AC/DC have said they hope to be back performing live soon, and that they have been writing material for a follow-up to their 2008 album Black Ice. The band will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2013.
In an interview with the Daily Star, illustrious guitarist Angus Young said, “Me and Malcolm [ Young – guitarist] have begun trying a few things. Then we’ll be back on stage again.”
He added that he doesn’t want the band to rest on their laurels when it comes to performing live, saying, “You don’t want people to say: ‘Those guys used to be great.’ On this tour, I had a few problems, mainly with the legs. On stage, though, you don’t feel a thing.”
Of the prospect of 40 years he said, “I’ll be celebrating by just being here. We could be dead, so to still be standing on a stage after 40 years is good enough for me.”
The promise of a new album has also been dangled by the band, with Young telling Bang Showbiz (via NME) at the weekend, “At some point we’ll be touring again once we get a new album out, which will hopefully be within the next couple of years.”
In other AC/DC news, the band have been in London for the launch of their new live DVD Live At River Plate. At the event, Young remained adamant the band would not follow the Beatles in allowing their music to be downloaded through iTunes.
Young told Sky News, “I know the Beatles have changed but we’re going to carry on like that… For us it’s the best way. We are a band who started off with albums and that’s how we’ve always been.
“We always were a band that if you heard something on the radio, well, that’s only three minutes. Usually the best tracks were on the albums.”
Singer Brian Johnson added, “We’ve outlived quite a few fashions. We’re still playing what we always did which is good old rock and roll… We don’t try to change and that strikes a chord. It’s just out and out rock and roll, that’s what we do.”
One of the most interesting branches on Australian rock’s family tree is the connection between AC/DC and sixties pop group the Easybeats, who featured elder Young brother George on guitar (who also went on to produce AC/DC), like so:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idS9P2OeYLU
