Even the Judge Knows AC/DC Don’t Want Phil Rudd Back
Drummer Phil Rudd has had more legal problems in this past year than most people will have in their entire life… and as if that wasn’t bad enough, it seems like he’s the only person who is unaware that AC/DC doesn’t want him back.
See, earlier this year, Rudd plead guilty to charges of threatening to kill some people and possession of cannabis and methamphetamine, landing himself a sentence of eight months of home detention. Rudd, however, appealed this week, arguing that “he should have been discharged without conviction and appealed against his sentence on the basis that it manifestly excessive,” according to 3 News.
But Justice Raynor Asher, the judge who oversaw the proceedings, denied Rudd’s appeal. Why? Well, while Rudd maintains that his conviction is preventing him from touring with AC/DC, and is therefore preventing him from making money, Justice Asher disagrees:
“First, the band would have to want him to play with them. Second, the convictions would have to operate as a barrier to him travelling with them on tour. Neither are certain.
“It is far from clear that at the time when the offending took place there was any place in the band available to Mr Rudd, given his drug addiction and state of mind.”
Justice Asher continued:
“It is only in certain countries that there is a certain problem arising from the convictions, and there is nothing to indicate that if Mr Rudd was a greatly wanted band member that his inability to travel to those countries would mean that he could not be employed in other countries.”
In other words: the judge basically said “Hey Phil, you’re not losing any money because AC/DC doesn’t even want you in the goddamn band anymore.”
Which is fair enough! Angus Young has said that Rudd is “not the Phil we’ve known from the past” and questioned the drummer’s reliability, and the band re-hired Rudd’s replacement, Chris Slade, in February. Although Rudd has been telling anyone who will listen that he’s gonna get his old job back, there’s really no indication that his old job is available to him.
So, the bad news is, Phil doesn’t get to go back on tour with AC/DC. The good news is, Phil was never going to get to go back on tour with AC/DC anyway, and he’s still rich, and house arrest, surely, is the most pleasant of all possible punishments. Fuck, I’d like to be under detention in a rockstar drummer’s house for eight months. Hey Phil, if you’re reading this — wanna trade?
