In a recent chat with Rock FM, Mark Evans recalled how Malcolm Young had a big clash with Geezer Butler.
The bassist discussed AC/DC’s tour with Black Sabbath in 1977 and how they were kicked from the tour:
“We didn’t make it all the way through that tour. We only made about halfway through and we got kicked off the tour.”
Evans revealed the altercation between Malcolm and Geezer:
“I wasn’t there at the time, but evidently, there was some sort of problem between Malcolm and the bass player from Black Sabbath, Geezer Butler. There was some problem between them, and a little bit of a punch up.”
Malcolm And Geezer Had Different Statements About The Incident
Black Sabbath and AC/DC toured together in Europe in 1977. During a show in Paris, AC/DC’s gear got damaged, and it caused a fight. Butler was drunk and tired. He argued with Young and pulled a knife. Osbourne stopped them. Still, their stories about the fight differed. Malcolm said in an earlier interview:
“We were staying in the same hotel, and Geezer was in the bar, crying in his bear, ’10 years I’ve been in this band, 10 years — wait till you guys have been around 10 years, you’ll feel like us.’ I said ‘I don’t think so.’ I was giving him no sympathy. He’d had too many drinks and he pulled out this silly flick knife. As luck would have it, Ozzy walked in and says to Geezer, ‘You f*ckin’ idiot, Butler, go to bed!’ Ozzy saved the day, and we sat up all night with him.”
Geezer’s Version Of The Story
Butler responded to him in a 2016 interview with Classic Rock:
“No, I didn’t pull a knife. I always had flick-knives when I was growing up because everybody used to go around stabbing each other in Aston. Flick-knives were banned in England, but when we were playing Switzerland, I bought one. I was just flicking it when Malcolm Young came up to me and started slagging Sabbath. I was just playing with the knife. I was really excited to get one again. I was having a drink and flicking my knife—like you do—and he came over and said: ‘You must think you’re big, having a flick-knife.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ And that was it. Nobody got hurt.”
Evans got fired from AC/DC in late 1977. The musician later mentioned not getting along with Angus and Malcolm as one reason. Cliff Williams took his place.