AC/DC’s Angus Young Tells Howard Stern He ‘Fell Out of Bed’ When He Heard About Phil Rudd
AC/DC's Angus Young and Brian Johnson stopped by 'The Howard Stern Show' today to talk about music generally, their new album specifically and their troubled drummer, Phil Rudd, who was arrested a couple weeks ago for threatening to kill someone.
Not so surprisingly -- or maybe it is a bit surprising, considering the severity of the charges -- things quickly turned into a laughing matter, as Young referred to Rudd as "Tony Montana, Scarface." "Rock drummers come with a safety belt and a straitjacket," he said.
You can listen to the clip below, and listen to much more right here.
At one point, Stern asked Young and Johnson if they're close with Rudd and if the news came as a shock. After several guffaws from everyone in the room, Young admitted that he "fell out of bed" when he heard the news of Rudd's arrest for hiring a hitman (which was later dropped) and various drug possessions (which he will face in court next week). "My wife woke me up and said, 'Hey, hey, Phil's been up to no good.'"
After Stern said he's not sure if he'd want to work with someone who was accused of hiring a hitman, Johnson replied, "You've got to be careful of speculation." Which led to Stern asking the question everyone wants to know these days: Is he still in the band?
"Well, we gotta resolve that," said Young, admitting that, while Rudd plays on the band's new album, "he was pretty hard to get in there. He was shaky." "I don't think we have to fire him," Johnson added. "I think the situation will take care of itself." Cue more guffaws from Stern and sidekick Robin Quivers.
The group also discussed rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young's recent departure from the band following a diagnosis of dementia, and their new album, 'Rock or Bust,' which comes out on Dec. 2.
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