Former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade has discussed his time with the legendary rock band in a new interview.
In a revealing interview with Jimmy Kay on The Metal Voice, Slade, who was part of the main lineup between 1989 and 1994, opened up about his tenure with AC/DC and his decision to leave the band when they began trialling Phil Rudd again.
Slade, who has also played for the likes of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and The Firm, revealed his devastation at the time, stating that his resignation was immediate upon learning of the trial with Rudd. He described feeling blindsided by the decision, which came while he was working on demos for the Ballbreaker album.
“I thought, ‘Well that’s me gone.’ I said to him [Malcolm Young], ‘That’s me gone, well because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ [That’s] exactly what I said to him. So I resigned on the spot. I was devastated, that’s why I resigned,” Slade said, adding that the decision came like “a thunderbolt out of the blue.”
Slade revealed who he thought ran the show in AC/DC.
“It was Malcolm’s band,” he claimed. “He ran the show musically and any other way I suppose. Angus [Young] had the input with the songwriting of course. Malcolm was a genius guitarist, the best rhythm player I have ever worked [with]. He was always on time and he just played fantastically well and made my job so easy.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Slade recalled his AC/DC audition, what it was like working with Axl Rose, and much more. Watch the full interview below.
Love Classic Rock?
Get the latest Classic Rock news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Slade is still releasing music with his new project, The Chris Slade Timeline. His new album, Timescape, is set for release on July 19th, featuring both original tracks and some of the musician’s favourite covers.
