AC/DC Frontman On Retirement: 'I Don't Want To Look A Prat If I Try To Push It Too Far'

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson admitted in a new interview with Classic Rock magazine that he has been considering retirement. "We were talking about the end of the tour and I said, 'We're finishing in May and that's me done!'" he says. "But Malcolm [Young, rhythm guitarist] said, 'What are you talkin' about? We're not gonna let you retire!' And now they're talking about next year. I'm going, 'What do you mean next year? We're finishing in May in Japan, I'll be tired!' And they said: 'Well, we've been offered some festivals…'"

The 61-year-old Johnson, who is scheduled to publish his autobiography "Rockers And Rollers" in October, insists that he remains fully committed to AC/DC, but says, "It's a tough one. It's not me — it's just my age," he reveals. "I try to keep myself fit, and I love it being in this band. But it's not just me — Cliff [Williams, bassist] is knocking on a bit more than the others. The other lads are in their early 50s. I'm the old dog in the regiment.

"It's a purely selfish thing. I don't want to look a prat if I try to push it too far. I don't want for people to see me on stage and say, 'Oh, poor old fucker, the band's carrying him!'"

Despite this, Johnson says he's feeling as good as he's ever done, and enjoying every moment on stage.

"We've been out on the road since September [2008], but it never gets boring," he says. "They're just the best rock band, and just to listen to them every night, it gets me. Every time they kick in, you think, What the fuck! You're on again and you're thinking, 'This is ridiculous! I'm still grooving!'"