Are INXS worth seeing without Michael Hutchence?
Depends on whether you are an old or new fan. Michael Hutchence was the most authentic rock superstar this country has produced. At his height in the mid-1980s he was seen by many as the new Mick Jagger and he quickly acquired a rock lifestyle. He had a home in the south of France, lived like a jet-setter and had a famed reputation as a sexual adventurer – including headline-grabbing relationships with Kylie Minogue, Paul Yates and supermodel Helena Christensen. As music changed in the early 1990s and such trappings became unfashionable, Hutchence became the last true rock star. No one could, or would, want to live up to that. But there’s a problem. INXS have always been a band without personality. They have great songs courtesy of the exceptional songwriting skills of Andrew Farriss. The brothers-based band started life as an egalitarian outfit, but by 1994, when they released The Greatest Hits, they had to acknowledge Hutchence’s star.
