Main Menu
Classic Rock News And Views
Browse: Classic Rock Gear Classic Rock Ringtones Classic Rock Posters
September 28, 2009
AC/DC Tour Delayed Due To Singer’s Medical Troubles
It’s a story that is beginning to sound all too familiar. An aging rocker’s medical issues have put a stop to a tour by a big-named rock act – although this time it is expected to be a relatively short break, although some unlucky AC/DC fans are probably wondering when the show they have tickets to will actually happen.
Vocalist Brian Johnson, who at age 61, is still doing an admirable job of belting out the group’s signature hard rock catalog is set to be recovering from an unspecified medical procedure that will take the band off the road until October 16th, when they plan to resume to tour in Washington, D.C.
The unexpected break will result in the cancellation of six tour dates which include Phoenix, Las Vegas, Louisville, Kansas City, Des Moines and Milwaukee. Those dates will be rescheduled, but it’s too early to know exactly what the new dates will be.
Johnson has been quoted recently regarding the possibility of his retirement from AC/DC. Referring to himself as the “the old dog in the regiment,” Johnson is not sure he will be able to keep rocking with AC/DC for much longer.
The current tour, which has had the band on the road for nearly a year has got to be a pretty draining experience even for rockers who are much younger than Johnson. Although fans see him on stage holding his own with the group, it’s likely that he devotes a lot of time to keeping himself fit and capable of delivering the kind of performance AC/DC fans expect.
Fans holding tickets for the Washington, D.C. show are likely keeping their fingers crossed while hoping that Johnson recovers in time to resume on schedule, but as we all know, the healing process does not always respect the schedule.
July 31, 2009
AC/DC’s Brian Johnson Considers Retirement
“I try to keep myself fit, and I love it being in this band…but the other lads are in their early fifties. I’m the old dog in the regiment. I don’t want for people to see me on stage and say, ‘Oh, poor old f**er, the band’s carrying him!’”
Those are the kinds of things that worry aging rockers. At least in the case of Brian Johnson, who has been fronting AC/DC for around three decades. At 61, Johnson is thinking that the Black Ice tour may be his last. There are others in the band that don’t seem willing to give up their long-time vocalist just yet, however.
Guitarist Malcolm Young responded to the news of Johnson’s possible retirement by saying: “What are you talkin’ about? We’re not gonna let you retire!” That’s surely a nice vote of confidence for Johnson, but it sounds as if Johnson just wants to go out on a high note, so to speak.
Being an aging rocker can present problems that seem a thousand years in the future when you’re a twenty-something rock sensation, but there’s no stopping the aging process, and the changes it imposes on all of us. Recent health problems that have plagued Aerosmith are a stark reminder of that fact.
After 30 years of singing AC/DC songs, it’s hard to fault the guy for wanting to hang it up. Perhaps he just wants to go home and relax and enjoy the rest of his life without the physical and emotional demands that go hand-in-hand with being the vocalist for a hard-rocking group like AC/DC. That’s got to be a pretty demanding job even for a young guy!
Although this is a development that may disappoint AC/DC fans, it seems there may still be a chance to see Johnson perform with the group again before he hangs up his microphone. He has agreed to remain at his post until the Black Ice tour is complete, and there is talk that it might be 2011 before that happens.
Johnson was recently interviewed by Classic Rock Magazine.
July 30, 2009
‘Sputnik’ Does Not Mean ‘Urinal’ In Russian
That’s something AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson was not aware of during a 1991 visit to Moscow. It was a time of transformation in a nation that was once considered an enemy of the United States, and was even referred to as an “evil empire” by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 as the decades-long cold war between the two superpowers continued.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin had just emerged victorious following an attempted coup staged by some of the old school Communists and had promised his young supporters a rock concert to show his appreciation for their support. When asked by Yeltsin what his young supporters wanted, they responded by telling him that they wanted rock and 
roll – specifically AC/DC.
Being the accommodating blokes that they obviously are, AC/DC performed to an audience of about a million fans in the Russian capitol. Unfortunately, the event did not end on an up note due to an incident that was born of an innocent need to answer a call from nature.
