History

Interview

About the band members

AC/DC Gear

Discography

Band Pics

Angus Pics

Exclusive Popular 1 interview

Brian Pics

Phil Interview

Quotes

Bon Pics

Phil Pics

Malcolm Pics

Classic Rock 2

Cliff Pics

Concert Review

Angus/Brian Interview

Young Bros. Interview

Classic Rock Interview

Lyrics

Doubles Pictures

Membership

Login

Phil Rudd Interview with Rhythm Magazine

The year-long Stiff Upper Lip tour began in the States last summer and included six weeks in Europe before they came to England in December. "We did 15 shows in Germany and every one was sold out. We sold out 25,000 tickets for one Swedish festival alone. The crowds were really impressive. They like their rock, and they especially like us! We'll be coming back to the UK in the summer, after going to Australia and Japan. I love the album. I really do. I play it all the time if I'm at home or in the car. All the songs are really good. 'Melt Down' was a single in the States and it's a number we've been playing on tour. We've got such a long song list now it's hard to fit them all in. On our last tour we played for over two and a half hours and we were truly killing ourselves. This show is two hours, and that's long enough."

No Pain, No Gain

Phil has suffered from strain and injuries while playing flat out for so long, but now swears by a new wonder vitamin that he recently discovered in the States. "We heard the actor James Coburn talking about it on TV. One of the guys said, 'Oh, you should try a bit of that', because I'd been having trouble with wrist pains and twinges in the joints. I'd have to take a day off and soak in the bath! I'm 46 years old now and I've been rocking away for a few years, so something's gotta give. 

"I was thinking about having keyhole surgery on my knee, because it was so sore at the end of a show. Anyway I use this stuff now, it's called Sam-e. It's fantastic, it really is - and it's totally legal - oh yeah! I am conscious of my ears, too. I have a studio at home so I know I have to take care of them. I do a lot of water-skiing and I've damaged both of my ears skiing over the last few years doing a couple of wipe-outs. Sometimes the sound at a gig can be quite negative. The notes are hanging on too long and its kinda pulling you back. It's like someone has got hold of your foot when you're trying to run over a hurdle. Sometimes I pull the earpieces out and say, 'Awww, let's just go for 
it, and act young!'"

Phil has been playing Sonor drums for 20 years, and he reckons they give him all the definition he needs. "I'm always looking for a fat, intimidating sound that's punchy, with an edge on it, so I can hear everything cutting through. Sonor drums are built very strongly and they're the only kit I could really use, to be honest. I've seen a lot of other kits, and nobody builds 'em better than Sonor. I've still got my Signature series kit, which I had built over 20 years ago, and some of the hardware is still like brand new. The chrome doesn't have a mark on it and just doesn't chip. But they're a helluva weight to drag around. I took that kit up to my kid's school for 'Dad's Day.' All the dads have to go to school and show what they can do, so I took my drums along. It was a big laugh, but it was hard work dragging my kit and the hardware up there, it was so heavy. That's when you need a road crew!"

Phil is currently using a black maple Sonor kit. "It's the first black I've ever had. They give me a new kit for every tour. It's the quality of the drums as well as the sound. I've got some snare drums which are made out of bell bronze and they're about twelve hundred quid each. I've got four of them, actually. I don't particularly like the response of a deep snare drum so I use a 51/2" snare. The Signature series is my favourite kit, and I used it to do the album. When we started doing 'Ball Breaker' there was a bit of a difference of opinion in the studio about drum sounds and we were working with a new producer. So we went through this big rigmarole where we couldn't play together because of the sound reflecting off the wall. It was bizarre! 

"We tried playing on risers and even had a marquee built over the riser to contain the room sound. This was before we got started. Then they brought in a 'drum doctor' from Europe and he had cases full of bass drums and snare drums, but at the end of the day we sent him packing because I knew that the problem wasn't down to the sound of my gear. It's a very personal thing and I always do things the best way. That's how it is. In the end we went to another studio."
Phil is adamant that AC/DC never use click tracks in the studio. "No, no! We've never used a click on any song, on any album while I've been with the band. When we got George Young back as producer, we both rose to the occasion and there was huge admiration right around the camp."
Phil believes that the secret of AC/DC's long- lasting success lies in the fact they have never radically changed their style - they've always given the fans what they love. "So many groups try different directions and they don't really work.
We just stick to our guns!" 

Phil's Gear

Undoubtedly the finest hard rock band in the world, AC/DC are back on the road, and their most-loved drummer Phil Rudd is back in the driving seat. Rhythm was granted a rare audience with the undisputed king of the juggernaut power-groove. But make sure you're wearing earplugs before you read this.