AC/DC Drummer Mystery Continues...........

Here we are, a little over a week away from the Grammys, and AC/DC still have not announced who will be sitting at the drum set. The reason for their silence baffles me. I have thought long and hard on why they are keeping silent on the issue. I have also thought about why the contenders have kept quiet as well. It is certainly a mystery.

First, why would the band not say anything about it? I can only think of about 4 real reasons.

Reason 1 – They don’t know who the drummer will be. This is the weakest reason, but plausible. They may have been holding auditions and discussions. Whoever the drummer is going to be, they may have to work under the condition that Phil gets his job back once he is cleaned up and got his life straightened back out. Like I said, this is the weakest reason and probably not the real reason.

Reason 2 – Publicity. AC/DC aren’t the greatest with publicity. It’s just the way they are. You would think that if this was a publicity stunt, they would be hamming it up. Instead, they are dead silent on the issue, as is everyone involved. Chris Slade isn’t saying anything. Simon Wright isn’t saying anything. Phil Rudd has only said that he wants his job back and has said that he will get it back. Now, he’s silent too. The band hasn’t said so much as a peep since Phil said he wanted his job back. There haven’t been any promotional interviews. There haven’t been any interviews of any kind for that matter. It’s "radio blackout". For a band promoting a new album, this isn't normal.

Reason 3 – Respect for Phil. Do you announce a funeral with fanfare? I don’t think this is a happy time for the band, so they are staying quiet. Odds are, they’re going to make this transition as quietly as possible, which is hard for such a popular band. By announcing a new drummer, they may perceive it as something they are proud of, which I just mentioned, I’m sure they are not.  When Phil left the first time, back during “Flick of the Switch”, the band made the change very quietly, but only being 39 years old now and being too young to be into AC/DC at that time (I would have been 7 or 8 years old), I don’t know if it was as quiet as this.

Reason 4 – This is the one that may be most plausible. Phil isn’t fired. It may be hard to believe, but he may not technically be fired. He may be suspended from the band, but if they haven’t said that he’s fired and he hasn’t been removed from the website, odds are, he’s still the official drummer.

How can this be? Well, let’s look at it this way; When Malcolm had an alcohol problem back in ’88, Stevie Young took his place on tour, giving him time to clean his act up. The band may be doing this for Phil. This would explain why Phil has shut his mouth as of recent. It would explain why the band hasn’t said who the replacement is, partly because he hasn’t been fired, and partly out of respect for Phil. Since Phil's "I want my job back!" outburst, everyone associated with the band has been dead silent. It's as if they all came to a mutual agreement to keep their mouths shut.

If Phil really isn't fired, but is taking time off to get his life together, that would mean that they would need a replacement for awhile, and odds are it's going to be Chris Slade. This would explain why Chris has been silent on the issue. He’s not technically AC/DC’s new drummer, but rather, the guy who is going to fill in.

Chris has publicly stated that he regretted leaving the band and has said that he should have stuck it out and the band would have come back to him. Maybe he's hoping Phil won’t clean up and that he will officially get the job? Think of it as the Tommy Thayer approach. Maybe that's his angle? Chris is reported to be a very nice guy so odds are that he probably wants to see Phil clean and healthy, but wants his job nonetheless. Maybe Chris figures that any time behind the set will be worth it, even if only for a little while? I know I would if I were him.

Chris is in the L.A. area and has canceled a meet and greet event at an eye doctor tomorrow. The guy hosting the event said that there will be a change in Chris’s career coming up and that’s why the event got canceled. While Chris has been fairly silent on the issue, a lady who is traveling with him said on January 11^th, that they will be in the United States for a few months. Well, that’s how long AC/DC will be in the states before heading off to Europe to tour. Her Facebook page is the one to watch as I doubt she has been gagged by the band like Chris obviously has.  

Chris’s website is being upgraded. It could be coincidental? He doesn't have any dates coming up for his Chris Slade Timeline as far as I can tell. He’s been absolutely silent. In fact, Chris normally promotes his appearances where he has the opportunity to meet fans and has done so enthusiastically on his Facebook page before. Since the first of the year, he hasn’t said a peep about a gig that he did last night with a cover band, or the canceled meet and greet. That’s very odd for him.

Everything is leaning in the direction that it’ll be Slade behind the drums, and I for one would welcome the change. I think he made AC/DC sound better. A lot of people talk about Phil’s groove. That’s called laziness and lack of proper technique. Phil has even admitted to the latter. Chris gave the band a tight sound that I liked, and obviously countless others did as well as sales of The Razor’s Edge prove. I wrote a whole piece on why I prefer Slade about a month ago so I won’t go into it here.

There are also a couple of wild cards in the mix that must be discussed.

Simon Wright – He is also in the L.A. area (but he lives there) and has a history of joining bands for awhile and switching. He doesn’t seem to like to stay in one place all that long. It would be perfect should AC/DC want someone to temporarily fill in for Phil as outlined in “Reason 4” above. Simon’s style is closer to Phil’s than Slade’s. While he didn’t leave on a bad note with the band, he didn’t get stellar reviews from the other members the same way Slade did. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Simon get the nod. It would be a good indicator that they intend for Phil to return. It should also be noted that Simon has been tight lipped about the whole ordeal. He has nothing lined up for awhile that I can find online. If he’s not the guy, then why is he silent? Why doesn’t he just say he’s not the guy?

Phil Rudd – I guess it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Phil could show up for the Grammys and fly back in time for court. Meth can help you overcome jet lag! I’m just kidding on that one …….well, kind of. I haven’t heard where Phil has had travel restrictions placed on him, but I wonder if he’d have trouble entering the United States being under charge and awaiting trial for what he is facing? But, if it is Phil, then what can Slade be doing in L.A.? Here’s the real wild card –

Tom Jones - Yes, Slade’s original band-mate. Tom Jones is scheduled to appear on the very same Grammys that AC/DC is. What are the odds that Chris is there to play with Tom Jones? It may be slim, but then again……who knows? I guess at this point we’re all assuming that we’ll see Chris Slade at the Grammys. He might be in Los Angeles for vacation? We just don’t know at this point. Maybe he doesn’t want to admit that he got passed over for AC/DC? He didn’t touch the sticks for three years after he left the last time. Chris has played with everyone from Tom Jones, David Gilmour, Uriah Heep, you name it, but he seems absolutely smitten by AC/DC. It’s the band that he seems to have loved the best. He seems to love the band as much as the Young brothers.

Dark Horse - Yes, there may be someone at the drums that we haven't discussed. Some people think Bob Richards will get the nod because he sat in for the video. I have also read online that Angus Young has said that it won't be Bob, but I haven't seen that with my own eyes. Even though the odds are very slim, we may all be surprised with someone we didn't expect!

Whatever the case may be, the issue of who will sit behind AC/DC’s drum set on February 8^th is frustrating to more than just a few fans of the band. The band claims to care about their fans, but also have a track record of having a “fuck you” attitude towards them as well. We only have a week and a few days at most before we get some much desired answers.