HAYSEED Dixie’s first album, A Hillbilly Tribute To AC/DC, refashioned some of the band’s greatest anthems with a mad mix of banjo, mandolin, lap-steel guitar and a hefty dose of satire.

And for John Wheeler, Hayseed Dixie’s charismatic leader, it changed his life.

“One day our tour manager said to me, ‘Do you mind if I give Cliff Williams your mobile phone number?

“AC/DC want you to play at their party.

“I’m going, ‘This is April Fool’s Day, right? You cannot be serious man, the bassist from AC/DC? Never.’ “So a couple of months later I’m driving through the wilds of North Carolina, trying to find their house.

“I didn’t have a Sat-Nav, so Cliff was on the phone going, ‘Turn left at the Post office, right at the garage and drive 40 miles — and when you get to the big house by the lake then you’ll see the smoke!

“I parked the van, walked through a gate and AC/DC were all there, partying hard next to the biggest barbecue in the world.

“Cliff Williams shook my hand and said: ‘It’s is a great honour to meet you guys, what time do you want to rock?

“Suddenly, we were on a tiny stage banging out our version of Hells Bells with AC/DC jumping around in front of us with their hands in the air.

“It was the most surreal experience of my life.”

The power of AC/DC had an influence on every rock fan growing up loving heavy metal music in the ‘70s and ‘80s — but Hayseed Dixie gave their pumping tunes a fresh spin.

“AC/DC remain the template for meat and potatoes, straight-ahead rock and roll,” said Wheeler.

“But the difference is that one day I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren about the day we headlined for AC/DC in their own back garden.”

Kiss, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Motorhead are just some of the artists who have undergone the Hayseed Dixie rockgrass treatment since.

“None of us thought we’d make a career out of this, but the last decade has been a joy,” he added. “It started out with the guys having a few beers in a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee, and 10,000 beers later we’ve played all over the world.”

Taking a break from the band, Wheeler produced his first solo record, Un-American Gothic, including his own version of The Jam’s hit Eton Rifles.

“We had become a bit like a factory assembly line, working on autopilot, and doing 100 shows every year for a decade had worn us pretty thin of inspiration.

“I had written a bunch of songs over the past couple of years that didn’t really fit with the style and direction of the band.

“When I heard that the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, had named Eton Rifles as his favourite song of all time, it occurred to me that maybe Dave had not actually listened to the words.

“I enjoyed making the album and it always makes me smile when I read reviews.

“One of the guys from Chumbawamba gave Un-American Gothic one star in a magazine, saying how much he hated it.

“He absolutely trashed it and it had obviously got under his skin.

“But I didn’t write it for him did I?

“I laughed out loud when I read it.”

  • Hayseed Dixie, 53 Degrees, Preston, Wednesday, June 26. Details from www.53 degrees.net