If you’re of the opinion that AC/DC would do better to retire than replace Brian Johnson with Axl Rose, you’re not alone. In an interview with London Free Press, The Who frontman Roger Daltrey called out the Aussie rockers for being “fairly curt” in ousting Johnson, and said replacing him with Rose amounted to little more than “karaoke.”
(Read: Closing Time: Why More Bands Need to Say Farewell)
“I mean I really feel badly for Brian,” Daltrey, who knows a thing or two about having a bandmate suffering from hearing loss, said. “It must be heartbreaking for him after all the service he’s given that band over the years. I thought their farewell statement to the press and to Brian was fairly curt to say the least. I felt for him. That must have hurt. I’ve spoken to Brian. He’s got loads of other things he wants to do in his life. I think AC/DC will miss Brian much more than Brian will miss AC/DC. There you go.” He even took a snarky shot at the band’s home country, adding, “What do you expect from Australians?”
As for the Guns ’N Roses frontman replacing Johnson, Daltrey said bluntly, “I mean, go and see karaoke with Axl Rose? Give me a break.”
The AR/DC karaoke show will be hitting the road in Europe this may, after which Rose will reconnect with his reunited GNR bandmates for a US tour. Find those full dates here, and read Johnson’s statement about his hearing loss and leaving AC/DC here. For a preview of what an Axl Rose-fronted AC/DC sounds like, revisit Angus Young’s guest appearance at GNR’s headlining Coachella performance below.