Brian Johnson ... Lawyers and Surgeons "You Got Me Through College"

Terry Evans  0:00  
Hi. This is Terry Evans, thank you for tuning in to reluctantly, a podcast initially after the launch, the Triple Threat launch with Mike plume, David, go, go and Clayton. Bellamy, I had not anticipated a release of another episode until November 5, and that's all coming November 5. There will be another brand new episode coming up of, reluctantly, a podcast. Meanwhile, an article that I read, and quite honestly, I think it was just click bait myself. There's so much of that on the internet these days, but there was an alleged spat between Angus Young and angry Malmsteen during the fly on the wall tour in 85 and 86 Well, recently Simon Wright, who was the drummer for AC DC in the mid 80s, 80 what it's 83 to 89 somewhere in there, he recently came out not that way, became vocal, vociferous, if you will, about the alleged regret over ingui Malmsteen. And it turns out there was none at the end of the story. It did say that, you know, kind of recapping the fact that ACDC was out in the summer of 2024 and they were, you know, doing their 50th anniversary tour, and finished up August 17 in Dublin, Ireland. Now there was a lot of talk that ACDC was going to return to the stage and perhaps tour again in the summer of 2025 that, as of right now is unconfirmed. And if you go to the AC DC website and click on tour, it says, No tour dates right now, and I'm speaking to you in the last week of October of 2024 but what that did make me think of all of this click bait and alleged regret that Angus had about ing we Malmsteen. There's a lot of mutual respect ing we Malmsteen. He lived almost next door to Brian Johnson at one point. But what it did make me think of is four years ago we were at about this time. We were just coming up to the release of a new album from AC DC called Power Up, and I had the opportunity to chat with Brian Johnson, reluctantly. Brian, congratulations on the record. Power Up. November 13, I listened to it again this morning. It's a fantastic record.

Brian Johnson  2:41  
Oh, that's a lovely thank you so much. Makes it makes a heart feel good there, like

Terry Evans  2:46  
I listen to it and I smile, and I've been an AC DC fan for a long, long time, and I couldn't help but just go through the track listing from start to finish this morning, and it just made me smile, because it's just, it's ACDC, it's familiar. It's the thing that we've come to know and love, and How comfortable is it for you to be doing it after 40 years with the band?

Speaker 1  3:09  
It was, it was a bit of sweet. The thing Terry, you know, we'd lost Malcolm, and we got into the studio in Vancouver as usual. And, you know, Malcolm wasn't with us anymore, and and we knew then and there that this album had to be a tribute to Malcolm, the man who started this band, the man whose idea was for this sound of the essay daisies. And we knew we wanted to make it special. And thank you for saying what you did, because it felt like that in the studio the minute boys all got together again, after four years of heartache, sadness, you know, tragedy, whatever. And there we were, the nearest thing to the band without Malcolm being there, you know, and Stevie standing in and there was something in there. And honestly, we're not spiritualist, forget it with that nonsense. But to a man, we felt something special in that room. And as Angus said, you know, who was very close to my obviously, his brother, when they wrote all these songs. They were just ideas, you know, they were just songs written over the years, and, you know, never had quite finished. And so when we went in there, we knew that it had to make it special from out and, you know, make them proud of us, you know, because he was our leader, as well as everything else, you know, and I'm so happy it's managed to come through a record, you know, rather than a documentary or anything, you can actually hear it that the joy Brendan O'Brien, the producer and good old Mike Fraser, who does all our albums, good Canadian boy, hey, you know that just knew this was some had to be. Something special. And it was just felt like that. Every track we did, we started with realize and as Angus assembly, we always have to set the bar for the rest of the album. Terry, you know what I mean. So the first track had them punch you make sure that you knew who you're listening to without reading the sleep. I

Terry Evans  5:20  
have the unique opportunity with this interview to see your your face, and I see when you are describing some of the things that you've gone through with the creation of this record, you're closing your eyes for maybe a longer period of time than maybe you might normally be. Is it you can still picture him there? You still picture the scenarios where you might have been in the studio at a time and and you can always look to a familiar spot and see him,

Speaker 1  5:46  
Yes, well, spotted them. It's just, I do that, because there were just magic moments. And sometimes, you know, I just think back and I can smell the room. I can smell the energy that was in there. I mean, you could cut it, you couldn't cut it. It was just so wonderful. Everybody was up for it, like in particular when we did the song the mists of time, I still get goosebumps when I hear that song, by the way, and this is more from album than anybody else. It's the time, the fun times we had my Malcolm in the early 80s, you know, glad suddenly one bond was there. You know, Malcolm was the driving force with Angus. Let's not forget, Angus was right there with him. But you know, Malcolm was the one he always deferred to. You know that, listen, what do you think Malcolm, he was the wise man at the band and all sort of greatest guitar player. And when I sang the song, which was brilliantly written by Angus, the lyrics can only be written by someone's brother. That means so much, you know, and you know. And the Painted Ladies looking so divine. They were the lovely girls were met backstage. They were just, you know, the times were fun. There was no aids, there was no there was nothing bad around there. And there was no bloody iPhone so somebody could stick it under, you know, intrude in your space. There were just happy times. And I think it encapsulated that song. And I remember when Brandon O'Brien said to me, it's kind of right, it's done. It's done. We got that. And I said, Brendan, please, can I sing it one more time? And he said, Well, why it's done? I said, just let me sing it one more thing, and it just the feeling I got. It was more selfishness. I just wanted to sing it again, because I knew it would be forever before I heard it I sang it again. It was just a just a shout to a friend. At last,

Terry Evans  7:45  
more of my 2020, conversation with Brian Johnson of a CDC coming up after this break. Reluctantly. A lot of people might think that you guys put this together during the pandemic, but it was actually recorded back in 2018 not even long after Malcolm had passed, and then, you know, putting the finishing touches on it, and everything that goes through the process of it, and especially knowing the the history with you, because you were in the hospital, in the same hospital as Malcolm, but were unable to see it. How, how difficult was that for you leading up to his passing?

