Interview with Original AC/DC Vocalist Dave Evans
By Mick Michaels
Cosmick View: Hello, Dave! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
CV:
Take us back to the fall of 1973, to the inception of AC/DC.
How did you come to be part of the band?
Dave Evans: Well, I was in a band in
Sydney called Velvet Underground, which was not Lou Reed's Velvet Underground,
of course; it was Sydney's Velvet Underground. I joined the band; their singer
had left. Also one of the guitarists had left. He was Malcolm Young. I'd heard
of him, but I hadn't met him. He was also the younger brother of George Young,
from the famous Easybeats band. We eventually split up and not long after that
I did answered an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald for a rock singer
into Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones, Free and other bands like that.
When I called the number in the advertisement it was Malcolm Young who answered
it and when he found out that I was calling him we chatted about our mutual
friends in the now defunct Velvet Underground and then he told me he had a
couple of guys who he was jamming with, like Colin Burgess former drummer of
the famous Master's Apprentices, which was a big band in Australia that had
broken up, and a friend of his on bass called Larry Van Kriedt. The object was
to find a suitable singer and then form a new band. He invited me to jam with
them that afternoon in their rehearsal room in the suburb of Newtown so I went
over there, pretty excited to meet them, especially Colin Burgess -- and we
jammed. We were all very happy, we all shook hands, and declared ourselves now
a band.
A week later, Malcolm, at our rehearsal, said that his younger brother Angus'
band, Kentuckee had split up and asked if he could audition for us. We were all
fine with that and Angus came along to the next rehearsal and we jammed
together with Angus and all agreed for him to join us and now there were the
five of us. We eventually called our new band AC/DC just before our first show
at Chequers Nightclub. That's how it happened.
CV:
What was your initial perception of the Young brothers, Malcolm and Angus? Did
they have a clear vision as to what they wanted to achieve as a band at that
time?
DE: We all did. We all wanted to make it big time. Our
drummer, Colin Burgess, was already famous and had toured internationally and
had recorded hit songs with his earlier band The Masters Apprentices.
CV:
To gain some deeper insight into AC/DC's
formative era, what stood out for you as the Young brothers' strongest
character traits back then? In contrast, was there anything that you may have
considered a possible character flaw or even something you may have found
limiting on their part?
DE: Malcolm was always the driving force in the band
and was very experienced already as he had been greatly influenced by his older
brother George of the famous Easybeats and had recorded with him on George's
later projects. Angus was really just one of the band members as we all were back
then. When the band began he did not have his home made school boy outfit and
we all wore blue jeans and shirts or tee shirts and only changed into the
modern British look just before our first record was released.
CV:
At first AC/DC did primarily cover
songs. But then something changed and original music became the focus. What
prompted the band to begin gravitating towards doing their own original music?
Did you have any influence on that decision?
DE: We all wrote original songs and had done so for
years so it was just a matter of time for the new songs being written to be
integrated into the cover songs and eventually replace most of them.
CV:
They say hindsight is 20/20. Do you feel your dismissal from AC/DC was premature; as if not enough
time was given to allow things to really unfold and find its course or would
have your exit been inevitable in time regardless?
DE: Well I guess if we all were paid for our many and
prestigious shows and not played for young fools, by the then manager who we
could see was not going broke like the rest of us and if I had not decked him
after an argument about the same, then maybe things might have been different.
CV:
Do you feel your time with AC/DC has
been properly and justly documented or has it been grossly glossed over in your
opinion?
DE: Yes the band and their new management tried to
gloss over our early successes and tried to re-launch the band with a new
singer, bass player and drummer but we had too many fans already who loved the
band before the changes. The new management probably thought that the fans
overseas would not know of the original band in Australia but the internet
changed all of that and fans were able to discover the original band and the
names of the real co-founders…so the truth was out there after all.
CV:
Following your departure, you continued on, staying heavily active in music
throughout the years, both as a frontman and as a solo artist. Most recently,
you completed a tour of Central and South America. What kinds of feelings come
up for you as you move into your fifth decade as a performing artist?
DE: I have had an incredible career and still working
harder than ever and recording new material which is truly amazing and making
more new fans all over the world. I am booked out for the rest of this year and
next year is shaping up the same way. I have new material to record and so many
great songs being offered to me so that I don't even have to write any more
myself if I don't wish to. Truly unbelievable if it were not true.
CV: Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
DE: That is hindsight and it is not reality and no good thinking about things that can or could not ever be changed, but I can say I have had the most incredible and amazing long and successful life and career and still going with no end in sight at the moment and respected all over the world and still making people happy wherever I go…from young kids to those in their 70's. Only someone blessed could have had the kind of life I have lived and enjoyed and am still enjoying right now.
CV:
What more can fans expect to see coming from you in 2022 and beyond?
DE: Still touring and rocking just as hard as ever with
more new rock music being recorded and released for as long as it is still
written in the stars.
CV:
Thanks again Dave for taking the
time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.
DE: Thanks and cheers!
Check
out Dave at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078429624776
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