AC/DC to split?

[Nitro Express]

Glad I saw them open for Cheap Trick at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, KS in 1979, where I took this photo.

It looks like they are playing in a school rec hall or something. Cheap Trick and Bon era AC/DC in a cozy setting. You were a lucky son of bitch.

[Angel]

Rumour has it ??

Yeah...I haven't checked to confirm but that's what I heard someone say...you don't know what a fucking rumour is?

[binnie]

It's fucking classless of people close(ish) to the band to release news of Malcolm's health to the world via twitter.

There really are some cunts in the world.

[ELVIS]

you don't know what a fucking rumour is?

Yeah, something you shouldn't be paying attention to...

[FORD]

...at least until Alex Jones starts a rumor that Obama did something to Malcolm.

[lesfunk]

Well, they certainly don't owe the fans anything. AC/DC has been one of the most fan friendly rock bands in history. I haven't paid much attention to them in many years but they are one of the greats and if they wanna retire, all the best to them.

[VetteLS5]

Back in February there was some banter on That Metal Show about AC/DC and a new tour, and Trunk said that there had been some talk that one of the members might have to sit out the tour due to health issues. I assume it was the drummer, since he's been in and out a couple of times and I think he had cancer diagnosed a couple years ago.

Saw them for Back in Black, For Those About to Rock, and Black Ice tours. They never disappoint.

[Sensible Shoes]

Rumour has it ??

That would be a great name for a song.

[Seshmeister]

http://theorstrahyun.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/rip-acdc-1973-2014.html

RIP AC/DC: 1973 - 2014




Brothers Malcolm Young, George Young and Angus Young, 2012 (photo from Facebook)
By Darryl Mason


AC/DC are ending their 41 year career on a terribly sad note.

Plans were underway for a new studio album, their first since 2008's monumental Black Ice, and a '40th Anniversary' world tour, 40 huge shows across the globe.

More than a month ago, founding member, rhythm guitarist, co-producer and co-songwriter Malcolm Young had a stroke, which left a blood clot on his brain.

When AC/DC reunited at the start of April to begin a month of rehearsals, in the lead-up to new album recording sessions, Malcolm discovered he couldn't play. At least, he couldn't play like he used to play.

Nothing has been officially confirmed, as of this writing, but friends and family members have been discussing what happened to Malcolm for the past couple of weeks. The blood clot, resulting from the stroke, is believed to be why Malcolm couldn't keep working.

Although friends have described Malcolm's condition as serious, it doesn't mean he won't recover. People do get better after strokes, and people do recover lost skills.

But friends and family of band members believe the decision was made last week to call it quits.

Media in Australia have gone ballistic today on rumours of The End Of AC/DC, and it appears the news got out ahead of a planned official announcement from the band and management.

Right now, that announcement is expected Wednesday, April 16, and a press conference has been scheduled.

AC/DC won't continue playing and recording without Malcolm. It can't be done.

While Angus Young is the more famous, and more recognisable, AC/DC is most definitely Malcolm Young's band, he started AC/DC, under the guidance of big brother George Young (ex-Easybeats, and co-producer) and encouraged his younger brother Angus to join him, and take on the world.

Malcolm Young has been the quiet motivator and boss of the band for four decades, co-writing nearly all of AC/DC's classics, and making sure nothing happened to harm or damage the band's reputation, or disappoint the fans who've stuck by them for decades.

His passion for the band and its music, and integrity, were so intense, back in the 1970s he used to have fistfights with his younger brother, Angus, in the studio, when disagreements about a sound or riff couldn't be resolved. Proper punch-ups, teeth were lost, blood was drawn.

So that's it. AC/DC are coming to an end.

But what a career. AC/DC set out to conquer the world, and they did it, multiple times. Even the death of singer Bon Scott barely slowed them down, and only slightly delayed recording sessions for Back In Black.

Back In Black is still one of the biggest-selling albums in rock history, and AC/DC have easily sold more than 180 million albums, and probably half as many singles and DVDs and videos and special edition packages. They've influenced pretty much every hard rock, heavy rock and heavy metal band that has followed in their wake, including Nirvana, Metallica, you name them, they probably grew up loving AC/DC. And AC/DC are still in the record books for one of the biggest live audiences in rock history, playing to more than 1.6 million people in Moscow, in 1991. They were invited to play by the youth of Russia, who grew up on AC/DC bootlegs, after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The band have been written off by critics, numerous times, but they stuck to their guns and beliefs and never compromised their sound. They were rarely, almost never, tempted by the musical fads that came and went over the decades. They dabbled in glam rock at the start of their career, but that barely lasted through the recording sessions of their debut album. Their fans wanted rock n roll, heavy rock, they could rely on, and that's what AC/DC delivered, across more than 14 albums, and numerous live-in-concert releases.

