The last couple of years for AC/DC have been full of ups and downs. The band had to replace two of their members, as Malcolm Young left the group as deal he battles dementia while drummer Phil Rudd deals with legal issues after being arrested in New Zealand on charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. Conversely, in the past few months, the band opened the 2015 Grammy Awards receiving rave reviews, headlined Coachella music festival for the first time, released their new disc Rock or Bust and scheduled their first world tour in five years.

AC/DC’s Brian Johnson was recently interviewed by U.K. newspaper The Telegraph, he told the outlet that Malcolm Young was the inspiration behind their new music and tour. “It’s just given us that impetus to just do it for him because you know before the dementia really took hold of him he said ‘just get out and make music lads, just for me one more time’,” Johnson continued. “I don’t want to be sentimental about this because, boy oh boy, I’m not a sentimental kind of guy. But that’s what we’re doing.”

While you wouldn’t know it from watching Johnson onstage, the 67-year-old rocker says he is becoming more aware of his own mortality, as some of his rock peers are dealing with health issues and even dying. “At this time of my life, you know, I just keep reading the newspaper and saying ‘Oh My God. When I read about Joe Cocker, I went, 'But that’s impossible; he cannot be dead; he’s only 70!" I mean I’m aware of the fact that I’m not long for the world but, I guess, I’m just not afraid of death. I don’t believe in anything so therefore I’m not afraid what’s gonna happen afterwards.” (Read more about Cocker's death here.)

AC/DC play Coachella allover again tomorrow (April 17). They then head to Europe on May 5 for a slew of dates, before bringing their trek back to the United States on Aug. 22 in Foxborough, Mass.

You Think You Know AC/DC?

More From Loudwire