Axl Rose played his first gig fronting AC/DC in Lisbon, Portugal, Saturday night. And, based on several online reviews, he did a great job!
The Guns N’ Roses singer was chosen to front the iconic Australian rock band after its longtime lead singer Brian Johnson was told to stop touring by doctors because he was experiencing severe issues with his hearing and could “risk total hearing loss,” which prompted the band to postpone a string of U.S. tour dates. Rose was first spotted with AC/DC leaving the group’s Atlanta-area rehearsal studio March 25.
So, how did he wind up with the gig? Rose said he wanted to take on the job because he’s “always loved AC/DC.”
“The day I read about it in the news, that there was a situation going on with Brian’s hearing, I called a guy who is their production manager right now,” recalled Rose in a rare interview with the other members of AC/DC for the BBC. “I said... if I could help, and if I was able to do it, and they are interested, I’d love to help. That’s really how it started.”
The Rock or Bust World Tour featuring Axl Rose kicked off May 7 with the legendary singer performing 22 AC/DC hits, including two tracks the band had not played live in numerous years: “Rock ‘N’ Roll Damnation” and “Riff Raff.”
“Rose fit right in - and nobody in Lisbon minded even for a moment that what they were witnessing was considered an atrocity to die-hard fans of the band,” Billboard said in its review of the concert. “All that mattered was that the rock was not compromised to untrained ears.”
The Guardian’s positive review concluded with: “Carry on like this, and those wondering whether AC/DC are still worth going to see this summer should have no worries: they, too, will be having fun.”
Still recovering from surgery on his left foot, Rose was forced to perform the entire show while sitting on a special “throne” (as he did during Guns N’ Roses’ April gigs) he borrowed from Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters. However, he did scale down its more “grandiose and crazy” features for this jaunt. Based on YouTube videos of the performance, though, Rose looked like he could not wait to get up and jump around the stage while singing. The only thing he could do to show his enthusiasm was tap his right foot vigorously.
Rose is the third man to serve as vocalist for AC/DC. Bon Scott was the act’s original singer, but he died in 1980 of acute alcohol poisoning. Johnson was then tapped as his replacement.
AC/DC are slated to perform throughout Europe until June 12. Then, Rose will join his own band, Guns N’ Roses, on the North American Not In This Lifetime tour, which has him reuniting with original members Slash and Duff McKagan for the first time since the mid-’90s. He will most likely get back with AC/DC in the late summer/early fall to make up the band’s postponed U.S. dates. As for his future with AC/DC, Rose said: “I’m in if they want me in.”
Watch Rose and AC/DC perform “Rock or Bust” and “Hells Bells” below:
