Joe Elliott wouldn't have replaced Brian Johnson with Axl Rose

2 January 2018

Joe Elliott wouldn't have replaced Brian Johnson with Axl Rose if he was in AC/DC.

Joe Elliott

The Guns N' Roses singer was drafted in for the latter part of the 'Highway to Hell' hitmakers' 'Rock or Bust World Tour' after Brian pulled out due to hearing issues, but the Def Leppard vocalist wouldn't have "dealt with" the situation in that way if he had been part of the group.

He said: "I wouldn't have done it like that.

"I can't speak for [AC/DC guitarist] Angus [Young] and his team as to what their reasons were for doing what they did.

"But considering that we had a drummer [Rick Allen] lose an arm and we waited for him. The way that they dealt with it was not the way I would have done it, put it that way."

While he didn't agree with the way Axl took Brian's place in the band, Joe, 58, thought the 'November Rain' singer did a "pretty good job", but to him the current line-up doesn't feel like the AC/DC of old.

Speaking on the 'Life in the Stocks' podcast, he added: "I saw some stuff on YouTube, and I think he did a pretty good job, actually. I've got to say.

"He certainly wouldn't have done them any harm.

"There are detractors in any walk of life, so somebody out there thinks it was awful, some people think it's the best thing ever.

"It kept AC/DC on the road I suppose but it's not really AC/DC anymore is it? It's basically just Angus and the other four now."

AC/DC went through a transformation last year with bassist Cliff Williams retiring, Angus' brother Malcolm Young - who quit the group in 2014 - passed away, and Brian pulled out of the tour due to his hearing problems.