Original AC/DC Singer DAVE EVANS: 'It Feels Fantastic' To Be One Of Five Founding Members Of The Band

Original AC/DC singer Dave Evans says it "feels fantastic" to be one of the five founding members of the band.

Dave recorded AC/DC's first two singles, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" and "Baby Please Don't Go". But in October 1974, less than a year after AC/DC's first gig, Evans was out of the group.

During an appearance on Chile's Radio Zeta earlier this year, Evans was asked how it feels to know that he was once part of one of the most legendary bands in rock. He responded (see video below): "It feels great. It feels fantastic. It's amazing [to be] part of world rock history. There's been quite a lot of players through AC/DC — way over 20, sort of thing — but there's an exclusive club within those players: the five founding members of the band. There can only ever be five in that club, and I'm one of 'em. So, it's fantastic."

Evans also commented on AC/DC's most recent run of shows, which featured GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose on vocals instead of longtime singer Brian Johnson, who was forced to leave the trek due to a dangerous level of hearing loss.

"Axl has been very, very successful — we all know that," Dave said. "And anybody that's successful you must take your hat off to; you must give respect to anybody that's successful.

"I know fans were upset when Axl was singing with AC/DC. But the thing is Brian wasn't with the band anymore, for one reason or another, which I won't go into, and Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] wanted to finish the tour, so he called on his friend. That's all it was — he just called on his friend to fill in. And Axl said, 'Yeah, sure. Of course.' Who wouldn't? But fans got upset; they thought Axl had joined the band. But Axl never joined the band. He only helped out a friend. So AC/DC fans should know that — that he just helped out a friend, Angus. And it was Angus's call. Angus could have cut the tour, but Angus wanted to play. He needed a singer. He asked his friend Axl. He could have asked anybody. So the fans were upset for nothing, really, because he didn't join the band; he just helped out his friend Angus."

Earlier this month, Evans took to his Facebook page to shoot down rumors that he was hoping to come back to AC/DC, explaining that "the real essence of the band" died when founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young passed away in November 2017.

Dave wrote: "Despite reported rumours I have no interest in returning to AC/DC as the vocalist. As far as I am concerned Malcolm Young was the inspiration, the driving force and the musical genius of AC/DC since we first formed the band and in my opinion when he died the real essence of the band also died and could never be the same without him. I do however wish any new form of the band success."

Evans was replaced in 1974 by Bon Scott, who sang on AC/DC's first six studio albums and became a legend himself after his death in 1980.

Image and concert footage courtesy of Niko Nevalainen