I first heard INXS in late 1980, when a friend living in Australia sent me a tape of the debut album. I was mostly into punk music at the time, but I was intrigued by what I heard. The Clash had turned many of us onto ska, reggae, and world music. I thought Underneath the Colours was an interesting album too, especially the song ‘Stay Young’ which had a great ska/reggae feel to it.
But it wasn’t until Shabooh Shoobah was released that I fully appreciated the international flare of their music, and the funky back beat made me sit up and really take notice of the band. It was also at this time that college radio in Canada was playing Midnight Oil regularly, and they helped create an interest in other Australian bands.
By the time The Swing came out, with great songs like ‘Original Sin,’ ‘Dancing on the Jetty,’ and ‘Burn for You,’ I had embraced the band. It was also a time when I heard INXS in regular rotation at the gay bars I used to go dancing at with my friends.
When Listen Like Thieves was released, I was completely hooked. It is still one of my favourite INXS albums.
It was a good thing that I didn’t know what they looked like for several years, because the mullets and other hair styles probably would have turned me off.
I was lucky enough to see them play a few times in the 1980s and early 1990s.
I was at school when I heard that Michael Hutchence had died. It reminded me of the night I heard John Lennon had died. I was devastated, and numb for quite awhile. Michael will always be in my thoughts and my heart.
When the auditions began for Rockstar: INXS, I was sceptical that they would be able to find someone with enough talent and charisma to front the band. The summer of 2005 was an emotional roller coaster ride of reality show, great rock and roll performances, marathon four hour voting sessions, and eliminations, which left us with one JD Fortune as the Rockstar. With his raw intensity he emerged as an early favourite of mine, and I was not put off by what some thought was excessive cockiness. My main concern was whether or not he had the vocal chops to handle the INXS back catalogue, and what he could bring to the mix. Those fears were put aside by episode 16 of Rockstar: INXS when we got the birth of Pretty Vegas, and I got to hear JD and Suzie do a live performance on Star 98.7 in Los Angeles. On that fateful night of September 20, 2005 I was thrilled when Tim announced that JD was right for their band.
Words cannot express how delighted I was that they were a complete band again. I love Switch, and in February 2006 when I got the chance to see the band perform at Massey Hall in Toronto, for the first time in fifteen years, I knew just how right that choice was. JD fits the band extremely well, so well in fact that I have a hard time reconciling the fact that right now, as the second leg of the North American tour winds down, he has been a member of the band for less than a year.
I am thrilled that INXS has a second chance, and I hope to hear much more music for many years to come. Andrew, Jon, Tim, Kirk, Garry, and JD, thank you for making such beautiful music together and rocking my world. I love you all from the bottom of my heart.
Ember, June 2006
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