Chris Slade says he’s heard nothing to suggest he’s out of AC/DC despite rumours that Phil Rudd is back in the band.
The drummer originally joined AC/DC in 1989 but was replaced when Phil Rudd was brought back into the fold in 1994. Slade later took over behind the kit when Rudd was kicked out of the band in 2016 after being found guilty of drugs possession and making death threats.
And while it’s been rumoured for some time that Rudd is back in the band, Slade says that as far as he’s aware, he’s still the current drummer in AC/DC.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, it was pointed out that he’s still listed as AC/DC’s drummer on Wikipedia and he was asked if he thought that was accurate.
Slade replied: “To my absolute knowledge, and this is me being absolutely honest, I am the current drummer in AC/DC. It may sound deluded to some people. I’ve said that before in interviews and people have gone, ‘The man is deluded. He’s lost it. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.’ It actually says that? I’ve never looked.
“Nobody has ever called me and said, ‘By the way, you’re not the current drummer,’ or, ‘By the way, Phil’s been in the band for three years.’ Nobody has ever said that.
“I’m philosophical enough to realise that Phil may well be back in the band. I have no idea. I had no idea last time when they called me before Rock Or Bust. I’m open to all possibilities. That’s the way people should be, open-minded.”
In December last year, Twisted Sister ex Dee Snider claimed a new AC/DC album was being recorded and would include riffs recorded by the late Malcolm Young.
Asked if that was possible, Slade says: “That could happen. We all know about technology. I’m certain that Malcolm and Angus talked in great depth about this before he passed and before he was really, seriously ill.
“I’m sure there was a master plan. Of course, you throw away plans. Plan A turns into Plan Z.
“Personally, my gut feeling is that Angus is not going to retire. There could quite possibly be another album. I’m pretty certain there will be. Who is on it? I have no idea. Will Cliff Williams come out of retirement? Who knows? If he’s had enough fishing for a while, maybe he’ll want to come back to rock’n’roll.”
Back in June, Slade said he was “ready to go” if AC/DC needed his services for future live work, telling Sonic Perspectives: “The only person who knows what will happen is Angus. It isn’t going to be this year! I can actually say that it will not happen in 2020!"
