AC/DC Defends Wal-Mart Decision

AC/DC DEFENDS WAL-MART DECISION:

October 13, 2008

It may seem odd to some fans that AC/DC has chosen to release their new album, Black Ice, exclusively through Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores and shun digital outlets such as iTunes. But to the band, it makes perfect sense. They feel that the popularity of digital singles is effectively killing the album format and putting the music business in jeopardy.

“Maybe I’m just being old fashioned, but this iTunes, God bless ’em, it’s going to kill music if they’re not careful,” 61-year-old singer Brian Johnson told Reuters. “It’s a monster, this thing. It just worries me. And I’m sure they’re just doing it all in the interest of making as much cash as possible. Let’s put it this way, it’s certainly not for the love, let’s get that out of the way, right away.”

Johnson also pointed out that Wal-Mart has been very loyal to AC/DC over the years, so the band had no problem giving the retailer an exclusive. “A lot of people were saying ‘Ah man, you’re going to the big Wal-Mart, you’re selling out,'” Johnson said. “Wal-Mart were the only big store to stock all of our albums, every single one of them, and they’ve never deviated. And they sold AC/DC shirts and pajamas for kids, which we thought was really cool.”

As for the band’s upcoming tour, which has been selling out tickets left and right, Johnson said he’s been working out to get in shape for the stage show. He hired a personal trainer, and hopefully he will be able to make the leap to the rope beneath the giant bell that AC/DC traditionally lowers at the start of “Hells Bells.”

“The bell’s going to come down again and I’m saying to myself, ‘Should I jump that 10 feet?'” Johnson said to Reuters. “Can I still do it?”

Courtesy of www.fmqb.com