14 DAY TRIAL // Unsettling news from Wellington, New Zealand, where famous rocker Phil Rudd, the drummer from the well-known Australian band AC/DC, has been accused of trying to procure murder. The local newspapers are saying that Rudd was picked up by police and is now under investigation for trying to kill two people for a bunch of drugs that were later found in his home, allegedly.
Rudd was taken into custody on early Thursday morning and is expected to appear in court tomorrow to face the charges of attempting to procure murder. His lawyer said that he had no comment to make since he was still getting familiar with the case. His representative also declined to comment at that point, according to NY Daily News.
Few details have emerged in the press as of now, but Rudd will have to appear in court later this week
There are few details known about this case at this point, as police have refused to reveal the identity of the people involved in the alleged attempted murder. The only thing that we know right now is that the 60-year-old musician also faces charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis, and threatening to kill.
Rudd was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2003 with the rest of AC/DC. He is one of the original members of the band that joined the lineup one year after it had formed in 1973 and stayed with the rest of the boys until 1983, when he was kicked out of the band. He rejoined in 1994 and has been touring with the Australians ever since.
Rudd was accused of cannabis possession back in 2010
He first moved to New Zealand back in the ‘80s, when he was kicked out of AC/DC. He had previously been accused of cannabis possession back in 2010 but never for something so serious as trying to procure murder.
AC/DC is getting ready to launch their newest album, widely regarded as their last, “Rock or Bust,” without founding member Malcolm Young, who has left the lineup due to his debilitating bout with dementia. He was replaced on the rhythm guitar by his nephew.
Rumors that one of the members would quit the band have been floating since this summer, and it was widely believed that the entire band was going to retire, since the members have a standing agreement to all quit music when one of them was left unable to tour with the rest of them, a sort of “no replacement policy.” In this case, the understanding seems to have been amended.
It's not known what Rudd's arrest is going to do to the new album launch which is set for December 2, later this year. The band has yet to address the issue of Rudd being arrested and facing a string of serious accusations that could see him land in jail.