Speaker 1  8:19  
It was dreadful, you know, because after that, everything happened to me, you know, my years were going down and down through the shores in Australia, and I just knew the inevitable was coming. And I tried to pretend it wasn't, you know, I'm me, I'm tough, hit that nothing's going to stop me. I started believing, you know, young publicity, you know, strong as an ox, nothing's going to stop, isn't Of course, you get older. You can't screw around with stuff and but being, you know, and then I had to stop. And then my very best friend in the world died of cancer at 59 in the same week. And then just before that, knowing how frail we all are, when there was me, buddy, just just over this wall in this hospital, and the guy said, I'm very, very sorry, but he's just, you know, he's very, very ill. Gosh, I can't even describe how bad that was. Well, you know, the guy you've been 40 years with, and you can't even wave or talk to him. It's just a bloody worst feeling, Terry, I kind of tell you, how does

Terry Evans  9:23  
this you talk about your friend, your close friend, who passed with cancer, and then, of course, Malcolm, and we're hearing of, you know, other people, you know, Eddie Van Halen and Little Richard and Neil pearton. How does that make you deal with your own mortality?

Speaker 1  9:37  
Well, you know, three, four weeks ago, I turned 73 but he means 73 I haven't done enough yet. Started yet. I've covered things to do, you know. And it's just crazy, you know. And and I'm happy I've got that outlook on life, you know, if you get to this edge. You start noticing people popping, you know, just here, there and then. But, you know, my dad used to say something. He used to say, Son, you just play the card. You doubt not. It more

Terry Evans  10:13  
of my 2020, conversation with Brian Johnson of a CDC coming up after this break, this podcast, reluctantly brought to you by just for feet, just for feet, just around the corner from the Sally Ann, no pants, no hats, no jackets, none of that stuff's for feet, just for feet. Don't come to us looking for gloves. Reluctantly, 40 years ago, you stepped into AC DC and helped create one of the best selling albums in history. And 40 years later, you guys are about to release power up. Have you, and I'm just kind of throwing this out there, have you listened to back in black? And power up side by side to hear your voice and the way it's compared? Oh,

Speaker 1  11:00  
I haven't Terry, no, I haven't. What a good idea I never thought about. I just know that when I do listen to black and black, which I do, you know, frequently, because I have to keep pinching myself, you know, like your good self, people like your good self. I'm just saying it's been some things. It rocks you you're just sitting on that long we did that, you know, and it takes on believing, I mean, it really does people with, you know. So it ended, you know that we've been through everything, you know. We've been being quoted as being devil worshipers. We've had everything chucked, a book chucked. But, you know, because rock was always the it's dead, by the way, rock and roll is dead, and it was never the mainstream genre. It was always the Dangerous Music you listened to. It was always, you know, if you were a rock and roll fan, you were part of a set or a gang. You weren't normal, you know, not really, you know, it's just now, as people are becoming middle aged, when they come up to me in suits and the lawyers and surgeons and they got, man, you got me through college.

Terry Evans  12:14  
Brian, how important is it to present this record to people in a stadium or a coliseum atmosphere. I

Speaker 1  12:22  
think it's a must. Who would really want to, you know, tell you we were in Holland, and we're rehearsed in secret at three weeks with the new ear technology that I've got. Thank the Lord for that. And it worked so, so well. And I think I was with the happiest man in the world on that day when we tried it and it worked. And we all got together after the three weeks and looked at Shell and said, Hey, listen, this is working. Why don't we plan some shows? You know, not a tour. Let's not, let's not jump straight in the deep and let's just plan some shores, baby steps. Let's get on there. You know, get the whole thing. We're just kind of with, it's the fans you miss. You know, that wonderful fan base of ours, which is just so special to us. You know that, honestly, I know there's fans for all bands in the world, and I'm terribly biased when I think ours are the best. I mean, I have to be they've been with with for so long. I mean, they should get a medal for stamina. You know, the essay. Jason, it has no sides to it. Terry, you know, there's no hidden agenda, there's no music. There's you haven't got to join anything. Just enjoy it. Forget about the world, just for an hour and a bit and sit and listen to it and then put it back on again

Terry Evans  13:45  
with a smile on your face. Brian, I can't tell you what a pleasure it's been to speak with you, a continued success, long life and happiness, and to you and your family Likewise.

Unknown Speaker  13:57  
Thank you very much indeed. Thanks, Mate. reluctantly,

Terry Evans  14:00  
today's podcast brought to you by the Clayton Bellamy Foundation for the Arts, supporting education and community based programs in the province of Alberta by providing financial support to arts programs in need. Clayton Bellamy foundation.org reluctantly, you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai