Drummer Chris Slade Has Had “No Indication” That He’s out of AC/DC

It would appear that everyone knows that drummer Chris Slade has been ousted from AC/DC save for Chris Slade.

To quickly recap AC/DC long and complicated history with drummers: Phil Rudd joined the band for their second album, 1975’s T.N.T., and performed on all of their subsequent albums up to and including 1983’s Flick of the Switch. He was then replaced by Simon Wright, who, in turn, was replaced by Slade in 1989. Slade recorded one album with the band — 1990’s The Razor’s Edge — before they reunited with Rudd for 1995’s Ballbreaker. Then, in 2015, AC/DC re-recruited Slade after legal troubles prevented Rudd from being able to tour with them.

Which brings us to today. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence to suggest that Rudd has, yet again, been reinstated into AC/DC — including photos of him with other band members at a recording studio and confirmation from Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider (a friend of AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson) that the group’s new album would feature their Back in Black-era line-up.

Still, Slade tells Italy’s Linea Rock that as far as he’s aware, he’s still AC/DC’s drummer:

“I’ve had no indication that I’m not [in AC/DC anymore]. But AC/DC, as you probably know, have always taken five years between anything. And then suddenly you get [a phone call], ‘[Come to] Florida next week.’ ‘L.A., 10 days’ time.’ They’ve always been that way.”

That’s a very diplomatic answer from a guy you can’t blame for being diplomatic; I’m sure every time he plays with AC/DC, he makes a small fortune. Still, it’s a little weird for him to completely ignore all the various reports of Rudd’s return to the fold, isn’t it? I mean, aren’t the myriad reports of Rudd’s reuniting with the band an “indication” that Slade is no longer in AC/DC?

You can check out the complete interview below.

[via]