Can New Hearing Device Save Brian Johnson's Career With AC/DC?

7 June 2016 | 1:36 pm | Staff Writer

"I was really moved and amazed to be able to hear music again like I haven't heard for several years now."

AC/DC in Melbourne, 2015. Pic by Kane Hibberd

AC/DC in Melbourne, 2015. Pic by Kane Hibberd

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From all reports Axl Rose is currently nailing it as the frontman for AC/DC but, thanks to some new technology, Brian Johnson's career with the iconic band may not be over as initially thought. 

Having to pull out of the group's world tour due to some severe hearing problems earlier this year, the 68-year-old singer has successfully tested a new in-ear monitor that delivers louder and better sound.

Developed by Stephen Ambrose, the breakthrough technology entitled Ambrose Diaphonic Ear Lens (ADEL), "introduces a second synthetic eardrum into your ear canal, which absorbs only the harmful sound pressures [and] keeps them from damaging your ears".

In a statement posted to Ambrose's Facebook page, Johnson said, "It WORKS. It just totally works and you can't argue with that".

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"I was really moved and amazed to be able to hear music again like I haven't heard for several years now. I can't wait for it to be miniturized so I can use it in every situation from normal communication, going out to noisy restaurants, to performing live music on stage."

The new technology could very well shake things up as far as AC/DC is concerned, as Johnson acknowledged in an interview just weeks ago that his hearing issues could mean his days with the band are over.

"What people don't understand is, it is what it is," Johnson explained. 

"It's like a young sports player getting an injury. I feel sorry for them [when they're] 24 or 25 and they have an injury and it ends their career and it's an awful thing. But I'm lucky. I'm 68 — I'm 69 later this year — and I've had a pretty good run. I've been in one of the best bands in the world."

AC/DC and Rose will perform their final show in Europe next week, before they are scheduled to regroup in September for a string of US shows.

Could Johnson's recovery mean he will step back in for those shows? Only time will tell.