AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams performed live for the first time since AC/DC’s last show in September 2016 a couple of weeks ago at a private party with 24 Carat. Williams retired from touring at the end of the 2016 run, but is rumored to return for an AC/DC 2020 reunion tour. An AC/DC member confirmed major anniversary shows next year.
JonAlba posted on ACDCFans.net about Williams’ comeback, “Imagine getting the bassist from an iconic band up on stage with you and performing like that? Yikes. Cliff looks great.” Nachos73 responded, “Holy crap! 286 new posts in three weeks…that took a bit to get through! Lots of things discussed. So 30 days till 2020….i think on day 25 they will say something. Cliff is tour ready now he rehearsed with that band. So all is good!”
Tomscotland wrote about another member rumored to return to AC/DC, drummer Phil Rudd, “Part of the reason I love Ballbreaker is the side-to-side groove that Phil brought back with him, that had been sadly missing since 1983. Yeah, it was a bit slower. I prefer the term laid back and locked in.”
Angus Young revealed his money demand for AC/DC touring in an interview. MyCubiclePenguin responded, “The whole Rudd discussion is a bit of a strange one. What does he do to really make a song MOVE – is it the profundity of his ride cymbal, is it how heavy his kick is? I think it’s a combination of many things. I’m really not sure, though, as GS has a pretty quiet and stiff ride cymbal/hi hat (idfk drum tech), but the overall feeling of it is loose as hell, and that’s what makes it work. If someone were to emulate Rudd to the best of their ability, could I personally tell the difference? I don’t know, but there’s something about what Rudd does that feels like nobody else. Maybe it’s partially a psychological thing that comes from just envisioning Rudd effortlessly pound away with a cig in his mouth, but whatever it is the effect is wonderful.
I feel like I’m simply jumping on the Rudd bandwagon by saying this without truly getting the nuances of his playing, as it’s obviously not very difficult and it is predictable, but I fucking love it nonetheless. I’m probably just overthinking it, anyways. My favorite drumming of all time is found on BB and SUL, so his return was welcome. His playing during the solo of Hail Caesar gives me fucking chills sometimes – it’s just so goddamn loose and powerful.
I don’t think he was the same on FTATR and Flick, though – maybe it’s the heavier nature of the songs, but it can feel very stiff sometimes on those records. Fly sounds much looser to me, though the production makes it sound occasionally flat.” You can watch video of the new Cliff Williams performance by clicking here.