The Lives of Brian

“It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. And I’ll never do it again!” says Brian Johnson of The Lives of Brian. That AC/DC’s legendary frontman got to do it all is one of the most cheering and entertaining stories in rock’n’roll history.

The son of a British army sergeant major and Italian mother, Brian grew up in Dunston, Tyne and Wear, as it emerged from the shadow of the Second World War. Then he saw Little Richard on the BBC and it changed the course of his life.

The choir boy and sea scout was going to be a singer.

For over a decade he tried to make his mark with a succession of bands. He appeared frequently on TV and toured Europe and Australia with Geordie, yet real success slipped out of reach. Brian had a family to support and a mortgage to pay, so was forced to take a succession of jobs eventually leading to him running his own business. But if fate had a plan for Brian . . . fate didn’t stand a chance.

Out of the blue, he was invited to London for an audition for one of the world’s best up-and-coming acts. AC/DC were a band in crisis following the tragic death of their lead singer, Bon Scott, but with Brian on board they would record their masterpiece: Back in Black. It became the biggest-selling rock album of all time. The tour that followed played to packed-out arenas and Brian was embraced by their fans. But there was to be a twist in the tale. In 2016, Brian was forced to quit the band after being diagnosed with hearing loss, only to make a triumphant return to the band he loved with the release of 2020’s smash hit album Power Up. Brian has lived many lives within his lifetime, but somehow he’s kept his feet on the ground, never losing touch with his roots.

Touching, personal, indomitable, but always laugh-out-loud funny, The Lives of Brian is the story of one of the world’s best-loved performers, told in his own inimitable and unique voice. ‘Nine lives, Cat’s Eyes. Abusing every one of them, and running wild.’