There’s been a lot of news about a potential replacement for Brian Johnson on the next AC/DC tour, as the longtime singer of the Australian hard rock band has reportedly been told he’s at risk of total hearing loss if he continues on with the group. As Johnson’s people combat the reports and an air of uncertainly hangs over the band (which did postpone several dates of a planned North American tour, promising to return with a “guest vocalist”), all sorts of speculation regarding a new voice for AC/DC has sprouted up online. We even joined in the fun, suggesting everyone from Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker to Corey Taylor of Slipknot.
But perhaps the best nominee was right in our backyard — blues and Americana singer Julie Rhodes of Somerville.
Rhodes, who just released her debut album, Bound To Meet The Devil, earlier this month (read our preview/review of it here), was down at South By Southwest in Austin last week, and decided to pepper in a bit of AC/DC into her set at Love Goat. She belted out “Highway To Hell,” and not only is it an impressive display from the powerful vocalist, it was delivered with a very important message: “The only thing I have left to say,” she tells the crowd before the performance, “is if you don’t like AC/DC, fuck you.”
Michael Panico was on hand to capture it on video, and we’re glad he did. We’ll consider it Rhodes’ official entry into AC/DC’s unofficial search for a new singer. Watch the video below, and check out the remaining few dates on Rhodes’ current tour after the YouTube jump.
