Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap: Behind the AC/DC “Curse” and Phil Rudd Scandal

News broke recently in Australia reporting that Phil Rudd, long-time drummer of Australian rock group AC/DC, has been charged with attempting to have two men killed, according to court filings.

The news arrives just as the band had been gearing up for their first promotional tour for an album in six years, following the band's previous debut, Black Ice. Recent promotional shots for the new album, Rock or Bust, which will appear in stores in early December, did not feature Rudd, who was cited as having been absent due to a "family emergency."

As expected, there have been numerous varied opinions about the future of the band, as well as the latest charges against Rudd, which could result in up to ten years in prison if he is convicted. Especially after an interview with AC/DC biographer Susan Masino that aired recently, a number of dissenting opinions have been argued pertaining to the situation; some even going so far as to allege a famous "curse" has yet again befallen the band, whose long history of ill fortune includes the death of singer Bon Scott in 1980, as well as the more recent announcement of the retirement of guitarist Malcolm Young due to health concerns (Similar allegations of "curses" have been levied with regard to bands such as Led Zeppelin, who, in the 1970s, were targeted as being cursed due to guitarist Jimmy Page's involvement with magic and the occult).

With regard to Rudd, it should be noted that the actions of one individual cannot fairly be levied against those who are associated with him, which in this case applies to the other members of the group, who have stated publicly on their Facebook page that they have only recently learned of the circumstances themselves, as the allegations have been unfolding. Furthermore, despite allegations of hard-rock "curses" and negative, diabolical influences, the band has carried on through numerous such setbacks in the past, and no doubt will move forward past this one (which, again, the recent photos of the band, minus-Rudd, seem to indicate).

In addition to the allegations of "curses" and "conspiracies," there are some interesting statements that have been issued by the Australian press which argue a slightly different narrative. Many reports featured by sources ranging from The Guardian and CNN point out that the charges included against Rudd involved possession of methamphetamines and marijuana, which help portray the circumstances in a decidedly negative light (then again, conspiracy to arrange for murders to take place is about as negative as you can get).

However, New Zealand-based Stuff.co, who broke the story, carried an interesting interview with the purported "gun for hire" that Rudd purportedly had communicated with about the arrangements, who claims Rudd had merely wanted to hire him as a bodyguard due to disputes with the partners of "working girls" to whom he may have owed outstanding debts:

"[T]he man, whose name is suppressed, said Rudd had wanted him to become his bodyguard because of a number of threats he was receiving... and the man said that was because of disputes with "working girls".

"The girls that he gets, working girls and that, their partners get pissed off, he tells them ‘nah I'm not paying you' and then the partners come and say they want their money."

The source further described Rudd as a good-hearted man who had "done a lot for the community", and had purportedly "single-handedly [kept] some businesses afloat," drawing comparisons between Rudd and famous Playboy Hugh Hefner.

"I hope they get it sorted out and he gets back on track," the unidentified "gun for hire" reportedly told Fairfax.

The insinuations here are that the reasons for hiring the unnamed individual were for personal protection, though sadly, it isn't too far from possibility that the charges in the court proceedings are still accurate, possibly stemming from the paranoia that had resulted in bodyguards and security that appeared around Rudd's home for weeks already. Ultimately, the courts will decide to what extent the famous musician's involvement in possible conspiracy warrants justice, and to what extent his penalties will be.

Update: As of November 7, news reports indicating the initial charges of murder-for-hire against Rudd have been dropped, though previous charges regarding threats of murder and drug possession are still in place.