Tuesday night in Philadelphia, AC/DC played the final show of their incident-filled Rock or Bust tour. The show took place only hours after Cliff Williams, AC/DC's longtime bassist, announced his retirement from the band.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, guitarist Angus Young and singer Axl Rose gave Williams a rare moment in the spotlight as the rockers wrapped up their last song of the evening, "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)."
In the clip below, watch as Angus fetches Williams from his cozy corner near the drum kit and leads him to the front of the stage as Rose bellows, "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Cliff Williams!" Williams enjoys a bit of applause before quickly heading back to his preferred spot just below the blazing cannons.
“It’s just my time,” Williams said in a video, posted by the band Tuesday, that officially announces his retirement. “I’m happy. I just need family time now. Just chill out and not do this. ... I'm ready to get off the road and do what I do in between tours. I couldn't have asked for anything more—being with the people I'm with, and have been, being in this situation with this band, playing this music."
Life has been interesting—to say the least—for AC/DC during the past few years. Besides the retirement of Williams, who was with the band for nearly 40 years, drummer Phil Rudd was arrested on charges of "threatening to kill," longtime singer Brian Johnson was forced to quit due to serious hearing issues, and guitarist Malcolm Young had to retire due to dementia. Johnson was replaced by Axl Rose, Malcolm was replaced by his nephew, Stevie Young, and Rudd was replaced by the band's former drummer, Chris Slade.
Angus hasn't issued a statement about the future of the band—but stay tuned.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
