Earlier this year, when rumors of AC/DC‘s comeback started circulating, one question came to a lot of fans’ lips: what about Axl? The Guns N’ Roses singer had subbed in as the frontman of AC/DC on their Rock or Bust tour after vocalist Brian Johnson was forced to leave the band due to issues with hearing loss. But a new interview shows that while Axl leant AC/DC a much-needed hand at the time, recording another album with him wasn’t on their radar.
As reported by Ultimate Classic Rock, in a new interview with Total Guitar, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young was asked about writing the band’s new album Power Up with Axl behind the mic. But according to Angus, “that never really came up. Axl was really very generous, and he helped us out to get through our touring side at a difficult spot. He had contacted us and said he could help if it didn’t interfere with his own commitments of what he was going.
“He wanted to come in and try songs that he himself liked, and he was suggesting songs I hadn’t played in a long time,” continued Young. “I’m definitely grateful that he volunteered, and that had helped us finish off our commitment. But he has his own life.”
AC/DC’s new album Power Up drops November 13th.
According to a new interview with Atlanta’s Rock 100.5, Brian Johnson things that it’s amazing we’re getting a new AC/DC album at all — but that once the band were in the room together again, it was obvious that this one was going to be good.
“It’s something probably nobody thought would happen,” said Johnson. “It was about 2018, and Angus was contacted by the record company, who said, ‘Do you fancy doing an album?’ And Angus said, ‘Well, let’s ask the boys.’ So he asked me and Cliff and Phil. And Stevie was there, obviously. And I think we all said ‘yes’ immediately; we just said, ‘This would be great.’ And, of course, we went off to Vancouver in about August. As soon as we walked in, there was this electricity, this bond that had been built up over 38 years since I joined. And, of course, when the boys plugged in, or powered up, if you’ll excuse the pun, and they started playing, that was it. It was a great time.”
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Words by Chris Krovatin
