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June 1999
June
28, 1999:
Belated
birthday wishes to Garry Gary Beers, who turned 42 last week.
The Sunday
Telegraph is reporting that several acts are bidding to perform the
official song for the 2000 Olympic Games to be held in Sydney. INXS songwriter
Andrew Farriss and Yothu Yindi's Mandawuy Yunupingu have penned a song
entitled "Calling All Nations" for consideration as the anthem. Apparently,
over 1000 songs have been submitted to Rob Hirst of Midnight Oil, who
has been appointed to go through the songs. (thanks to
kerry bergh)
Xpressway
Management reports that footage from the Stadium Australia gig has been
serviced to MTV and may be shown in the US within the next few weeks.
MTV Australia has already played the concert last Friday evening. The
show along with rehearsal footage will be available from inxs.com once
the site is revamped. Currently, the site offers a 40 second sample of
"God Tank" by Garry's side band Mudhead.
Michael's
ex-girlfriend and supermodel Helena Christensen is expecting a child in
November with boyfriend Norman Reedus. Congratulations to the happy couple!
(thanks to karen lobb)
June
16, 1999:
From InMusic&Media: "According to Tim Farriss after the band's
triumphant four song set with Terence Trent D'Arby singing, at the official
opening of Stadium Australia on Saturday June 12, "We felt great up there.
Terence was very sensitive to the situation and he gave an awesome performance.
It's given us a big taste of performing live again and we are all really
pleased with the way it went." At this stage, there are no [further] definite
live plans. D'Arby was definitely a one-off only: D'Arby has returned
to Los Angeles to finish his solo album and finalise a world tour. The
INXS set was just part of an overall entertainment package before a special
soccer match between Australia and FIFA. It was attended by crowd of 88,101.
Notably nervous backstage before, surrounded by family and friends, INXS
performed high energy but faithful renditions of "Kick", "New Sensation",
"What You Need" and "Never Tear Us Apart". Doing the latter song was probably
the hardest thing for the band. It was played at Michael Hutchence's funeral.
It was hard for INXS fans to take as well. Just before the song, Terence
dedicated it to the "loving memory of our friend Michael Hutchence". The
crowd went nuts but during the song emotions were clearly running high.
Backstage, roadies, associates and media began to weep. Almost two years
later, the Australian music industry has yet to come to terms with the
sudden death of its first international rock star. Before the show, soft-spoken
37-year old D'Arby said, "This will be a cathartic experience to try to
heal the pain (of Hutchence's death). It was an opportunity that something
deep inside told me to take."
Critics drooled about the band's performance, their Peter Morrissey-designed
costumes, and their choice of D'Arby. After the performance, INXS stayed
for a after-event show in the grounds, mingling with sportspersons and
politicians. They then split for their own party at a hotel, where they
were joined by friends, family, long-time friends like Wendy Matthews
and her manager Gary Grant (who once co-managed INXS), members of Terence's
entourage, and cricket hero Dean Jones whose company coordinated the night's
entertainment and had been instrumental in getting INXS back onstage.
Tim Farriss was particularly keen to talk to Jones. Farriss has expressed
interest in joining cricketer Michael Bevan's Manly District Cricket Club.
(thanks to kerry bergh) (photographs by gregg porteous)
WFNX in
Boston recently played the Top 500 Songs of All-Time according to area
listeners. INXS was represented on the countdown by "New Sensation" (#205)
and "The One Thing" (#294). Finishing at #1 was the Violent Femmes' seminal
classic "Blister In The Sun."
June
15, 1999:
Undercover
is reporting that material set for INXS' forthcoming disc is currently
being mixed by Rollo in London. Rollo is Rollo Armstrong, founding member
of the British group Faithless and a prolific English dance music producer
in his own right. Among Rollo's credits include remixes of U2's "Numb,"
Olive's "You're Not Alone," Snap!'s "Rhythm Is A Dancer," and Pet Shop
Boy's "Can You Forgiver Her?" Faithless, who broke on the scene with the
million-selling Reverence, released a new album Sunday 8PM
last fall. The band have also appeared on several soundtracks, including
Cruel Intentions, A Life Less Ordinary, Forces Of Nature,
and A Night At The Roxbury. (ed note: xpressway
management has unequivocally denied this report)
The latest
issue of Australia's WHO magazine features "The 100 Greatest Moments
In Rock & Pop." At #25 is Michael Hutchence's funeral. Personally, I think
INXS' triumphant 1991 sold-out Wembley Stadium gig is a much more fitting
"great moment" in rock... (thanks to vince)
June
13, 1999:
Excerpted
from today's Sunday Telegraph: "THE jewel of Sydney's Olympic crown,
Stadium Australia, was officially opened last night with a multi-million
dollar spectacular of sport and entertainment. A near-capacity crowd packed
into the home of the Sydney 2000 Olympics for what was described as a
once-in-a-lifetime historic celebration of "the powers of man's dreams."
