mikeyV(335) | WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The 60-year-old drummer for Australian rock band AC/DC whose hits include “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” was accused Thursday of trying to arrange two killings as well as possession of drugs.
Phil Rudd made a brief appearance at the Tauranga District Court in his adopted home of New Zealand and was charged with attempting to “procure murder,” which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years.
He was released on bail. One of the conditions is that he must not have any contact with anyone involved in the alleged plot. The Bay of Plenty Times newspaper reported that the Australian-born Rudd was accused of trying to hire a hit-man to carry out the two killings. Police raided Rudd’s home Thursday morning, according to the paper, and held him in custody until his court appearance.
A judge suppressed the names of the intended victims and the would-be hit-man in the alleged plot, the newspaper said.
The court declined to release further details about the case.
Rudd’s lawyer Paul Mabey said he was still getting up to speed on the case and had no comment. Mabey said he was out of town attending a trial when he first heard about the charges.
A publicist for the band could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Australian-born drummer has also been charged with threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana.
Court staff said Rudd was due to make a second appearance Nov. 27, although that date could change. He has yet to enter a plea.
AC/DC was due to release the “Rock or Bust” album next month and had planned a world tour next year. It was unclear whether Thursday’s events would affect those plans.
Rudd and the other members of AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 in Cleveland. It calls them one of the best-loved and hardest-rocking bands in the world.
“Featuring guitarist Angus Young as their visual symbol and musical firebrand, they grew from humble origins in Australia to become an arena-filling phenomenon with worldwide popularity. They did so without gimmickry, except for Angus’s schoolboy uniform, which became mandatory stage attire,” said the Hall of Fame’s biography.
According to the biography, Rudd first joined AC/DC in 1974, the year after it was started. Other reports indicate he left the band in 1983 but rejoined again in 1994. The Bay of Plenty Times reported that Rudd first moved to New Zealand in 1983, during the period when he had left the band, and in 2011 bought a Tauranga restaurant he named Phil’s Place.
The restaurant’s website says it represents Rudd’s long-held vision to “offer you fresh local food at affordable prices delivered by warm and friendly staff.”
AC/DC’s albums include “Highway to Hell,” “Back in Black,” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”
Even the U.S. military has used the band’s music for martial purposes. In 2004, U.S. troops blasted AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells” and other rock music full volume in Fallujah, Iraq, hoping to grate on the nerves of Sunni Muslim gunmen.
In recent years, AC/DC became known as one of the few acts that refused to allow its music to be released digitally on iTunes. It relented in late 2012. This year, the band announced that founding member Malcolm Young, brother of Angus, was leaving due to unspecified health reasons.
Nick Perry AP
The Ultimate in Van Halen Vinyl Proud Member Since the First Year– Both VHTrading and the Band
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VOODOO(2375) | |
JasonA(1118) | Phil is keeping it real – dirty deeds done dirt cheap!
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PT5150(6290) | Big news here in Melbourne , Australia ..
EDDIE’S fingers aren’t fingers they are muscle-powered pistons that hammer guitar strings to the fretboard with the force of a rivet gun”.
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mrmojohalen(6467) | 
When you turn on your stereo, does it return the favor?
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Gilligan(1518) | Note to self: Do NOT doublecross Phil Rudd.
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guitard(7354) | http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/prosecutors-drop-charge-against-ac-dcs-phil-rudd/ar-AA6W7Mc?ocid=mailsignout Prosecutors drop charge against AC/DC’s Phil Rudd WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand prosecutors on Friday backtracked by dropping a murder-for-hire charge against AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, saying there wasn’t enough evidence to proceed. But the 60-year-old member of the popular Australian band still faces a serious charge of threatening to kill, which comes with a maximum prison term of seven years. He also faces charges of possessing methamphetamine and marijuana. In a statement, Tauranga Crown Solicitor Greg Hollister-Jones said his office became responsible for prosecuting Rudd after he had been charged by police and had appeared in court. “The file was obtained today and reviewed,” Hollister-Jones said Friday, adding he “made the decision that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the charge of attempting to procure murder.” Rudd’s lawyer Paul Mabey said the decision to charge Rudd was made by police without consulting with prosecutors. “The charge alleging an attempt to procure murder should never have been laid,” Mabey said in a statement, adding “Mr. Rudd has suffered unnecessary and extremely damaging publicity as a result of widespread and sensational reporting of a very serious allegation, which on any basis was never justified. The damage to Mr. Rudd is incalculable.” Attempting to procure murder comes with a maximum 10 year prison sentence. AC/DC said the arrest of its drummer won’t affect its upcoming tour or album release. The band released a statement through publicist Benny Tarantini on Thursday saying band members had “only become aware of Phil’s arrest as the news was breaking.” “We have no further comment. Phil’s absence will not affect the release of our new album ‘Rock or Bust’ and upcoming tour next year.” “Rock or Bust” is due to be released on Dec. 2 and will be the band’s first new studio album in six years. The band plans to promote it during a world tour next year.
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PT5150(6290) | Massive law suit coming up I would think..
EDDIE’S fingers aren’t fingers they are muscle-powered pistons that hammer guitar strings to the fretboard with the force of a rivet gun”.
