Web traffic hits peak for Phil Rudd interview

The exclusive interview by indulge magazine editor Annemarie Quill with AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd about his new restaurant in Tauranga has gone viral, showing up on websites and fan pages around the world.

The story has more than 25,000 page views and rising - breaking all previous records on bayofplentytimes.co.nz.

"The online story has been quickly picked up by international AC/DC fan sites like acdczone.com and acdcfans.net and a lot more general music, rock and drummer websites feature it as well," bayofplentytimes.co.nz online editor Martine Rolls said.

"These websites all link back to the Bay of Plenty Times website, which explains the enormous peak in traffic this week."

Ms Rolls said online staff were keeping a close eye on the statistics each day and even though she had no doubt this story would be popular, she had no idea it would be this big.

"It has been shared from the Bay of Plenty Times website to Facebook more than 9000 times and this number keeps rising each day."

Comments on the website include an entry from Martin McGreevy from Oregon in the US.

He said: "Phil Rudd has made a great monument on the Islands in the South Pacific. Thank you, Phil Rudd for being my inspiration for all these years!"

Quill said: "It is exciting for the Bay that the story has been shared around the world, generating interest in Tauranga - particularly at the time of the Rugby World Cup when the eyes of the world are fixed on New Zealand.

"We have had comments and emails from Phil's fans as far afield as the US and Europe. But I think the most excitement is building right here in town.

"Most people I have spoken to have told me they just can't wait to try his restaurant out."