A rare clip of AC/DC’s lead singer, Brian Johnson, performing Toto’s iconic song “Hold The Line” is gaining widespread attention online.
By Website Content Manager
The video was captured in 2001, during a period when the AC/DC lead singer performed a series of intimate shows and recorded renditions of two classic folk songs.
The idea of Brian Johnson singing a Toto song might seem like one of those AI-created mashups, where vocals from an unexpected source are layered over a familiar track. However, this is the real deal.
In September 2001, just two months after AC/DC’s Stiff Upper Lip tour concluded, Johnson embarked on a brief tour with Geordie II, a tribute band to Geordie, the group he was part of before joining AC/DC in 1980 following Bon Scott’s death.
The tour, which took place across six venues in the North East of England, kicked off at Newcastle’s 1200-capacity Opera House, where 800 lucky fans enjoyed a mix of covers and original tracks. Johnson was accompanied by guitarist Derek Rootham, bassist Dave Robson, and drummer Dave Whittaker, none of whom were part of the original Geordie lineup. However, they did perform songs from that era, including the folk tune “Wor Geordie’s Lost His Liggie” from Geordie’s debut album, Hope You Like It, and “Can You Do It,” a single released the same year.
The rest of the setlist was a mix of covers, ranging from tunes Johnson grew up with, like The Animals’ We Gotta Get Out Of This Place and Nina Simone’s Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, to rock classics that fit his style, such as Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll, Black Dog, Rainbow’s Since You’ve Been Gone, and AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie. However, one song stood out as a surprising choice for the gritty-voiced frontman: Hold The Line by Toto.
Instead of mimicking Bobby Kimball’s original vocal style, Johnson, wearing a Newcastle United football shirt, gave the song a powerful, Back In Black-style performance that worked surprisingly well. Fast forward to 2025, and the footage has gone viral, with the video being widely shared on TikTok and resurfacing on YouTube.
During their brief time together, Johnson and Geordie also took to the studio to record two tracks. The first was a new rendition of Wor Geordie’s Lost His Liggie, while the second was Byker Hill, a traditional folk song from the early 1800s. The former has a folksy, singalong quality that would make a great AC/DC intro, while the latter brings back Geordie’s hard rock sound, albeit with a sea shanty-like ending. Both tracks, credited solely to Johnson, were featured on two compilation CDs released in late 2001: The Northumbria Anthology – From Tees To Tyne and The Northumbria Anthology – From Tyne To Tweed. These compilations also included contributions from artists like Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music, Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, and David Clelland, the then-member of parliament for the Tyne Bridge constituency.