The Rock or Bust World Tour was a 2015–2016 concert tour by Australian rock band AC/DC, in support of their sixteenth studio album Rock or Bust, which was released on 28 November 2014. This tour had 7 legs around the world lasting more than 17 months starting on 10 April 2015 in Indio, California and finishing on 20 September 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Background
Malcolm Young was replaced by his and Angus' nephew Stevie Young and Phil Rudd was replaced by their former drummer Chris Slade. They have both played for AC/DC on the Blow Up Your Video World Tour and on the Razors Edge World Tour, respectively.
In Germany, the band set a new world record in the number of sold tickets within the shortest timespan, with more than 300,000 tickets sold out in seventy-seven minutes.[3]
In Switzerland, the band set a new record in the duration to a 'sold out' concert. The concert in Zurich was sold out in 6 minutes (over 40,000 tickets)[4]
The last 22 shows were rescheduled as Brian Johnson was ordered to stop touring immediately.[6] Ten shows from 8 March 2016 to 4 April 2016 were cancelled and had to be rescheduled,[7] with Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses appearing in Johnson's place[8] marking first time that AC/DC has featured a lead vocalist other than Brian Johnson since they concluded the Highway to Hell Tour on 27 January 1980.
As part of this tour, AC/DC performed the first concert at the Olympic Stadium in London since its redevelopment following the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.[9]
Longtime bassist Cliff Williams announced that he would retire upon completion of the tour, citing losing interest following the health issues with Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson, and the legal issues with Phil Rudd.[10]
The band broke their normal routine at the end of the final concert with Angus Young leading Williams out to the front of the stage to take a final bow. Rose also introduced the band members one by one.[11] On 30 September 2020, AC/DC officially confirmed that Johnson, Rudd, and Williams had rejoined the band with plans for a new studio album and possibly tour,[12] signaling that this tour may not be the last tour with Johnson and Williams, as the next tour would include Johnson and Williams, along with Phil Rudd who was unable to participate in the tour due to legal issues, and guitarists Angus and Stevie Young; reuniting the surviving "Back in Black" lineup members.
Grossing
The Rock or Bust World Tour was the second most attended tour of 2015 behind One Direction and third highest-grossing tour behind Taylor Swift and One Direction (Pollstar Year End Top 100 Worldwide tours of 2015).
The tour grossed $180 million from 54 shows in 2015.[13] and $40.1 million from 32 shows in 2016.[14] There was a total gross of $221.1 million from 86 shows performed. 2.31 million fans attended the tour's 2015 dates and the band played to an estimated 4 million fans worldwide for the entire tour.[15]
^This show was originally scheduled for 29 February 2016, but has been pushed back to the previous day to allow vocalist Brian Johnson to attend a funeral of a close friend.
^This show from 27 August 2016 was originally scheduled for 14 March 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 30 August 2016 was originally scheduled for 11 March 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 1 September 2016 was originally scheduled for 14 March 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 4 September 2016 was originally scheduled for 23 March 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 6 September 2016 was originally scheduled for 26 March 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 9 September 2016 was originally scheduled for 20 March 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 11 September 2016 was originally scheduled for 29 March 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 14 September 2016 was originally scheduled for 4 April 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 6 September 2016 was originally scheduled for 17 March 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^This show from 6 September 2016 was originally scheduled for 1 April 2016, but was postponed due to Brian Johnson being told by the doctors to stop touring immediately or risk of total hearing loss.[27]
^ abcdefghijIrwin, Corey (6 October 2020). "How Brian Johnson Overcame Hearing Issues and Returned to AC/DC". Consequence. Retrieved 20 August 2022. It was 2016 when AC/DC announced they were postponing dates on their Rock or Bust tour, revealing for the first time that their frontman was suffering from hearing loss. "It was pretty serious," Johnson admitted in an interview with Rolling Stone. "I couldn't hear the tone of the guitars at all. It was a horrible kind of deafness."