January 2001

January 31, 2001:

Aging Aussie Rockers Tour?
According to this week's InMusic&Media, efforts are afoot to get INXS, Men At Work and Midnight Oil to tour the U.S. and Europe together as a package tour in June/July 2001. We'll have to see whether this rumor pans out! 
 
New Greatest Hits Set
A new 2CD compilation of INXS hits will be released in North America on Rhino Records in late summer. INXS' earlier 1994 "Greatest Hits" CD sold over one million copies in the United States. In related news, Rhino Records has just released a new compilation in the U.S. entitled New Millenium Love Songs featuring the classic INXS ballad "Never Tear Us Apart." 
 
VH-1 Radical Recut
Music videos from VH1's current rotation, as well as quirky videos from the past, get a whole new look when they're intercut with fascinating "reality" footage featuring police chase videos, hidden security cameras tape, historic and news film, '50s teen exploitation movies, and more. On February 1 at 11pm EST, INXS' classic "New Sensation" is recut with shots of people getting hit in the crotch... 
 
INXS On Dutch Television
INXS will be the subject of "Weekend Special" on The Music Factory (TMF) television channel in the Netherlands on Sunday, February 11 at 10pm. (thanks to ingeborg waanders)

January 22, 2001:

Birthday Wishes
Happy Birthday to Michael Hutchence, who would have turned 41 years of age today. In celebration of Michael's birth, a large party was held at Sydney's Hard Rock Cafe on the 20th. Organized by the Official Michael Hutchence Fan Club, the party featured the cover band INXSIVE performing two sets during the evening. Celebrations were also held in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. 
 
Fish In Space Tim Farriss and Jon Stevens went to Queensland before Christmas to film a story on deep sea fishing. The resulting work will air on February 2nd on Fox Australia's "Escape with ET" program hosted by rugby star Andrew Ettingshausen (aka ET).

January 9, 2001:

INXS Documentary
According to InMusic&Media, INXS's New Year's Eve show after the Asia Pacific Le Mans Series race in Adelaide - which saw them fronted by Jon Stevens again, and where the band was joined by old friend Suze De Marchi - was filmed for inclusion on the band's cinema-style documentary, set for release this year. The former Baby Animals singer was back from Boston to visit family. She sang "Shine Like It Does" and "Never Tear Us Apart" and dueted with Stevens on "Good Times" and "Don't Change". The show was on a large stage behind the pits, with entry free to the race's 65,000 ticket holders. About 15,000 stayed for the show. 
 
Celebrity Cricket Day
The official INXS site reports that the Manly Warringah District Country Club (MWDCC) will hold a "Bear Celebrity Cricket Day" on January 14 for the benefit of Bear Cottage, a hospice for terminally-ill children set to open in February. As part of the day-long festivities, Club President (and INXS guitarist) Tim Farriss will participate in the "World's Longest Run Up" -- he and Garry Dawson will skydive 14.000 feet at noon and play cricket upon landing. For more information, please contact Barry Knight at 0407 577 233.

January 8, 2001:

Sales Report
INXSweb Exclusive: The 1999 posthumous release from Michael Hutchence sold 105 units this past week in the United States, bringing total sales-to-date to 32,157 copies sold. The top three markets were Chicago, Boston, and Dallas. Several full-length songs from this vastly underappreciated album are available for your listening pleasure in the Multimedia section of this site.

January 6, 2001:

Kaylan Cover INXS
Australian soul duo Kaylan performed a cover of INXS' classic "New Sensation" live at the Parametta Stadium in Sydney on New Year's Eve. The performance was part of the "NYE LIVE" television special broadcast live to Australian Channel 10 viewers. You can learn more about this new act at their official website and order their debut CD "No Commandments" at Amazon.com.

January 6, 2001:

Beyond Hutchence
The Herald Sun reports that INXS guitarist Tim Farriss has stated the band have "climbed too many mountains to just give it away" after the death of Michael Hutchence. INXS, who performed a New Year's Eve show in Adelaide with guest vocalists Jon Stevens and former Baby Animals singer Suze DeMarchi, say they are still in "weird territory". "I'm not sure what it proves," Farriss says of the gig. "It's going to take time. There were a lot of fans who were mega Michael Hutchence fans and that's understandable, because so am I. There's no doubt about that. But at the end of the day he's not here and we are, and we have to get on with our lives. He was just one section of the band. While we miss him more than anyone else would, apart from Tiger and Paula, I think the best way we can honor his memory is go ahead and do the right thing and continue making music."

January 5, 2001:

New Year's Eve Gig
The Adelaide Advertiser reports: As world motor racing returned to the streets of Adelaide, INXS - one of Australia's most globally acclaimed bands - made its return for Adelaide's biggest New Years Eve party. Free to race ticket holders, the after race party had been dubbed the Party of a Thousand years. 
 
Headlined by INXS and supported by Taxiride, The Living End, You Am I and Spiderbait performing on two stages positioned on the race track, the enormous concert came close to living up to its overly optimistic name. 
 
While all the bands were well received by the festive crowd, the night belonged to INXS, playing its first full length concert since the death of Michael Hutchence three years ago. With Jon Stevens as lead singer, the band greeted the audience with their 1990 hit "Suicide Blonde" before playing a catalogue of their 1980's hits including "Guns In The Sky" and "Original Sin" as well as songs from the "Elegantly Wasted" album.  
 
And in one of the worst-kept secrets of the Le Mans weekend, Suze DeMarchi, the former lead singer of the 1980's act The Baby Animals, appeared unannounced to perform a few songs. 
 
The concert had been a crucial test for the 23 year old band and the crowd gave the group more than a passing mark. Performing from 11.45pm, INXS took the crowd into the New Year, performing until about 1am. 
 

January 3, 2001:

Michael Hutchence Film On Internet
Duane Lavold's little-seen feature film Limp is now available for viewing over the internet. Visit Movie Flix and register as a user to watch the film in streaming video for free. Limp is a "hard core adventure comedy about a young, charismatic musician who breaks away from his funk artist friends. He gets the perfect job, the perfect girl -- except for one imperfect thing: he goes limp. As his impotence causes everything to deflate, his mind awakens to rediscover who and what he is." Hutchence has a cameo in the film as a jaded A&R man who suggests to a young musician that he kill himself in order to ensure a place in rock immortality. The film eerily overshadows Hutchence's death. In the script, Hutchence's character, Clive, says, "Cobain was close. But only because he killed himself... It was brilliant on his part. Otherwise he would have just been another flavor of the day... Give me one good reason you shouldn't kill yourself."