(MENAFN- Arab Times) WELLINGTON Nov 6 (AFP): The drummer with legendary rock band AC/DC Phil Rudd was accused Thursday of trying to hire a hitman to kill two men after police raided his luxury New Zealand home. Police swooped on the veteran rocker's waterfront house at Tauranga in the North Island in the early hours and charged him with 'attempting to procure murder' and threatening to kill.
They also charged the 60-year-old with possessing methamphetamine and cannabis after allegedly finding the drugs in his property Tauranga District Court was told. Court officials confirmed Rudd a long-time member of one of the world's highest grossing bands was granted bail and ordered to reappear on Nov 27. He looked tired and tousled as he appeared in court shoeless and wearing a baggy grey jumper with his lawyer unsuccessfully arguing that media should not be allowed to take images of him because they just wanted to capture his client 'at his worst'. He was not required to enter a plea during his brief appearance but court documents reveal he is accused of trying to organise a hitman to kill two men in late Sept although judge Louis Bidois suppressed the identities of those involved. Rudd who has played on hits including 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap' and 'Highway to Hell' refused to comment after leaving court and was driven away in a silver Mercedes Benz. Attract Under New Zealand law attempting 'to procure any person to murder any other person' is punishable by up to 10 years in jail while threatening to kill can attract a seven-year sentence. Stunned fans reacted on social media airing concerns about the future of the band which is still reeling from the retirement of founding member Malcolm Young in September after he entered a Sydney care facility suffering from dementia. 'This is so shocking i hope its not true but i will be praying for u guys and i hope yalls pull through this and bring him back' Joseph Anderson wrote on the band's official Facebook page which has more than 30 million likes. Tina Durst Van Gundy posted: 'No matter... still one of my all time favourite bands... hang in there guys.' Australian-born Rudd joined the band in 1975 and left in 1983 after arguing with founding member Malcolm Young. He moved to New Zealand at the time settling in the coastal community of Tauranga about 150 kms (90 miles) southeast of Auckland. He remained in the area even after patching up his differences with the band in 1994 using it as his base as he followed a punishing global touring schedule with the notoriously hard-living heavy metal pioneers. Rudd was part of the AC/DC line-up inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and won a Grammy for best hard rock performance with the band for 'War Machine' in 2010. Later that year he was convicted of cannabis possession after police raided his boat receiving a fine of NZ$250 ($190). AC/DC are one of the best selling music acts of all time amassing sales estimated at 200 million albums worldwide featuring songs that remain staples on classic rock radio including 'Back in Black' 'Jailbreak' and 'High Voltage'. Rudd who released a solo album 'Head Job' in Aug said earlier this year that Malcolm Young's illness would not spell the end for the band. 'It'll never happen. Angus (Young) will never retire and as long as Angus never retires I won't retire either' he said then. The band have since announced a new album 'Rock or Bust' will shortly be released and they were due to undertake a world tour in 2015. The Australian-born drummer has also been charged with threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. Court staff said Rudd was due to make a second appearance Nov 27 although that date could change. He has yet to enter a plea. AC/DC was due to release the 'Rock or Bust' album next month and had planned a world tour next year. It was unclear whether Thursday's events would affect those plans. Rudd and the other members of AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 in Cleveland. It calls them one of the best-loved and hardest-rocking bands in the world. 'Featuring guitarist Angus Young as their visual symbol and musical firebrand they grew from humble origins in Australia to become an arena-filling phenomenon with worldwide popularity. They did so without gimmickry except for Angus's schoolboy uniform which became mandatory stage attire' said the Hall of Fame's biography. According to the biography Rudd first joined AC/DC in 1974 the year after it was started. Other reports indicate he left the band in 1983 but rejoined again in 1994. The Bay of Plenty Times reported that Rudd first moved to New Zealand in 1983 during the period when he had left the band and in 2011 bought a Tauranga restaurant he named Phil's Place. The restaurant's website says it represents Rudd's long-held vision to 'offer you fresh local food at affordable prices delivered by warm and friendly staff.' AC/DC's albums include 'Highway to Hell' ''Back in Black' and 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.' Even the US military has used the band's music for martial purposes. In 2004 US troops blasted AC/DC's 'Hell's Bells' and other rock music full volume in Fallujah Iraq hoping to grate on the nerves of Sunni Muslim gunmen. In recent years AC/DC became known as one of the few acts that refused to allow its music to be released digitally on iTunes. It finally relented in late 2012. This year the band announced that founding member Malcolm Young brother of Angus was leaving due to unspecified health reasons.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.