Axl Rose to make debut with AC/DC at Lisbon concert

LONDON (Reuters) – Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose will make his debut with AC/DC at a concert in Lisbon on Saturday, standing in for lead singer Brian Johnson on the veteran Australian rock band’s world tour.

AC/DC, known for songs such as “Highway to Hell” and “Back in Black”, had to reschedule dates on the U.S. leg of the “Rock or Bust” tour in March after Johnson, 68, was advised by doctors to stop touring “or risk total hearing loss”. Rose was announced as a replacement a month later.

Johnson, who has fronted the group since the 1980 death of original lead singer Bon Scott, has said he was “personally crushed” to give up the tour but vowed he was not retiring.

“It’s a horrible thing and the hope (is) that it gets better,” Rose said in a video statement.

“I’m not dancing around about this because it’s not like … okay somebody’s said they’re going to go do something else, it’s because of an unfortunate circumstance and that’s something I’m very aware of.”

Saturday’s concert in Portugal will be followed by shows across Europe, according to a list of tour dates sent by a publicist for the band.

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Louise Ireland)