In a new interview with Stuff, legendary AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd reflected on his complicated relationship with the band, his enduring love for late frontman Bon Scott, and his recent triumphant return to live performance — this time, without AC/DC.
Rudd, who laid down the drum tracks for AC/DC’s 2020 comeback album Power Up, was notably absent from the band’s subsequent tour and their 2023 Power Trip festival appearance. Speaking to Stuff, he admitted, “There was a time when I thought it was the end of my world. I only knew life with AC/DC. Those people I thought loved me like a brother, they haven’t even picked up the phone.”
Despite the silence from his former bandmates, Rudd remains deeply connected to the spirit of AC/DC — especially through Bon Scott, who died in 1980. “To me AC/DC was always Bon,” Rudd said. “My favorite album is Highway To Hell. My favorite song — his song ‘Touch Too Much’.” He added, “When Bon died, even in AC/DC I felt alone. But I was never alone. The people who like the music, it always humbles me, but makes me happy too.”
Rudd’s absence from AC/DC’s recent performances has sparked speculation, with many pointing to his past legal troubles. In 2015, he pled guilty to threatening to kill a former employee and drug possession, resulting in eight months of home confinement. Though his legal team argued the sentence unfairly hindered his music career, the court held firm, and AC/DC moved forward with drummer Matt Laug.
Still, Rudd has not ruled out a reunion. “People always ask me if I will play with AC/DC again,” he said. “The only people I would do it for would be the fans. And for Bon. I would do it for Bon.”
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