Well, Well, Well

• Charges against Phil Rudd have been reduced to basically (my interpretation) attempted murder. I would put my money on him still not being in the band, but there is a little more to the story than appears. Here is a nifty timeline for Mr. Rudd - thanks to Ultimate Classic Rock:

May 19, 1954: Phil Rudd (full name: Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis) is born in Melbourne, Australia.

1973: He forms Buster Brown with future Rose Tattoo singer Gary “Angry” Anderson.

December 1974: After recording one album (‘Something to Say’) with Buster Brown, Rudd auditions for and joins AC/DC. Over the next decade, the group become international superstars.

April 1983: Rudd parts ways with AC/DC after recording his drum parts for the album ‘Flick of the Switch.’ Reports vary as to whether he quit or was fired, but drug and alcohol abuse, as well as personality conflicts with guitarist Malcolm Young, have been cited as factors for his departure.

1994: He rejoins AC/DC after being invited to several informal jam sessions by Malcolm and Angus Young. Beginning with 1995′s ‘Ballbreaker,’ Rudd has appeared on every studio album and tour since that time, including the upcoming 2014 release ‘Rock or Bust.’

Oct. 7, 2010: Rudd is caught by police with 25 grams of cannabis aboard his boat in Tauranga, New Zealand. He is convicted for possession of marijuana that December, but in April of 2011 the conviction was wiped from his record after it was argued that it would keep him from traveling abroad for AC/DC tours.

July 2011: He branches out into a new venture by announcing that he will open a seafood restaurant in Tauranga called “Phil’s Place.”

July 2012: Three employees at Phil’s Place are fired following an incident in which his dinner order was delivered to his airport hangar instead of his boat. Rudd reportedly verbally abused the staff and kicked the back door and a garbage can. He is subsequently sued for wrongful termination, and the restaurant is closed until April 2013.

March 5, 2014: The drummer is accused of lying when he fails to mention his 2010 marijuana conviction on his application for a New Zealand pilot’s license. A judge clears him of the charge due to insufficient evidence.

March 11, 2014: The Employee Relations Authority rules in favor of the former employees in the wrongful termination case stemming from the July 2012 incident. Rudd is ordered to pay $72,000 New Zealand dollars, the equivalent of more than $55,600 in U.S. dollars.

Aug. 29, 2014: Rudd releases his first-ever solo album, ‘Head Job,’ which features the single, ‘Repo Man.’

Oct. 4, 2014: AC/DC film videos for two songs from ‘Rock or Bust’ without Rudd. Singer Brian Johnson explains that a “family emergency” kept the drummer from attending the shoot.

Oct. 16, 2014: AC/DC raises eyebrows by posting a new group photo without Rudd on their Facebook page. The band offers no official explanation for the omission.

Nov. 5, 2014: Rudd is charged with attempting to procure a murder, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and threatening to kill after police searched his home in Mauta, New Zealand.

Nov. 6, 2014: AC/DC issue a statement that offered no comment on the arrest, but declares that “Phil’s absence will not affect the release of our new album ‘Rock or Bust’ and upcoming tour next year.”

Nov. 6, 2014: The procuring-murder charge — the most major charge — against Rudd is dropped due to what his lawyer termed “insufficient evidence.” The other charges remain.