Reviews Are In For Axl Rose's Debut Show With AC/DC - And He Friggin 'Nailed It'

A number of AC/DC fans around the world were left seething when it was announced a few weeks back that Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose would be stepping in as a temporary replacement frontman for a handful of live shows this year and though it was reported that thousands of punters demanded refunds for the upcoming concerts, according to all accounts from his debut show with the band in Portugal over the weekend, he completely defied expectations.

According to Billboard, the 54-year-old singer, again confined to his Game Of Thrones-inspired chair while still nursing a busted leg, greeted the crowd with a simple "Nice to meet you" and though he took a few songs to get into his rhythm, "when it mattered most, he nailed it".

Rose seemingly had a ball on stage, at one point laughing off an "Axl" chant from the Lisbon crowd to say, "I know what you meant. You meant, 'Angus, Angus'", while even introducing AC/DC's Shot Down In Flames as "the story of my life".

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So Is This What Axl Rose Singing For AC/DC Sounds Like?

Meanwhile, Rolling Stone called the show a "triumph".

"But while Rose's body might be ailing, his voice remained in great shape," the article reads. 

"From the opening salvo of Rock or Bust, Shoot to Thrill and Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be, it was clear that, musically at least, the GN'R man is a great fit for AC/DC."

The UK's Telegraph also gave the show huge wraps, commenting that once notoriously-late singer hit the stage with AC/DC a mere six minutes after the scheduled start time. 

"...The only day he took off, [Rose] says, was when he had surgery on his foot - and has openly admitted that some AC/DC songs are the hardest he's ever had to sing," the four-star review reads.

"But you wouldn’t know it from his performance. Praise the rock gods, Rose nailed those vocals."

Back home, The Guardian went one better, giving Rose's debut AC/DC performance a perfect five-star rating, calling his set a "masterly first appearance".

"[Rose's] voice, too, is brilliant: no matter how high, every note is hit, and sustained. And he keeps it up for two hours."

"Carry on like this, and those wondering whether AC/DC are still worth going to see this summer should have no worries."

Long-term singer Brian Johnson has stated he plans to reunite with his band mates to record a new album, but given the reviews of the Lisbon show and Johnson's condition, as well as Rose recently stating that he would be open to joining the iconic act permanently, it would be fair to suggest that Johnson's future in the band is unclear. 

Check out some of the footage from the Lisbon show below.