Phil Rudd, the iconic drummer of AC/DC, made his long-awaited return to the live stage on November 2—though not with his famous band. Rudd performed T.N.T., one of AC/DC’s most beloved hits, with a local party band in New Zealand, marking his first live performance in some time.

The performance quickly caught the attention of AC/DC fans, many of whom expressed their desire to see Rudd back with the band. One fan commented under the video, “Please come back to AC/DC Phil. WE MISS YOU,” while another enthusiastically added, “HELL YEAH!!! His butt needs to be on stage with AC/DC, NOW!!!”

In a November 2023 interview with Stuff, Rudd shared that he wasn’t able to join AC/DC for their performance at the Power Trip festival in California the previous year but expressed hope for a future reunion with the band. “I’m looking forward to playing with them again in the future,” Rudd said at the time.

When AC/DC announced that drummer Matt Laug would fill in for Rudd at Power Trip, the band did not provide any specific reason for his absence. Rudd had rejoined the band in 2020 for their Power Up album, marking his return after a hiatus.

Rudd’s absence from AC/DC began in 2015, when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention in New Zealand following charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. During his time away from the band, Chris Slade stepped in as the drummer for the Rock or Bust tour. Slade, who had previously played with AC/DC from 1989 to 1994, including on their The Razor’s Edge album, was the band’s live drummer during Rudd’s break.

While fans are excited to see Rudd back on stage, many are still holding out hope that his next performance will be with AC/DC, where his drumming legacy first made its mark.