As Johnson puts it: “It was getting dark then and I was bursting for a pee. I went outside and there was this concrete plinth and I’m standing there going (urinating). And there were these two guards who were really upset. Then the translator came out (to explain) – I had just pissed on a Sputnik! It was just this black ball, I didn’t realize what it was.”
Sputnik, of course, is a legend in the world of space exploration. “Sputnik-1” was the very first artificial satellite launched into orbit by the Soviet Union in 1957. A startling and worrisome development for the United States at the time, the event marked the beginnings of the Space Race, a competition culminated by the NASA moon landing in 1969.
Although it’s not entirely clear which satellite Johnson defiled, it most certainly was not the legendary “Sputnik-1,” which burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere during re-entry on January 4th, 1958. Perhaps it was just a replica that Johnson chose as his target that evening, but I suspect his mistake still may have been responsible for damaging Russian-AC/DC relations at the time.
Contact Music has more on this historic event.
February 7, 2009
AC/DC’s Brian Johnson In New Interview
As Aussie hard rockers AC/DC prepare to rock their way through the European leg of their Black Ice tour, vocalist Brian Johnson sat down with António Freitas, the host of the Portuguese radio show Alta Tensao for an extensive interview.
The interview covered a lot of ground, including talk of AC/DC’s beginnings and how Angus Young’s habit of running out of his house to rehearse after school while still wearing his school uniform turned into a gimmick that the energetic guitarist has stuck with through the band’s history.
Johnson takes a few shots at the critics who talk about AC/DC as the same old thing and goes on to talk about how, as a group, they have always made a conscience decision to stay clear of issues like politics and religion, and just focuses on the music and stays true to their fans.
Johnson’s comments regarding his own feelings about fame portray a guy that’s not particularly comfortable with the idea of being endowed with celebrity status. Johnson’s comments lead one to believe that this is a group that is happy to think of themselves as regular guys.
Speaking of being endowed, there is a rather funny story Johnson relates about a particular technique that was employed by drummer Phil Rudd for the purpose of “inspiration.”
This is an interview that every serious AC/DC fan should check out. Johnson comes across as a guy who does not hold back much, and is comfortable speaking his mind.
The interview runs about 20 minutes and the audio is English, since presumably, Johnson does not speak Portuguese, but there are Portuguese subtitles.
Blabbermouth broke news of the interview on this side of the Atlantic, and it can be seen at the António Freitas website.
October 31, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For October 31, 2008
Halloween Song From Bruce Springsteen Available Online
Embracing the spirit of Halloween, and applying his songwriting talent for the benefit of his fans on this spookiest day of the year, Bruce Springsteen has written a Halloween song that has been posted on his website for visitors to download.
Being a Jersey boy, Springsteen grew up hearing the legend of the “Jersey Devil,” which inspired him to entitle this new track “A Night With The Jersey Devil.” There’s also a video available on the site which features Springsteen hamming it up a bit for the occasion.
Springsteen recently announced that he and his wife have decided to cancel their annual display of Halloween decorations at their Rumson, NJ home this year due to safety concerns for the large crowd that typically shows up to check it out. Maybe they will decide to decorate big for Christmas this year. Check out Bruce Springsteen’s website to access the Halloween song and video.
AC/DC ‘overwhelmed’ by CD’s success
It appears that the phenomenal success of their latest album, Black Ice, has taken the Australian hard rockers by surprise. Frontman Brian Johnson was quoted as saying, “It’s overwhelming, and quite hard to take in.” He then added, “Even an old dog like me has a few more surprises in life, I guess.”
Black Ice is the number two debut album of the year, just behind Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III. With over 780,000 copies sold in the U.S. so far, and two months left to the year, I think Black Ice may have a shot at matching Lil Wayne’s 1 million copies or perhaps even beating that number. Full Story.
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry Supporting McCain for President
Since we have heard so much lately about certain well-known classic rockers getting upset by the McCain campaign’s use of their music during events and for TV commercials, I thought we’d offer up a little pro-McCain news to help balance things out a bit.
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry says he and his band mates typically steer clear of the political scene, but this time he decided to speak up after he learned that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had endorsed McCain.
“I’ve been a hardcore Republican my whole life. My mother and father drilled into me from the very start that if you work hard and be positive, you’ll get what you’re working for. I guess I’m living proof of that,” Perry said. Full Story.
