Brian Johnson singing Toto? On paper, it sounds like one of those AI-driven mashups, where a familiar song is manipulated to feature vocals from an unexpected, often unlikely source. But it's real.
In September 2001, two months after AC/DC's Stiff Upper Lip tour wrapped up, the frontman played a short tour with Geordie II, named in tribute to Geordie, the band he was in before hooking up with Angus & Co in 1980 in the wake of Bon Scott's death.
They booked six shows in the North East of England, playing in Newcastle (twice), Hebburn, Stanley, South Shields and Middlesbrough, with the opening night of the tour coming at Newcastle's 1200-capacity Opera House, where 800 lucky punters watched Geordie II perform a mix of covers and originals.
Johnson was joined onstage by guitarist Derek Rootham, bassist Dave Robson and drummer Dave Whittaker, none of whom played in the original Geordie lineup. But they did play some songs associated with the old band, including the traditional folk song Wor Geordie's Lost His Liggie, which appeared on their debut album, 1973's Hope You Like It, and Can You Do It, released as a single the same year.
Otherwise, it's covers all the way. The setlist mixes songs Johnson grew up with (The Animals' We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, Nina Simone's Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood) with the kind of hard rock classics you might expect given his daybob (Led Zeppelin's Rock And Roll and Black Dog, Rainbow's Since You've Been Gone, AC/DC's Whole Lotta Rosie). But one song stands out as an unlikely choice for the famously gravel-throated frontman: Hold The Line by Toto.
Rather than attempting to replicate Bobby Kimball's original vocal, Johnson – bedecked in a Newcastle United football shirt – opens up the throttle on Hold The Line, giving it the full Back In Black treatment, and it's surprisingly effective. And, in 2025, it's resurfaced, being shared widely on TikTok and reappearing on YouTube.
Johnson and Geordie also entered the studio during their short time together and recorded two songs. The first was a new version of Wor Geordie's Lost His Liggy, and the second was Byker Hill, another traditional folk tune, this one dating back to the early years of the nineteenth century. The former is a folksy terrace singalong – it would work brilliantly as an AC/DC intro tape – while the latter returns the sound to the hard rock of Geordie, albeit with an ending that veers into sea shanty territory (both are embedded below).
The songs – both credited to Johnson alone – appeared on a pair of compilation CDs released in late 2001, The Northumbria Anthology - From Tees To Tyne and The Northumbria Anthology - From Tyne To Tweed, alongside contributions from Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry, Eurythmics man Dave Stewart and David Clelland, then-member of parliament for local constituency Tyne Bridge.
The full Geordie II set from the Newcastle Opera House performance is available on YouTube.
