AC/DC have not spoken to Phil Rudd since his arrest: 'That guy needs to sort himself out'

Angus Young revealed the band have had 'problems' with the drummer

AC-DC in 2000 from left: Brian Johnson, Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, Angus Young and Phil Rudd (Getty Images)

Rock group AC/DC had "problems" with drummer Phil Rudd before he was charged with attempting to procure murder earlier this month, and have not spoken to him since.

Rudd's arrest on 6 November "took everyone by surprise", according to his bandmate Angus Young, but there had been conflict while recording their latest album.

"It was tough to get him [into the studio] in the first place," bassist Cliff Williams told USA Today.

"It put us in a difficult situation," added Young. "It put is in a spot where we couldn't move forward. Does the guy show up? Is he reliable to do his job in good shape? We've always been a solid reliable unit. At this stage, it's a pretty tough call for us."

While Rudd did finish recording upcoming album Rock or Bust with the band, he has missed a photo shoot and recent video shoots.

Rudd was also charged with possession of marijuana and methamphetamine. His murder-for-hire charge was dropped within 24 hours but he could still face a maximum prison term of seven years for another charge of threatening to kill. Rudd will appear in court in New Zealand on 27 November.

"When you get in that land [alleged drug usage], it's very hard," Young continued. "I don't know the exact situation. I can only say, from our perspective, that guy needs to sort himself out."

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd

Rudd was kicked out of AC/DC in 1983, before he re-joined in 1994. Now, his future looks doubtful.

"At this point it's kind of a question mark," said Young. "But if we're touring, there will be a drummer in place, put it that way."

Young's brother Malcolm was revealed to be suffering from dementia earlier this year, forcing him to retire from the band.