In response to Blabbermouth, AC/DC has recruited drummer Matt Laug to carry out with the band on the Energy Journey competition subsequent month in Indio, California. This efficiency will mark AC/DC’s first gig since 2016. Matt Laug is an American drummer identified for enjoying with numerous bands and artists, together with Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, Slash’s Snakepit, and Vasco Rossi. Laug beforehand supported AC/DC as a part of Slash’s Snakepit in the course of the “Stiff Higher Lip” tour in 2001.

AC/DC shared a brief audio snippet from the rehearsal classes for Energy Journey, which included a message stating that Cliff Williams would come out of retirement for the competition, and Matt Laug could be on drums.

Notably, there was no clarification supplied for the absence of AC/DC’s longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined the band for his or her comeback album, “Energy Up,” launched in November 2020. Rudd was briefly changed in the course of the “Rock Or Bust” tour by Chris Slade as a result of authorized points and was subsequently concerned within the recording of “Energy Up.”

Rudd’s return to AC/DC was initiated throughout Malcolm Younger’s funeral in 2017, the place Angus Younger and Rudd had a dialog that finally led to Rudd rejoining the band for the album.

AC/DC postponed the final 10 dates of their spring 2016 North American tour when singer Brian Johnson was suggested to cease enjoying dwell to keep away from listening to loss. Axl Rose from Weapons N’ Roses crammed in as a visitor vocalist for these remaining tour dates.

“Angus and I had chat at Mal’s funeral and caught up,” Rudd recalled. “[After I played on the ‘Rock Or Bust’ record] there was loopy shit happening, however since then, I’d received my shit collectively and put slightly band collectively, I went to Europe and was doing a little bit of enjoying and stuff and did [a solo] album. The blokes knew I used to be nonetheless enjoying, so after I caught up with Angus on the funeral, we have been type of chatting away and one way or the other, he simply type of [asked me] if I used to be up for [doing a new AC/DC] album. And he began writing the subsequent day. He went within the studio and began writing right away.”

Angus instructed Rolling Stone that it was certainly Malcolm’s funeral that helped heal outdated wounds.

“[Phil] was there and in good condition,” the guitarist stated. “He was maintaining himself nicely collectively. He was getting remedy and sorting himself out. It was actually good.”