AC/DC to hang it up...

nooshinjohn

Sad news indeed...


AC/DC are ending their 41 year career on a terribly sad note.

Plans were underway for a new studio album, their first since 2008's monumental Black Ice, and a '40th Anniversary' world tour, 40 huge shows across the globe.

More than a month ago, founding member, rhythm guitarist, co-producer and co-songwriter Malcolm Young had a stroke, which left a blood clot on his brain.

When AC/DC reunited at the start of April to begin a month of rehearsals, in the lead-up to new album recording sessions, Malcolm discovered he couldn't play. At least, he couldn't play like he used to play.

Nothing has been officially confirmed, as of this writing, but friends and family members have been discussing what happened to Malcolm for the past couple of weeks. The blood clot, resulting from the stroke, is believed to be why Malcolm couldn't keep working.

Although friends have described Malcolm's condition as serious, it doesn't mean he won't recover. People do get better after strokes, and people do recover lost skills.

But friends and family of band members believe the decision was made last week to call it quits.

Media in Australia have gone ballistic today on rumor's of The End Of AC/DC, and it appears the news got out ahead of a planned official announcement from the band and management.

Right now, that announcement is expected Wednesday, April 16, and a press conference has been scheduled.


AC/DC won't continue playing and recording without Malcolm. It can't be done.

While Angus Young is the more famous, and more recognisable, AC/DC is most definitely Malcolm Young's band, he started AC/DC, under the guidance of big brother George Young (ex-Easybeats, and co-producer) and encouraged his younger brother Angus to join him, and take on the world.

Malcolm Young has been the quiet motivator and boss of the band for four decades, co-writing nearly all of AC/DC's classics, and making sure nothing happened to harm or damage the band's reputation, or disappoint the fans who've stuck by them for decades.

His passion for the band and its music, and integrity, were so intense, back in the 1970s he used to have fistfights with his younger brother, Angus, in the studio, when disagreements about a sound or riff couldn't be resolved. Proper punch-ups, teeth were lost, blood was drawn.

So that's it. AC/DC are coming to an end.

But what a career. AC/DC set out to conquer the world, and they did it, multiple times. Even the death of singer Bon Scott barely slowed them down, and only slightly delayed recording sessions for Back In Black.

breal74

So sad. I saw them at the Pepsi Center in Denver in 2001 and it is still the best concert I have been to! Amazing band with an amazing catalogue of songs.

ken brydson

Very sad. Saw them several times, even with Bon Scott. Always a great show...

PSOVLSK

Bad/Sad news for sure. I love a little AC/DC and my son is becoming a fan as well.

Funny AC/DC story: My cousin, who was probably 12 or so at the time, was singing "You Shook Me All Night Long" and he was a little off on the lyrics. He sang, "She was a FAX machine, she kept the motor clean..."

Toolfan66

Sad news it is!!

Still love me some ac/dc now and then, but that's why I have just about every ac/dc album, I have everything with Bon Scott..

Hell I remember the news when Bon died on the radio. I remember when we left to go camping, and listening to the radio, the guy came on and said the new ac/dc album had just come out, and played their new song with new singer Brian Johnson, I couldn't wait to get back home and hit the record store. Of course the album was Back in Black, one of the best selling albums of all time..

AC/DC will forever be in my blood till the day I leave this world..


If you want blood, you got it!!!

42-39-56 you can say she's got it all!!!



If AC/DC goes to hell???

Hell ain't a bad place to be!!!




All good things come to an end, but AC/DC will forever live on in music!!!

scottyboy76

Wow,wow, wow,but it comes to us all.

They are doing so much with stroke and brain injury patients, I would not be surprised to hear of a comeback with a strong malcom someday.

And another thing, 41 years, DAMN,could it have been that long?

boston1450

Hope everything turns out ok for him. Prayers. My wife doesnt care for ACDC but my daughter & i watch their live video dvd's all the time

gudnoyez

Wow SAD news indeed hope Malcom recovers best wishes for sure, I think AC/DC was over after Bons death. I can tolerate Brian Jhonson on Back in Black the rest meh. Get well Malcom.

Jhayman

The radio up here reported that it was terminal for Malcolm..Sad news indeed.
My favorite band of all time.

I've loved AC/DC since I first heard them in grade school 1-6 some of my fondest memories are with them playing in the background..
I have all their catalog either on vinyl or CD..
They will be Greatly missed that's for sure..

rooftop59

FYI

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/10769783/ACDC-We-are-not-retiring.html

nooshinjohn

I wish I would have seen that before I blew my eardrums out last night... (LOL)

pitdogg2

Report: AC/DC's Malcolm Young ‘unable to perform anymore'

4/16/2014

A musician who says he has been friends with AC/DC for "years" has corroborated reports that guitarist Malcolm Young is no longer able to perform with the band due to illness. Mark Gable, lead singer with the Choirboys, told ABC Radio Australia, "From what I understand, and it's even been confirmed in part by his son Ross . . . It would appear Malcolm is unable to perform anymore. It's not just that he is unwell, it's that it is quite serious. It will constitute that he definitely won't be able to perform live. He will probably not be able to record."