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Halenberg(406) | Well that’s a relief. Hopefully it’s all straightened out before the tour starts.
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King Edward(1950) | I am thinking he will be replaced for the tour…..don’t need additional distractions. Maybe this is why Phil was not in the first promotional photo that came out with Angus, Cliff, Brian and Malcolm’s replacement Stevie. “Send for the Man”
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PT5150(6290) | BRIAN JOHNSON: AC/DC Will ‘Absolutely’ Hit The Road In 2015 November 7, 2014 27Comments
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AC/DC is in the process of getting dates together for its upcoming world tour, which will kick off in 2015, the band has confirmed in an interview conducted earlier this week.
Speaking to Colin Paterson of BBC News on Monday, November 3, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young stated about the group’s touring plans (see video below): “Well, we hope to be [out on the road next year]. Everyone’s ready to go, so… We definitely. I know that they coordinate now and try to get dates together and stuff. So we’ll definitely do our best to be there.”
Added singer Brian Johnson: “I would say ‘absolutely,’ but… Nah, I would say absolutely. [Laughs]”
As previously reported, the charge against AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd of attempting to arrange a murder has been dropped. Rudd’s attorney, Paul Mabey, said on Friday (November 7) that the Crown Solicitor Greg Hollister-Jones withdrew the murder-plot charge after a meeting with Mabey and police. Mabey said that Hollister-Jones reviewed the case and concluded that “there was insufficient evidence to justify that charge. He has now withdrawn the charge.”
Rudd must return to court on November 27, where he still faces one charge of threatening to kill as well as possession of meth and marijuana, which his lawyer described as “minor.”
Mabey added that Rudd had “suffered unnecessary and extremely damaging publicity as a result of widespread and sensational reporting of a very serious allegation, which on any basis was never justified.”
Meanwhile AC/DC issued a statement earlier in the day on Rudd’s Thursday (November 6) arrest, saying, “We’ve only become aware of Phil’s arrest as the news was breaking. We have no further comment. Phil’s absence will not affect the release of our new album, ‘Rock Or Bust’, and upcoming tour next year.”
The 60-year-old drummer was alleged to have tried to hire a hitman to kill two men in late September.
Rudd was missing from AC/DC’s new publicity photo and was also a no-show at the group’s video shoot on October 3 and October 4 for its two new singles, “Play Ball” and “Rock Or Bust”.
Rudd’s arrest was the second major blow to AC/DC in 2014. Founding guitarist Malcolm Young was forced to leave the band earlier this year because he is afflicted with dementia.
“Rock Or Bust” comes out December 2.
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/brian-johnson-acdc-will-absolutely-hit-the-road-in-2015/
EDDIE’S fingers aren’t fingers they are muscle-powered pistons that hammer guitar strings to the fretboard with the force of a rivet gun”.
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mrmojohalen(6467) | |
PT5150(6290) | https://www.tonedeaf.com.au/429970/phil-rudd-wants-job-reputation-back.htm Estranged AC/DC Drummer Phil Rudd Wants His Job And His Reputation Back. It’s the trans-Tasman music story that just keeps getting more and more bizarre each week. Now, beleaguered AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has declared his intentions to return to his post with the legendary hard rock outfit, despite the fact that he is facing charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.
As New Zealand’s One News reports, the troubled drummer recently told the news outlet, “I’m going back to work with AC/DC, and I don’t care who likes it and who doesn’t. I want my job back, I want my reputation back and I’m gonna get it back. I’m gonna fucking take it back.”
Of course, whether or not a return to keeping rhythm for the iconic group will help Rudd reclaim his “reputation” is up for debate. As Tone Deaf recently reported, the individuals Rudd allegedly threatened to kill were revealed by court documents to be a man and his 10-year-old daughter.
In his first interview since his much-publicised arrest earlier this year, the AC/DC sticks man described the charges initially laid against him, which famously included one charge of attempting to procure a murder, later dropped due to insufficient evidence, as “ludicrous”.
“This has just been a big ball of cheese, and all the rats are gathering and having a piece. That’s just life. But that’s not who I am,” he said. “Everyone listens to the wrong people. They should listen to me. I’m a good guy – and a pretty good drummer, by the way. Ask Angus [Young], he’ll tell you.”
Since his arrest, Rudd had remained adamant that he is innocent, pleading not guilty during a recent court appearance. The embattled rocker, whose status with AC/DC is unclear at present, is scheduled to appear in court again in February, before the case goes to a judge-alone trial later in 2015.
While Rudd appears on AC/DC’s latest album, Rock or Bust, guitarist Angus Young has stated that the drummer was unreliable during recording and that his personal troubles have prevented him from promoting the record – Rudd has not appeared in any recent press shots of the band or in their music videos.
EDDIE’S fingers aren’t fingers they are muscle-powered pistons that hammer guitar strings to the fretboard with the force of a rivet gun”.
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Gilligan(1518) | The meth charges are what have me most concerned. If he’s doing meth he should stay away from the band, but otherwise, I hope he can rejoin them. I’m pretty sure the whole “murder for hire” thing was just a small town temper-tantrum blown out of proportion. But then again, what do I know?! Maybe he drums better while on meth and really does want to kill people… 
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