Video footage of Axl Rose meeting fans in Lisbon, Portugal after the final rehearsal before his AC/DC debut on May 7 has surfaced.
Leaked audio from rehearsals in the city has surfaced this past week, including versions of three full songs – “Hells Bells”, “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place To Be” and “Back In Black” – and snippets of the group playing “Thunderstruck” and “Shoot To Thrill” as captured by fans outside a rehearsal facility.
In his first interview in years, Rose revealed he reached out to AC/DC with an offer to help following news in March that Brian Johnson was advised by doctors to stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss, which resulted in the band postponing 10 spring shows in the US.
"I called the day I read about it in the news, that there was a situation going on with Brian's hearing," Axl tells the BBC. “I called a guy who's their production manager right now…because I knew there was going to be a problem with having dates on sale and dates sold and stuff like that. So if I could help, and if I was able to do it, and they were interested, I'd love to help. And that's how it started.
"I wasn't looking at it like, 'I'm singing for AC/DC.' I was looking at it like, 'y'know, if I can, and if they think I'm able to do it."
"I'm happy and excited in one sense, but I think it would be inappropriate to be celebrating, in a certain way, at someone else's expense," adds Rose. “That's not what I'm here to do. It's an unfortunate situation."
Rose will perform 12 shows with AC/DC in Europe through to the middle of June, when he’ll rejoin Guns N’ Roses for their summer stadium tour of North America that begins June 23 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.
See also:
AC/DC: In-ear monitor inventor offers assistance to Brian Johnson
Axl Rose reveals how he landed AC/DC gig
VIDEO: AC/DC preview Axl Rose debut in Portugal
AC/DC release first photo of Axl Rose lineup
Search AC/DC at hennemusic
