If you thought you missed your chance to see AC/DC in Atlanta after they canceled their show in March, think again. The Australian band is back and this time with a new lead singer. Guns N’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose will be the band’s new front man after Brian Johnson was forced to step down in March when doctors told him he was at risk of losing his hearing.
Lead guitarist Angus Young said that Rose provides AC/DC with some diversity.
“With Axl, we’ve been able to mix up quite a few songs,” Young told Classic Rock Magazine. “We used to get a set list and that would be us for a tour, so now we’ve got a lot more adding and putting in different tracks, and the fun part is when we get there on the stage, and seeing it come to life.”
Rose, who is ranked seventeenth on Billboard’s list of greatest rock singers of all time, will not get to quit his day job. He will still tour with Guns N’ Roses until August 22 when their tour is over. Rose will then join AC/DC on the twenty-seventh to embark on the Rock or Bust tour, which will hit Atlanta on September 1.
As for Johnson, he plans to focus now on studio work, but the inventor of wireless in-ear monitors, Stephen Ambrose, said that he can help Johnson return to the stage, Ultimate Classic Rock reports. Ambrose said that he has invented a new device that protects the ear and allows for sounds to be played quietly without sacrificing quality. He hopes Johnson will reach out to him and try his new device.
As for now, however, fans will be stuck with Rose, who is a mega star in his own right. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide with Guns N’ Roses and is also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he has received positive reviews for his performances with AC/DC.
Fans that bought tickets to the March show will be able to use them in September at Phillips Arena.
