Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd says that he is “more dangerous” than he has ever been before — two years after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.
Rudd, who has appeared on all but three of AC/DC‘s 18 studio albums, recently kicked off his first solo tour in support of his 2014 solo debut, “Head Job”. It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd‘s arrest and subsequent dismissal from AC/DC, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.
Speaking to Goldmine magazine, Rudd said that he is taking his health more seriously now, explaining: “Yeah, I work out, I work out. Although I sort of prefer to work out on the kit, you know? The kids keep saying I’m making too much noise downstairs, but that’s all right. [Laughs] But we’re really happy with [‘Head Job’], I can tell you that. It’s taken me forever, but we think it’s got plenty of game. Plenty of foot-tapping.”
He continued: “I am dangerous, mate, trust me. I’m dangerous. You better believe it, mate; I’m more dangerous than I’ve ever been before. I’ve sorted all my bullshit out, and my substance issues are all a thing of the past, and yeah, now I feel like a young fellow again.”
Rudd revealed last August that he underwent an emergency procedure after suffering a heart attack. He told The New Zealand Herald: “I was just at home walking around and I started [to] feel, well, just funny. You know how you can feel funny? I had a strange pain in my chest. So my housekeeper took me to the hospital, when they hooked me up and did all these tests, turned out I had a big heart attack… my artery was all blocked up, and they said I had to stay in and have an operation.”
Rudd‘s replacement in AC/DC is Chris Slade, who also did a three-year stint with the group from 1990 to 1993.
Rudd played with AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and then again from 1994 through 2014. He first appeared on the band’s second album, 1975’s “T.N.T.”
Former AC/DC Drummer PHIL RUDD: ‘I’m More Dangerous Than I’ve Ever Been Before’
Former AC/DC Drummer PHIL RUDD: ‘I’m More Dangerous Than I’ve Ever Been Before’
Blabbermouth