Malcolm Young never gave up on his belief that 1950s and 1960s rock n roll was rarely bettered, and he used the riffs and rhythms of black blues players as the basis for AC/DC's sound. He's also cited The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards as a key influence, and talks about that influence in the below interview.

The secret to Malcolm's playing, as Guitar Magazine explained, was open chords with the amps turned down, not up, and mics shoved right up close to capture all the details. He didn't churn out huge rock riffs through blasting amplifiers, his playing, and magic, is much more subtle than that, despite the rawness of the early studio albums.

I still reckon AC/DC's 2008 album Black Ice was amongst the best they made, right up their with Back In Back and Highway To Hell (their last album with Bon Scott), it's absolutely killer, and filled with excellent playing, classic AC/DC songs about rock n roll and some of Brian Johnson's better vocal performances. It's also pretty much a live-in-the-studio album, with minimal overdubs, just like they did it back in the Alberts Studio days in the mid-1970s.

Malcolm's work on Black Ice, in particular, is superb, not just the detail of his playing, but also his songwriting with brother Angus. They worked on the writing of the Black Ice songs for five years, and gave themselves the time to get it right. They nailed every single one, and Black Ice became the 2nd highest selling album of 2008.

Rock N Roll Dream, from Black Ice, is everything AC/DC was about. They wanted the rock n' roll dream, they got it, then they lived it.

"And it could be the very last time..."

Malcolm Young and his family have now returned to Australia. Everyone is hoping he makes a recovery, but close friends are saying the situation is not looking good, right now. Things may change. We can hope they change, and Malcolm recovers.

[sonrisa salvaje]

Wow. I am stunned. If this comes to fruition we have seen the end of an era. True global legends.

[vandeleur]

This is all a bit of a headfuck

[Von Halen]

Here are a couple of pics of Cheap Trick from the same show. July 6th, 1979.

[Von Halen]

Zander

[Von Halen]

Here's a better shot of Malcolm. I sure hope he makes a full recovery.

[DLR Bridge]

AC/DC Not on Cusp of Retirement: Sources



By Gary Graff | April 15, 2014 1:10 PM EDT
Angus Young of AC/DC


Rumors of AC/DC's imminent demise appear to be exaggerated.

Reports surfaced Monday in the group's native Australia that the quintet was on the verge of announcing its retirement due to one band member's (presumably guitarist Malcolm Young's) serious illness. But insiders tell Billboard that there's no truth to the rumor, though the group's management and Columbia Records, its current label, have chosen not to comment on the matter.

Australia's Noise11.com adds that the source of the retirement rumor was an email sent to Perth radio station 6PR from an anonymous tipster using the handle Thunderstruck. The station subsequently spread the word, setting off a flurry of reports first throughout Australia and then worldwide.

EARLIER: AC/DC 'Retirement' Rumors Rumble On Down Under

This is hardly the first time AC/DC has been rumored to be on the verge of calling it quits. Frontman Brian Johnson set off a furor in 2011 when he spoke of retirement, though he subsequently claimed to have been quoted out of context.

In fact, he told Billboard at the time that, "A journalist asked me once, 'What do you think about retirement, Brian, seeing as you're getting older?' I said something honest and quite naive; I said, 'Well, I'll retire when I can't do it anymore and as soon as I feel I can't do it anymore, then I'll retire.' Next thing I now there's a headline, 'Brian Johnson's gonna retire' and I'm like, 'Y'know, what a piece of shit that guy is.' And it came out all wrong so you got to be careful what you say. Retirement is like anything... There's a time when you have to call it quits. I don't want to do it, and if we can get out and (do) the album and do another short little tour or something, have a bit of fun, I'm your man. I'll be right there."

In fact, the retirement speculation ran counter to yet another report that will likely please fans more. According to The Australian, AC/DC has booked six weeks of studio time in Vancouver, to work on a follow-up to 2008's chart-topping, double-platinum "Black Ice, which was recorded there with producer Brendan O'Brien. Nobody in the band's camp is commenting on that, either, but earlier this year Johnson predicted that AC/DC would indeed be working on a new album as well as playing a 40-date tour to commemorate the group's 40th anniversary.

Questions? Comments? Let us know: @billboard





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