Johnson Not Allowed to Answer Questions About Playing With AC/DC

Will Brian Johnson ever play live with AC/DC again? It turns out that is a question he is not allowed to answer, which the singer revealed in a new interview on a recent episode of “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” on Sirius XM.

As it stands, the last AC/DC show took place on Sept. 20, 2016 with Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose filling in for Johnson, who was forced to step aside as he risked permanent hearing loss if he were to continue with the tour. He did, however, return to the studio with his AC/DC bandmates to record their 17th studio album, Power Up, which came out in late 2020.

Still, no tour has coincided with the release of the album. It has left many fans to ponder the future of AC/DC, especially when considering the fact that Johnson has overcome his hearing issues and has been onstage a couple of times since, most recently at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London.

Naturally, host Eddie Trunk asks if Johnson and his AC/DC bandmates will ever play live again, but his question is met with strong opposition.

“I’m not answering that. Why should I? First of all, there’s five members in this band, and to ask one member isn’t fair,” the singer urges (transcription via Blabbermouth). When pressed about whether or not he would personally like to take the stage with them, Johnson remains tight-lipped.

“Eddie, I cannot answer that. I’ve been told not to by everybody. It’s the official line,’ he replies.

The conversation then shifts focus as Trunk inquires about Johnson’s interest in making another AC/DC album, which is again met with resistance.

“It’s gettin’ tabloidy here. You’re gettin’ tabloidy,” Johnson says, worried any small comment will make headlines around the world as he adds, “If I say one thing, it’ll be blown out of all proportion. You just can’t afford to talk now. There’s too much blabber on the Internet. And I’m not on any kind of Face-thing or social media at all — never have been. It’s just gossip.”

Power Up hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. upon its release and was backed by the singles “Shot in the Dark” and “Realize” in the pre-release phase with “Demon Fire,” “Witch’s Spell” and “Through the Mists of Time” all arriving as singles to keep the momentum rolling.

Earlier this year, Johnson also released his autobiography, The Lives of Brian. Get your copy here.

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