DAVE EVANS - AC/DC ORIGINAL SINGER

DAVE EVANS

💿 Hi, it’s a pleasure for us to have on Hardrockheavymetal DAVE EVANS, well known as first singer of Hard Rock Legends AC/DC! Thanks and happy to be interviewed for your readers. 💿 Let’s start talking about the early days of the band. When is this all begun? Which bands have influenced you? Before AC/DC was formed my musical influences had been The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the British sound that was popular at the time especially Free, Led Zeppelin, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart etc plus American bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival. I had been the singer for VELVET UNDERGROUND, the Sydney, [Australia] high profile cover band and we played a lot of Rolling Stones, Free, Rod Stewart and Humble Pie covers. During my time with them they would sometimes speak of a former member, guitarist Malcolm Young, who had left shortly before I joined them along with their singer. They spoke highly of Malcolm and told me that he was the younger brother of the famous George Young of the famous 60s band, The Easybeats. When VELVET UNDERGROND split up, I answered an advertisement for a singer/frontman for a rock band that was into FREE, The Rolling Stones, etc and naturally I answered it. Malcolm Young was on the other end of the phone and he recognized my name straight away as he had kept in touch with my former bandmates. He told me that he and two other guys were jamming and looking for a singer to complete a new band and asked me to come over to an unused office building in Newtown, an inner suburb of Sydney, that afternoon to audition for them. I arrived and met Malcolm, Colin Burgess and Larry Van Kriedt. Colin was famous as the drummer for the great Australian band, THE MASTER’S APPRENTICES, who had split but were huge. Larry was a friend of Malcolm’s. We jammed and it rocked. After a half dozen songs we had a break and I was asked to join as well. We shook hands and declared that we had a band. At the next rehearsals Malcolm asked us if his younger brother, Angus, could also audition as his band, KENTUCKEE, had split up. Angus then came to jam with us and we agreed to let Angus join; and then we were five! Finally we decided on a name for the band – AC/DC – and went on to play the Sydney circuit, record songs for our first album, record a film clip for our first single, “CAN I SIT NEXT TO YOU, GIRL?” which was an instant hit for us. We then toured interstate with our single racing up the charts. 12 months past from our first meeting to my split with the band and at that time we were onto our third bass player and drummer and third manager. It was a hectic, exciting and volatile 12 months but AC/DC was now firmly established and destined for international greatness. 💿 Angus Young is a “Top player” but Malcolm is the real mastermind of the band. Do you agree? Have you been in touch with some past members of the band? Yes, Malcom was always the driving force of the band and the main songwriter. Older brother, George, of Easybeats fame was very influencial as he had international experience and many hit songs to his name. I have seen some of the past members of the band over time such as former bass player Neil Smith R.I.P. and former drummers Colin Burgess and Noel Taylor but haven's seen any of the others for a long time now. 💿 Your career after AC/DC is a lot of things..in my own I love your album “SINNER”! After some EP, Is this the right time for a new full length? Thanks, yes I have been busy recording quite a few albums and shorter EP's over the years and have just released a new 5 track EP called WILD in collaboration with Norwegian hard rockers, Barbed Wire. 💿 Honestly, after the Brian Johnson’s exit, a lot of AC/DC fans have chosen you like substitute..really, you’re a founding member, not Axl Rose. What’s your opinion about that? Yes, very flattering and appreciated but I don't see that happening. I do hope that AC/DC can continue with Angus in some form and hopefully a new lineup can record a new album for the fans. 💿 The real “news” in music industry is the return of vinyl; What’s your feeling with this classic format? Nice as you can get some really good artwork on the large record sleeves that fans do love. 💿 Can you tell us somethin’about your next live gigs? I will be returning to Europe in August to tour there again promoting the new Dave Evans & Barbed Wire release "WILD"