It was not something anyone expected to happen. Axl Rose joining AC/DC was the sort of idea dreamt up at 3am in the morning. But that is exactly what happened, in front of a stadium-sized crowd in Lisbon, Portugal, when AC/DC resumed the tour that had been thrown into uncertainty two months ago.
AC/DC have had to endure some terrible setbacks recently. Rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young’s dementia meant he was forced to retire in 2014 - and was replaced by his nephew Stevie Young. Drummer Paul Rudd departed after becoming embroiled in a variety of legal troubles that saw him placed under house arrest; he was duly replaced by Chris Slade, who drummed for the band for a time in the early Nineties. Then, most devastatingly, in March singer Brian Johnson also stepped down amid reports that he was on the verge of completely losing his hearing.
\
\
\
Last year, AC/DC were the biggest selling live act in the world and when Johnson departed they were still midway through their 87-date Rock or Bust tour. Yet fortune shone down from a strange place: Rose offered to step into the breach and rehearsals began. Then he broke his foot.
Fortunately a broken bone is not enough to hold a rock star back. Rose completed a string of US dates with Guns N Roses and sat on the throne that Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl used when he broke his leg last year. Last night, it was on a stripped-down version of this throne that 54-year-old Rose, clad in black leather and dripping with diamonds, stormed through his first public outing as a touring member of AC/DC.
This is a new experience for Rose. For decades he's been doing things on his own terms - and alienating bandmembers in the process. He was notorious for skipping rehearsals and soundchecks and for turning up late to perform, sometimes leaving fans waiting for hours. But this time he's been a constant presence at rehearsals - the only day he took off, he says, was when he had surgery on his foot - and has openly admitted that some AC/DC songs are the hardest he's ever had to sing. But you wouldn’t know it from his performance. Praise the rock gods, Rose nailed those vocals.
\
\
\
A mere six minutes late, the quintet took to the stage against the animated backdrop of a booming animated film of two astronauts confronted by a fiery AC/DC logo, then, through the smoke of pyrotechnic explosions, swept into the 2014 album title track Rock or Bust.
Guitarist Angus Young remains that consummate showman who, at the age of 61, wears a schoolboy outfit, careers all over the stage, writhes on the floor and rocks that duck walk that’s become his signature move. During Sin City, he pulled off his tie and used it to grind out his guitar riffs, all the while mugging for the crowd.
Rose, meanwhile, was humility itself. He praised the work of AC/DC, shared the odd anecdote and made dry jokes. “Now we gonna do a song they wrote about my life story,” he deadpanned as the band kicked into the 1979 hit Shot Down In Flames - about being repeatedly turned down by beautiful women. Vocally, there was a lack of power on the low ahh-haaas on Thunderstruck - but this was minor. For two hours he hit every note and sent it to the heavens. As the first person other than Johnson to sing lead for AC/DC since the death of original frontman Bon Scott in 1980, he did a bang-up job.
\
\
\
There were even extra treats for long-time fans, in the form of Rock N Roll Damnation and Riff Raff, the latter of which hasn’t been played live since the Nineties.
In an interview this week Rose said that he feels “a moron” just sitting there. In truth, performing from a throne looks less cool without a guitar. When not singing, all he could do was bounce a little and gently headbang.
For those fans who have been disgruntled about both the departure of Johnson and the appointment of Rose - and so little warmth and reassurance from Young - this show was always going to be a test. Refunds have been offered, and 7,000 have been taken up - meaning the decision to fly press over for the date was probably one designed to stem the flow. But for those who still hold a ticket for the London or Manchester dates in June, call this your reassurance. It will be great.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/axl-rose-hits-the-right-note-for-acdc-in-lisbon-review/
