Axl Rose Was ‘So Nervous’ Before AC/DC Audition in 2016
Axl Rose is one of rock’s most confident frontmen of all time. However, his audition with AC/DC in 2016 is one instance where his trademark cool was seemingly a bit lost.
Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan touched on Rose’s audition with the iconic band in an appearance on the Life in the Stocks podcast (h/t Loudwire). McKagan talked about Rose was sort of out of his element, since he had mostly fronted GN’R during his career. This was unlike McKagan and Slash, who had more experience venturing outside of Guns N’ Roses.
The bassist said, “That AC/DC thing was really was like his favorite band, he went and tried out. [Rose said] ‘I’m gonna try, I hope they…’. I’m like, ‘You’re not gonna need to try out. I wouldn’t worry about it.’ [Rose then said] ‘I’m so nervous.”
By this time, McKagan and Slash had rejoined GN’R, and both of them knew they would get the AC/DC gig. The stretch of dates where Rose fronted AC/DC certainly brought some freshness to the band, particularly to the setlist. Rose helped add some deeper AC/DC cuts to the setlist. Among them were “Dog Eat Dog,” “Riff Raff,” “Touch Too Much,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation” and “If You Want Blood (You Got It).”
Axl Rose and Angus Young of AC/DC perform during the AC/DC Rock Or Bust Tour at Madison Square Garden on September 14, 2016 in New York City.
What Did Brian Johnson Think of Axl Rose Filling in for Him?
Johnson, of course, was forced to step away from AC/DC in 2016 due to issues related to hearing loss. He rejoined the band in 2020 for their album Power Up, which served as a tribute to late guitarist Malcolm Young. The singer was able to rejoin the band thanks to newly developed in-ear monitor technology.
So, what did he have to say about Rose fronting AC/DC? In November 2020, he told Ultimate Classic Rock, “He jumped into a tough, tough vocalist gig … And for him to do that at such short notice was pretty fantastic. I’ve got a lot of respect for what he did, you know.”
Brian Johnson of AC/DC performs on stage during a media call ahead of their ‘Rock or Bust’ world tour at ANZ Stadium on November 3, 2015 in Sydney, Australia.
