Former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade has spent the past 60 years playing with everyone from Tom Jones to Manfred Mann, The Firm and AC/DC.
He recently talked about the latter band’s announcement that it has recruited Matt Laug to perform with the Brian Johnson-fronted outfit at the Power Trip festival next month.
“I know Matt as a very nice guy from my days of living in California,” the 76-year-old Chris wrote on his social media. “He is a very capable, teetotal drummer and will put the drums exactly where Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] wants them….. At the back of the stage. I wish him the best of luck!”
Slade later posted, “An update to my last post and in answer to some people who seem to have misunderstood and made comments which have inferred the contrary. I am not bitter or ‘whining’ and neither did I expect a call from ACDC. I merely wanted to say that I know Matt well and he will do an admirable job, because I knew alot of you would ask me!! Apologies for my stupid sense of humour, which some of you didn’t get ….. My position in any band in 60 years has always been sitting down at the back of the stage…… CHEERS! Slade.”
AC/DC is among the headliners on a bill of veteran rockers who will take to the stage at Power Trip in Indio, California October 6-8. It will be the iconic Australian band’s first gig since 2016.
The 55-year-old Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, Slash’s Snakepit and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer.
In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of Slash’s Snakepit on the North American and European legs of the “Stiff Upper Lip” tour. On Saturday (September 9), AC/DC shared a short audio snippet from the rehearsal sessions for Power Trip, and it included the following message: “PWR UP for Power Trip! Listen to the rehearsal of the boys powering up with Cliff Williams, who’s coming out of retirement for the festival and Matt Laug on drums.”