Despite reports that Malcolm's illness will lead the band to retire now, Gable said that it's possible they could still go out on one more tour to mark their 40th anniversary. He noted that Malcolm and Angus Young's nephew Stevie replaced Malcolm on a tour a few years back.

Australian journalist Darryl Mason wrote that Malcolm suffered a stroke last month. According to The Age, a source who knows the Young family has said that Malcolm's condition has deteriorated so badly that his wife Linda and family were investigating full-time care for the guitarist. It is believed that Malcolm is currently having in-home care at his home in the Sydney area. He is said to be having difficulty remembering familiar faces and having increasing problems communicating.

Meanwhile, a report posted at Billboard.com on Tuesday (April 15th) quoted anonymous "insiders" as saying that there are no truth to the band retirement rumors. But stories have continued to appear in the Australian press that an announcement is imminent, while the band's record label and management have yet to issue any comment on the matter.

While the members of AC/DC are notoriously private, lead singer Brian Johnson did reveal in a 2012 interview and in a February 2014 one that an unnamed member of the group had been ill -- but whether that was Malcolm remains unclear.

Johnson said in the same interview in February that the band had booked studio time this May in Vancouver -- which has been corroborated by other reports -- and planned a new album and tour to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary.

Asked about the prospect of retiring one day, Johnson told us that he would know when the time had come: "You know, retirement is like anything. A good football or a good ice hockey player, they don't want to retire. But unfortunately, sometimes there's a time when you have to call it quits. I don't want to do it, and if we can get out another album and do another little short tour or something, and have a bit of fun, well. I'm your man. I'll be right there.”

AC/DC's last album was 2008's Black Ice, one of the group's most successful later albums, which was followed by a nearly two-year world tour.

steveinaz

While I am a big fan, the lead singer has sounded like donald duck for the last 12 years. It was more than I could bear.

cnh

A stroke at 61 years of age? That's too young these days. Tragic, in fact! But also bodes well for a possible recovery.

Though I'm not a big fan, they have produced some R&R classics in that time. I had NO idea they got together in '73? I always thought of them as an '80s band.

Hoping for the best!

cnh

pitdogg2

steveinaz wrote: »

While I am a big fan, the lead singer has sounded like donald duck for the last 12 years. It was more than I could bear.

Yep love me some Back in Black up to Sink the Pink after that most of them sound all the same. I was watching a concert that was pretty recent on Palladium...Man he don't even say half the words and the ones he does are no where near pronounced even 1/2 way....I had to turn the channel it was bad.....

Bon Scott RULED...

voltz

Back in the early day I just loved their stuff for some reason, was buying all their Albums but my friends hated them so I mostly played them at home. They could not understand what I like about them or the police or Tom petty! they always made fun of my music choices kept wondering why I was so different

pglbook

I saw AC/DC twice, over 20 years apart, and they were great both times.

I saw them in the early 1980s at MSG in NYC and it was an amazing show. One of the best I have seen. It was also the loudest rock concert I have ever attended. We had seats halfway up on the side of the stage facing a tremendous stack of speakers. I remember especially how loud it was every time the cannons went off on the song, "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)." A friend of mine at that time was a guitarist in a local rock band and he swears his ears were ringing for a week after the show.

I saw them a 2nd time in Albany, NY, about 5 or 6 years ago during the Black Ice tour. I took 2 of my sons, who were 15 and 13 at the time, who were just learning to play electric guitar and thankfully shared my love of classic rock. They loved the show. AC/DC sounded great. I was worried about Brian Johnson's voice as well but, in fact, he sounded pretty good. Not as good as in the early '80s, of course, but a lot better than I had expected.

I hope Malcolm comes through ok. That is the most important thing.

sucks2beme

Let's face it. Most of the rock bands we grew up with are over the hill.
It's a wonder ANY of them are still alive. Age and hard miles take their toll.

ken brydson

One of my earliest concert memories, probably '79 or so. Ted Nugent with Cheap Trick and AC/DC opening. Back when Bon Scott walked thru the crowd with Angus playing on his shoulders. Good times. Funny side story... This was back in the days of festival seating. We showed up like 6 hours before the show. We were standing in line partaking in a little um, well at that time illegal substances. An older couple was in line behind us. After an hour or so I had to turn around and ask. "You here for Uncle Ted?" Them- "no we're here for the King Tut exhibit". Me- "wrong line...lol".

fossy

Hope Malcolm will be alright ... only time I went to see the band was on the Highway to Hell tour.....twice .....in Odessa tx and then went the next weekend in Dallas ....both great shows ...... and like Ken noted, Bon piggy backed Angus around threw the crowd ...Rock on AC/DC

maximillian

sucks2beme wrote: »

Let's face it. Most of the rock bands we grew up with are over the hill.
It's a wonder ANY of them are still alive. Age and hard miles take their toll.

Yeah, of course. Still, like to keep some around as a reminder to young bands what it means to rock.