Following rumours that arose earlier this week concerning the future of legendary Australian hard rock act AC/DC, frontman Brian Johnson has told The Telegraph that the band are not splitting up over concerns for the health of one of the members, and will proceed with new recording sessions.

“We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver,” Johnson told The Telegraph. “We’re going to pick up some guitars, have a plonk, and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens, we’ll record it.” Johnson’s comments come after 24 hours of widespread speculation.

However, Johnson did confirm that one member of the group — widely thought to be rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, the brother of iconic lead guitarist Angus Young — has indeed been suffering from ill-health, but denied that this would mean the end of the road for the legendary riff-makers.

“I wouldn’t like to say anything either way about the future,” Johnson added. “I’m not ruling anything out. One of the boys has a debilitating illness, but I don’t want to say too much about it. He is very proud and private, a wonderful chap. We’ve been pals for 35 years and I look up to him very much.”

Addressing reports that the band are planning an extensive tour to mark their 40th anniversary — which would reportedly involve 40 concerts in 40 different venues — Johnson said, “That would be a wonderful way to say bye bye. We would love to do it. But it’s all up in the air at the moment.”

“AC/DC is such a tight family,” the frontman, who joined the band after the death of Bon Scott, continued. “We’ve stuck to our guns through the Eighties and Nineties when people were saying we should change our clothes and our style. But we didn’t and people got it that we are the real deal.”

Among the various conflicting reports were comments recently made by Mark Gable, frontman of Australian band the Choirboys, to ABC Radio. As News Limited reports, the frontman and friend of the reportedly ailing guitarist said, “It’s not just that he is unwell, it’s that it is quite serious. It will constitute that he definitely won’t be able to perform live… He will probably not be able to record.”