Brian Johnson has said he has “been told not to” talk about AC/DC’s future plans by his bandmates in a new interview.
The frontman hasn’t performed live with the band since 2016 when he was forced to leave their ‘Rock Or Bust’ tour due to hearing problems. Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose filled in for him for the rest of the tour.
- READ MORE: AC/DC – ‘Power Up’ review: Australian rock icons stick to their guns on rollicking 17th album
Speaking to Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation recently, Johnson revealed that he had been forbidden from speaking about what might happen in the future. Asked if he would perform with AC/DC again, he replied: “I’m not answering that. Why should I? First of all, there’s five members in this band, and to ask one member isn’t fair.”
Trunk then asked if he personally would like to be back on stage with AC/DC, to which he responded: “Eddie, I cannot answer that. I’ve been told not to by everybody. It’s the official line.”
Later in the conversation, the host asked if Johnson would like to make another album with the band. “It’s getting tabloidy here,” he said. “You’re getting tabloidy.
“If I say one thing, it’ll be blown out of all proportion. You just can’t afford to talk now. There’s too much blabber on the Internet. And I’m not on any kind of Face-thing or social media at all — never have been. It’s just gossip.”
In 2020, AC/DC released their 17th studio album ‘Power Up’ – their first since 2014’s ‘Rock Or Bust’. In a four-star review, NME wrote: “While far from a reinvention of the wheel, ‘Power Up’ is a joyous celebration of the unbridled heavy rock that has served them well for almost 50 years and, we can hope, a unifying cry for the future.”
Elsewhere in the Trunk Nation interview, Johnson also explained Justin Hawkins’ “awkward” mic grab during a joint performance at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London.
The Darkness’ frontman joined Johnson and Metallica’s Lars Ulrich on stage at Wembley Stadium to perform AC/DC’s classic single ‘Back In Black’. During the performance, Hawkins was seen taking the mic from Johnson before swapping lines with the singer, prompting some viewers to accuse him of “stealing the mic” from the AC/DC star.
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