Watch AC/DC Prepare for Tour With Guns N’ Roses Singer Axl Rose
Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose made his intentions clear about his temporary role as AC/DC singer: “I want to do right by the band and do right by their fans,” he said in a Facebook video with guitarist Angus Young and bassist Cliff Williams. “It’s about a respect thing.”
The clip features footage of the band rehearsing ahead of their Saturday, May 7th gig in Lisbon, which kicks off their European tour. “It’s been really cool,” Rose said of absorbing the material. “Now I know the benefits of rehearsals for the first time in my life.”
In a separate clip, Rose emphasized his respect for the band’s longtime vocalist Brian Johnson, who was forced to step down after doctors told him he’d risk “total deafness” if he continued on the road. “I can’t take anything away from Brian’s singing,” Rose said. “It is what it is. He’s one of the rock singers.”
Rose marveled at the band’s iconic catalog, stressing the difficulty of replicating Johnson’s vocals. “How many albums do they have? I have a couple, and they have a stack,” he said. “But I didn’t know if I could do it or not. For one, it was scheduling. Two, it was how they do things. I didn’t know. Would it work? Would we get along? That kinda thing. Also, just the material itself: I hadn’t fully listened to certain things.”