AC/DC return for anniversary

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has confirmed the band will be back in action soon to mark their 40th anniversary.

The Aussie giants – who played their first gig on December 31, 1973 – are planning to start studio work in May, then they’ll deliver one concert for every year of their career.

And the singer has confirmed their schedule had been put on hold while one member of the band dealt with serious health issues.

Johnson tells 98.7 The Gater: “We’ve been denying anything because we weren’t sure. One of our boys was pretty ill, so we didn’t like to say anything. We’re pretty private about things like this; he’s a very proud man.

“But I think we’ll be going in the studio in May in Vancouver – which means we should be getting ready.

“It’s been 40 years of the band’s existence, so I think we’re going to try to go 40 gigs to thank the fans for their undying loyalty. We’re happy to go out even though we’re getting a bit long in the tooth – I’m really looking forward to it.”

AC/DC were last on the road from 2008 until 2010 in support of 16th studio album Black Ice. The three-year trek remains the fourth-biggest grossing tour of all time, having brought in more than $440m.

In 2012 Johnson said the band were considering making a follow-up, but that they’d be unlikely to tour on the same scale, commenting: “It has to be right for the boys to do anything. We’re saying, ‘Can we do this? We’re not going to be a pale shadow of our former selves?’

“We’ll talk about it and make sure we’ve all got it. We’re five pieces of a card – if one of us is not really there, the whole thing would just collapse, I think.”