Before the Australian Socceroos match against the FIFA World Stars, hundreds
of dancers, school children, singers, musicians and theatre stars turned
on a dazzling performance backed by an amazing display of lasers and fireworks.
Much-loved songwriter Mike (Up There Cazaly) Brady unveiled his latest
work, Courage in Their Eyes. The stirring anthem is shortlisted
to become the official Sydney Olympics theme. International chart-toppers
Men at Work, who recently re-formed for a national tour, finished their
set with their signature song and unofficial anthem, Down Under. And then,
one of the moments the crowd had been waiting for - the much-anticipated
return of INXS to the performance arena. Fronted by special guest vocalist
Terence Trent D'Arby, the group had the stadium pumping with four of their
biggest hits: Kick, New Sensation, What You Need
and Never Tear Us Apart. D'Arby proved to be a wise choice for
frontman, giving an energetic and faithful rendition of the songs. (thanks
to sherrianne morrison)
Tom Jones
and Natalie Imbruglia have recorded a a cover of INXS' Never Tear Us
Apart for Jones' forthcoming album Reloaded. The concept is
an album of covers with duets from various contemporary pop and rock acts.
The album will be released through Gut Records in the UK and Festival
Records in Australia (US distributor unknown). Other cover/duets on the
album include Lenny Kravitz' Are You Gonna Go My Way? with Robbie
Williams, Talking Heads' Burning Down The House with the Cardigans,
and Iggy Pop's Lust For Life with Chrissie Hyndes.
June
10, 1999:
Richard
Wilkins presented exclusive rehearsal footage of INXS and Terence Trent
D'Arby preparing for this Saturday's 16 minute performance at Stadium
Australia this morning on Sydney's Today television program. A
brief clip of D'Arby soulfully singing the classic What You Need
was shown. Unconfirmed rumors have been floating that two of the songs
performed will be What You Need and New Sensation .(thanks
to craig barnett)
June
6, 1999:
The following
article appears in today's The Sunday Telegraph:
There was not a moment's awkwardness yesterday when Terence Trent D'Arby
met the band he will front for an historic concert to officially open
Stadium Australia this weekend. Terence and the five members of INXS bonded
instantly on a cruise around Sydney Harbour as they began preparations
for their performance preceding the FIFA All Stars and Socceroos match
on Saturday. Although the American singer had enjoyed a friendship with
the late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, there were members of the band
he had not met. Taking time out from recording, Terence said he had agreed
to step into Hutchence's role simply because it felt right. "Something
deep within me that I listen to told me to say 'yes'," he said.
(thanks to john vink)
June
5, 1999:
INXS' return
show on June 12 at the official opening of the 110,000-capacity Stadium
Australia in Sydney - with guest singer Terence Trent D'Arby - will be
televised in Australia on the Seven Network. According to a management
source, a live webcast of the performance is being worked on, but it is
unlikely to occur. InMusic&Media writes: "The band's return is
a result of pestering by Aussie cricket great Dean Jones since last October.
Jones' company Left Field Solutions won the tender to provide entertainment
for the opening. Jones told journalist Simon Pristel, "We could have gone
for anyone in the world but I wanted INXS (because) I'm a fan." Jones'
celebrity as a cricketer gave him him access to the band. So too did the
fact he went to Waverly High School in Melbourne with David Edwards, who
is management consultant to the band. They finally agreed six weeks ago
because, says Jones, "They are sports nuts, and they understand the importance
of the Olympics, and they wanted to cement their names in history."
German TV
station DSF will broadcast the celebrity football match on Saturday June
12th from 12:50 - 15: 00 CET. It is unknown at present whether they will
also be showing INXS' performance before the match. (thanks
to andrea mueller)
The Sydney
Morning Herald reports that, "...In 1984, the six INXS band members bought
themselves a handy little Neutral Bay residential investment property.
It was the first of many collective property buys by the band as they
invested their megastar earnings in bricks and mortar. The unrenovated
Hayes Street duplex cost them just $258,000 back then. It was sold yesterday
for $1.14 million. Just what you need." (thanks to jennie
mohler and kerry bergh)
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