Former AC/DC Drummer Launching Comeback, But Has No Interest In Playing With Axl Rose

It's been over a year since former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd admitted to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession and the 62-year-old is now planning his comeback, but don't expect to see him rejoin the iconic rock band as long as stand-in singer Axl Rose is around. 

Speaking with Bay Of Plenty Times, the Tauranga-based musician has plans to tour Europe this October with his own band as his eight-month home detention comes to an end. 

While Rudd intends to also perform at some European festivals in 2017 with NZ musicians, Allan Badger and Geoffrey Martin, he hasn't ruled out a return to AC/DC since pulling out of the band in 2015, though he says he has no interest in playing with the Guns N' Roses frontman.

"If Angus [Young] wanted me to play [with Ac/DC] then that is up to him," Rudd said.

"But I don't really want to play with Axl Rose... I don't really rate him."

Rose's highly-praised performances with AC/DC this year has led to speculation that he will continue fronting the band full-time moving forward, though this is yet to be confirmed. 

Meanwhile, Rudd also revealed in the interview that he recently underwent an operation after suffering a heart attack. 

"Yeah, I had a fucking heart attack, but I am good now, got a stent inside,'' he revealed.

"I was just at home walking around at home, and I started feel, well just funny. You know how you can feel funny? I had a strange pain in my chest.

"So my housekeeper took me to the hospital, when they hooked me up and did all these tests turned out I had a big heart attack...my artery was all blocked up, and they said I had to stay in and have an operation."

Rudd last year admitted to charges of threatening to kill an employee and pleaded guilty to possession of 0.71g of methamphetamine and 130g of cannabis.

Having last week signed an international deal with London-based record company Wave 365 Media, Rudd has just re-released solo album Head Job, which originally dropped in 2014.

"I made mistakes, but I am really good now," Rudd said of the charges.

"Life is good. I'm positive and healthy. I really appreciate the support of the fans around the world, which kept me going through, you know, some of the dark times, and I cannot wait to play the music for them, it is going to rock."

AC/DC kicked off the seventh and final leg of their Rock Or Bust world tour this week which will wrap up in Philadelphia next month.