Guns n’ Roses rocked the Coachella Festival – but last year’s headliners AC/DC may be caught in the crossfire.
Sources say that the Aussie/Brit superstars aren’t willing to wait for their legendary frontman, Brian Johnson, to get his doctors’ all-clear for hearing loss—and that the singer of Guns n’ Roses, Axl Rose, has been approached to fill in on tour.
It’s unclear if the deal will be done. Guns have announced a post-Coachella tour with their original line-up, causing long-time member of the nominal band, Chris Pitman (no, us neither) to tweet calling it a “money grab.”
And that Guns tour is doing amazing business – with ticket sales reportedly north of $80 million dollars. This makes it unclear if AC/DC can afford Axl, who may be best at home in his real band.
Superstars including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and others crowded the stage Saturday to watch Guns at Coachella. Axl, who broke his foot in an earlier reunion gig, played from a giant throne and the crowd went wild for the kings of rock.
AC/DC are equally big money superstars on the touring circuit. Brian Johnson’s vocals have a raw, unfiltered rasp – one high-pitched Axl would find difficult to replicate, if he even wanted to try.
The brotherly partnership at the heart of AC/DC – Malcolm and Angus Young – is one-half light after Malcolm was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Brian Johnson rallied to his guitarist’s side, founding Highway to Help, a charitable effort riffing on the band’s hit ‘Highway to Hell’, raising money into research for Malcolm’s disease.
This typically generous attitude of Johnson’s contrasts with the alleged AC/DC band approach to Axl Rose.
All the “Back in Black” star may need is a short spell of rest and recuperation – fans may ask why AC/DC can’t wait.
Tensions are high within both Guns and AC/DC, but as the latter once sang, “It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock n’ Roll.”
Fans will find out if Guns fire on all cylinders—or AC/DC will be short-circuiting—later this summer.
Kim Estlund, a PR spokeswoman for Guns’n’Roses, did not deny the story and refused to address whether fans of Gn’R would get refunds if Axl Rose did tour with AC/DC. She said: “Axl Rose is the founder and lead singer of Guns’n’Roses.”
When asked what Guns guitarist Slash would have to say about her citing Axl Rose as the sole founder of the group, she said: “Axl Rose is the co-founder and lead singer of Guns’n’Roses.”
