Photo: Wenn
AC/DC are scheduled to headline Coachella tonight (April 10), and despite the fact that their booking has received criticism, frontman Brian Johnson says that he is “excited” to “win over an audience”.
In response to the criticism, Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett recently told The Desert Sun: "Coachella's been around for 16 years now…We want to try some fun new things and AC/DC, no one can argue that they're one of the best bands live. So, if you're a festival promoter, you've got to try to go for the ultimate. I've been trying for a long time (to book the Australian band) and it just worked out this time.”
Speaking to the LA Times, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson said that he recently received some words of encouragement from Paul McCartney, who performed at Coachella in 2009.
"I ran into him downstairs this morning," he said. "[McCartney] goes, 'Brian, you get on that stage and I'm telling you, you see all these kids looking for the hip-hop acts. Then they see you, and they're like, 'Who's he? Oh, yeah — me dad talks of him.' But he said it's great because you're doing your thing, and eventually all the kids go, 'He's cool, this dude!'”
"It kind of takes you right back to the start, when you had to win over an audience," Johnson continued. "I'm excited."
Johnson also discussed the recent troubles the band faced – founding guitarist Malcolm Young had to leave the band due to dementia, and former drummer Phil Rudd was arrested on charges of drug possession and threatening to plot a murder – saying: "You pick yourself up, dust yourself down and just keep going.”
"You live on, and you have a wonderful memory of them always with you, but you're not going to stop doing what you do,” he went on to say. “Otherwise, you die inside, you know? And we would die — I would, if I didn't do what I was doing. There'd be nothing… I'd just be another guy looking for a hobby."
AC/DC are scheduled to headline Friday night at Coachella, both this weekend, April 10-12, and next weekend, April 17-19.
You can also catch them on their Rock Or Bust tour at one of the following shows. Tickets are on sale now.
Saturday August 22 – Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium
Wednesday August 26 - East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium
Friday August 28 – Quebec City, ON Plains Of Abraham
Sunday August 31 – Montreal, QC Olympic Statium
Thursday September 3 – Ottawa, ON TD Place
Saturday September 5 - Moncton, NB Magnetic Hill Concert Center
Tuesday September 8 - Detroit, MI Ford Field
Thursday September 10 – Toronto, ON Downsview Park
Tuesday September 15 - Chicago, IL Wrigley Field
Sunday September 20 - Edmonton, AB Commonwealth Stadium - AB
Tuesday September 22 - Vancouver, BC BC Place Stadium
Friday September 25 - San Francisco, CA AT&T Park Monday
Monday September 28 - Los Angeles, CA Dodger Stadium
