Phil Rudd not in AC/DC NZ shows

Tauranga-based drummer Phil Rudd will not be playing with AC/DC when they tour here at the end of the year.

Tour manager Garry Van Egmond confirmed Rudd would not be playing in any of the New Zealand concerts.

"Chris Slade will be on drums - he replaced Phil when he left the band some years back and he has been playing in the Rock or Bust tour worldwide."

As to whether Rudd had permanently left AC/DC Van Egmond said he could not answer that and did not know the answer.

He said there was "no confirmation that Phil has left the band permanently".

"All I can say is that Phill will not be playing in the New Zealand concerts."

He said that having arranged AC/DC concerts in New Zealand and Australia for 30 years he had worked with Rudd before on four tours including the last time they played in New Zealand in 2010.

The two New Zealand dates, December 12 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington and December 15 at Western Springs in Auckland, was the end of the Rock or Bust tour as the band wanted to be home for Christmas.

Van Egmond did not know whether Rudd would be attending the concerts or whether the band would be visiting him when they were in New Zealand.

Tickets will be on sale from midday June 22 for $169.90.

Van Egmond said AC/DC never allowed pre-sales. He said the band had tried to keep ticket prices about the same as when they last played in New Zealand five years ago.

Van Egmond expected tickets to sell quickly and confirmed no more New Zealand dates would be announced.

When tickets went on sale in Australia in April this year 300,000 sold out in one day.

42,000 kiwis had pre-registered interest in the tickets and were sent an email advising them of the dates this morning.

The tour had been a success so far in Europe.

The band had just played to more than 100,000 in Nuremberg, Germany.