ac/dc concerts, Showed to me that he still had some serious pipes in him when motivated enough. Would love to see some some of that energy being put to good use as far as guns are concerned. The man is free to expres himself as he pleases but damn when goes all in he goes all in. I simply have got to respect that and this is coming from someone who is not the biggest Axl fan, just have to give credit whenever it's due. 

[El Guapo]

Nothing cold hearted about Angus keeping the machine rolling. He's on a mission. Plus, a lot of money and jobs (crew, etc.) would have been lost. 

[WhazUp]

I totally get what Brian is saying, I bet watching videos of his fill-in would take him right back to the frustration of wanting to be out there performing but being unable to as well as what I bet was a ton of stress not knowing if his hearing will come out of it okay

 

[Draguns]

9 hours ago, Karice said:

I find that kind of rude of Brian to say. Axl saved his ass by covering for him and THIS is what Brian says about it? He should have been kissing Axl's ass and singing his praises for saving AC/DC's ass. This is insulting to Axl.. 🤬 Doesn't even seem to thank Axl for saving AC/DC's ass! 🤬

There was nothing insulting regarding Brian's comment about Axl. You have to put yourself in Brian's shoes. The man had a health issue that was affecting his livelihood and something that he enjoys doing. It's not easy to give something up when you have been doing it for a long time.  It's only natural for Brian to feel the way he did. There needs to be empathy regarding Brian's situation and how he felt at the time. 

[Sosso]

22 minutes ago, El Guapo said:

Nothing cold hearted about Angus keeping the machine rolling. He's on a mission. Plus, a lot of money and jobs (crew, etc.) would have been lost. 

Exactly. Angus kept the gig going on without Malcolm and he was the heart and soul of that band. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Sosso

[Tom2112]

9 hours ago, Karice said:

I find that kind of rude of Brian to say. Axl saved his ass by covering for him and THIS is what Brian says about it? He should have been kissing Axl's ass and singing his praises for saving AC/DC's ass. This is insulting to Axl.. 🤬 Doesn't even seem to thank Axl for saving AC/DC's ass! 🤬

That's one take on it. But I think he did say he heard it was good, and that Axl had helped them out of a tight spot... he was more talking about how he felt really low during that period. I think you missed the point a bit. He was hurt being left to the side by a group he'd fronted for 40yrs and then to be hearing reports about Axl being great, it must have been incredibly difficult, especially when he's going through hearing difficulties and losing his band.

[Tom2112]

38 minutes ago, El Guapo said:

Nothing cold hearted about Angus keeping the machine rolling. He's on a mission. Plus, a lot of money and jobs (crew, etc.) would have been lost. 

I think the only thing you could say that was a bit cold was the "best of luck to Brian" statement and then hearing that Brians stuff was chucked at his house. 

Personally I would have liked if AC/DC had made a joint statement with Brian and Brian had said "I want the guys to finish off what we started, and I hope to be back someday" or something to that extent. It just came off as blunt, and some of the roll back on Axl and AC/DC was the result of that. It sounded like they had pulled the rug from under Brian. 

Finishing out the tour was good for the band on many levels and I think now, most people agree it was the right move.

[El Guapo]

1 hour ago, Tom2112 said:

I think the only thing you could say that was a bit cold was the "best of luck to Brian" statement and then hearing that Brians stuff was chucked at his house. 

Personally I would have liked if AC/DC had made a joint statement with Brian and Brian had said "I want the guys to finish off what we started, and I hope to be back someday" or something to that extent. It just came off as blunt, and some of the roll back on Axl and AC/DC was the result of that. It sounded like they had pulled the rug from under Brian. 

Finishing out the tour was good for the band on many levels and I think now, most people agree it was the right move.

You're right, it could have been handled better, more like a team, with more respect to Brian from Angus/ AC/DC's side.