In a new interview with Clint Switzer of On The Road To Rock, drummer Chris Slade, who has spent the past 60 years playing with everyone from Tom Jones to Manfred Mann, The Firm, and AC/DC, addressed his absence from AC/DC’s 2024 touring lineup. Slade has had a storied career, and his tenure with AC/DC, particularly during the “Rock or Bust” tour, is fondly remembered by fans. However, for the upcoming tour, the band has chosen to recruit Matt Laug instead of Slade.
Slade was asked if he was disappointed by the band’s decision to go with Laug over him. He responded candidly…
“No. You know what? Would I have done it, is the next question. I would say yes, I would do it, of course. Angus Young probably wanted a change and thought maybe I couldn’t do it. I’m the same age as Brian. So, you can’t be ageist and say, ‘Slade’s too old now,’ ‘cause Angus is a spring chicken himself, you see. He’s only about 69, I think. I’m not quite sure how old he is – 66, 69, something like that. But, yeah, so he couldn’t be ageist on me.”
Chris Slade elaborated on his relationship with Matt Laug, who has taken his place for the 2024 tour.
“I know Matt Laug, by the way. I used to know him when I lived in California. So I used to see Matt and talked to him many times. We have mutual friends who had a band in a place called Pancho’s in Manhattan Beach in California. And they used to play every Friday. So I used to go and sometimes sit in, but always went to see them, watch them. And they’re a fantastic band. And Matt was one of the drummers that sat in.”
Slade also touched upon his continued involvement in music.
“I’m still playing with [The Chris Slade Timeline]. I’m playing every week. We do gigs. Last Saturday we were in France, in Lyon. In two weeks’ time, we go to Italy. We were in Poland about two months ago, Chechnya, Eastern Germany. We work all over Europe. We were in Spain a couple of years ago. We haven’t been back since. And so I’m playing with my guys, and I’m quite happy to do that. It’s a really, really great band. And there’s no need for me to go back with AC/DC, to be honest, but if they wanted, Angus knows he could ask me any time.”
Slade’s accepting approach to his exclusion from the AC/DC lineup reflects his seasoned perspective on the music industry. His respect for Angus Young and the rest of AC/DC remains intact, as does his enthusiasm for continuing to perform and create music. Fans of both Slade and AC/DC can appreciate the drummer’s resilience and ongoing contributions to the world of rock.