Def Leppard Vocalist Joe Elliott Gives Thoughts on AC/DC’s Touring with Axl Rose

Story by Charles Ken, photo by Anne Erickson

When AC/DC went on tour with Axl Rose filling in for singer Brian Johnson, plenty of fans and music industry peeps had their opinions about the powerhouse acts joining forces. When asked about the situation, in which Rose was called on to fill in for Johnson when Johnson wasn’t able to complete a North American leg of AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust” tour, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott says that while Rose “did a pretty good job” singing for AC/DC, he thinks the band could have dealt with Johnson’s exit from the group in a different way.

AC/DC postponed the final dates of their North American tour last year following doctors’ orders stating that Johnson might lose his hearing if he did not cease touring right away. AC/DC eventually finished the tour with Rose on vocals.

Speaking in a new interview with the “Life In The Stocks,” Elliott was asked for his opinion on how AC/DC handled Johnson’s hearing loss and and the group’s move to complete the North American trek with Rose.

“I wouldn’t have done it like that,” Elliott said in the interview. “I can’t speak for Angus (Young, AC/DC’s guitarist) and his team as to what their reasons were for doing what they did, but considering that we had a drummer lose and arm and we waited for him, the way that they dealt with it was not the way I would have done it, put it that way.”

Elliott only had good things to say about Rose’s performance on the tour, though. “I saw some stuff on YouTube, and I think he did a pretty good job, actually,” Elliott said. “(Rose) is a huge fan, so he took to that like I would take to singing a Mott (The Hopple) song.”

Publication date: January 10, 2018

Charles Ken
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