AC/DC’s Chris Slade Hasn’t Seen Band Members Since End of ‘Rock or Bust’ Touring
AC/DC have fans speculating about what their future may hold, as band members past and present have been spotted outside the Vancouver studio where they recorded their last three albums. The appearance of singer Brian Johnson, who had to leave mid-tour during the Rock or Bust promotion due to the threat of significant hearing loss, and drummer Phil Rudd, who missed the entire promotion of the album while answering to legal matters, has fans wondering if both have returned to the group. What does this mean for Axl Rose and Chris Slade, who stepped up to fill the void on the last run? That remains to be seen, but Slade did recently speak about AC/DC during an interview with United Rock Nations.
The drummer, as seen in the video above, was asked about the mood in the band, to which he responded, "It was very sad when Malcolm [Young] passed, of course — very, very sad. He was a genius, an absolute genius, and the combination of him and Angus was magic — it was a magic combination. Of course, the same with Cliff [Williams]. It's sad [he left], but I understand. He wants to go fishing all the time. His son is a fisherman, so he wants to enjoy time with his children and maybe grandchildren — who knows? [Laughs] He's been there 40 years. The thing is, you must remember there's been five years between every album and tour."
He continued, "The mood, it's absolutely fine. The last time time I saw the guys was at the end of the 'Rock or Bust' tour. Yeah, everybody was fine. Malcolm hadn't passed yet, and, of course, I'm sure it hit Angus very, very hard — as with all of us, actually. Just before him, brother George [Young] also died, so it was a very sad time. So I think the mood is probably appropriate for those things that have happened. As people say, time is a great healer. So you never forget them."
When asked about the band's future, Slade offered, "You'll have to wait and see. Along with everybody else — including myself."
Slade initially played with AC/DC between 1989 and 1994. He appeared on the Razor's Edge album, as well as their AC/DC Live set. Rudd, who was the band's drummer during their initial rise to fame, returned to the group in 1994 and remained through the recording of Rock or Bust. However, his arrest on charges of attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis in late 2014 left the band in need of a drummer. Slade returned and remained through the Rock or Bust cycle while Rudd served out a home detention sentence.
As for Rose, there had been speculation from sources close to the band that Angus Young was considering recording a new album with the Guns N' Roses vocalist. However, the "Not in This Lifetime" tour has continued to thrive and Rose has left the door open on the question of recording an album with the current GN'R lineup.
Guitarist Angus Young has yet to comment on AC/DC's future, leaving fans to speculate what has brought Johnson and Rudd to the Vancouver studio. As Slade stated, we'll all have to wait and see.
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