24 Chaotic Moments From AC/DC’s ‘Rock or Bust’ Tour
AC/DC's latest album couldn't have been more appropriately named, as the above gallery of chaotic moments from the 'Rock or Bust' Tour shows.
The struggles have been many, as legal and health issues dogged AC/DC through recording sessions and on stage. When it was over, a once-stable lineup had shifted and then shifted again – and then shifted again.
Rock or Bust shot into the Top 5 in both America and the U.K., but not before co-founding member Malcolm Young had been lost to a dementia diagnosis. His nephew Stevie Young stepped in on rhythm guitar. Drummer Phil Rudd took part in the album, but then was replaced by predecessor Chris Slade for the tour when he became embroiled in a criminal matter back home in New Zealand.
AC/DC made well-received appearances at the Grammys and at Coachella, as things seemed to finally get back on track. But then disaster struck for frontman Brian Johnson, who was told he had to leave the road immediately or risk complete hearing loss. Facing their third successive member change, AC/DC looked outside the family: Axl Rose, though he had just announced a partial reunion with the classic-era lineup of Guns N' Roses, subbed for Johnson through a series of summer European dates.
Even then, however, the drama wasn't over. Bassist Cliff Williams, who had made his AC/DC debut with 1978's Powerage, has announced that he plans to retire after their last scheduled 'Rock or Bust' show. That would leave co-founder Angus Young to lead a group that's been utterly transformed around him.
Still, they soldier on – choosing to rock, rather than to go bust. Young and company reconvene with Rose this weekend, as AC/DC returns for 10 more shows in North America. What next after that? Angus Young admits that he doesn't know. What's certain is that fans won't soon forget this collection of chaotic moments from AC/DC's 'Rock or Bust' Tour.
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