Jet frontman Nic Cester almost got a gig with AC/DC to fill in for Brian Johnson. But things later took a turn.
During a new interview with Triple M, the frontman recalled the day Brian Johnson got out of the band and receiving a call for an AC/DC gig later. He said:
“I got up in the morning and read the paper and it was saying that the singer was not in the band anymore, Brian Johnson. I remember saying to my father-in-law, I was like, ‘Holy sh*t, you would not want to step into those shoes,’ and literally 20 minutes later the phone rang. They’re saying, ‘Would you be interested in going to Atlanta Georgia to audition to potentially fill in for this next run of dates they’ve got?’ I was like, ‘Oh my God I thought, ‘I think I’ll say yes just for the life experience.’ I wasn’t really expecting to get the gig to be honest with you but I thought ‘How could I turn this opportunity down?'”
Apparently, the audition wasn’t just about having a great voice. It was a full-on test of stamina, the right attitude, and how well someone could handle pressure and adapt to different situations. He continued:
“Everything was a test to see how I would handle it, like the volume. He was just going, ‘Right let’s do this song, let’s do this song,’ and I didn’t know. I don’t know off the top of my head. So he just goes over there and learns it and all whole band waiting there for 10, but I’m just going, ‘Oh f*ck.'”
How Johnson Felt Leaving AC/DC
Back in March 2016, Johnson had to stop touring due to hearing issues. Doctors told Johnson that if he kept performing live, he could lose his hearing completely. The band was in the middle of their ‘Rock or Bust’ world tour. AC/DC then held auditions for a few singers, and the whole process was kept secret.
For Johnson, it was something ‘close to despair.’ He explained during an earlier interview:
“Part of the pain of it was that I blamed myself. For most of my career, I’d been in the loudest band in the world. I’d flown constantly. I’d flown even when I knew I wasn’t well. For a while, people would ask me if I was depressed, but depression is treatable. My hearing loss wasn’t. What I was feeling wasn’t depression. It was something closer to despair. I’m told that he did a great job, but I just couldn’t watch – especially when you’ve been doing it for 35 years. It’s like finding a stranger in your house, sitting in your favorite chair. But I bear no grudges. It was a tough situation. Angus and the lads did what they felt they had to do. That said, after the band released a statement confirming that I was leaving the tour and wishing me all the best for the future, I couldn’t relax or concentrate on anything. It was just always there.”
You can see the interview below.
