INXS ON HUTCHENCE AFTERMATH
Allstar
INXS MEMBERS OPEN UP ON HUTCHENCE AFTERMATH
Books On The Way, But No Singer Auditions
The front page of Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper on Monday (Dec. 15)
says just two words: "Farewell brother." It was a reference to the core
sentiment of the one-off interview that the remaining members of INXS
conducted in the wake of Michael Hutchence's death with former Australian
60 Minutes reporter George Negus at an undisclosed Sydney location on Dec.
8.
But the photo that accompanied the headline was downright eerie. In the
shot was a circular garden birdbath, which at first looked like it was
over the head of Tim Farriss. On closer inspection, however, it proved to
be behind the band, as if crowning the head of some invisible soul now on
the outside of the band's circle, like a strange halo.
If there was a bombshell in the Negus interview it was a thankfully
lighthearted one. "I nearly tossed him out once, actually," says Tim
Farriss. "He never carried the gear after shows, you know. We'd all have
to lug it out and Michael would be busy talking to people and that sort of
thing... There'd be nights when Michael would say right then -- which was
good or bad timing, I'm not sure -- 'You know, I'm not sure I feel up to
this tonight.' And I'd say, "Mate, you're always up to it. Don't worry,
just relax.' Michael could sit on a stool all night and still be one of
the most charismatic singers and performers I've ever seen."
Andrew Farriss had this to say about the difference between Hutchence the
man and Hutchence the myth: "It doesn't matter how much you think you know
someone, there's always what you see and what you don't see. There's
little jigsaw pieces that I can never quite put into place. It doesn't
mean we weren't getting on or didn't see eye to eye or he didn't talk or
whatever. I just think he felt that it was his own life."
"I think there was a certain element of Michael that felt he would always
get through it and come out on top in the end," adds Tim. "And I think
there were certain elements of his life that he couldn't get on top of,
and that's what really bugged him."
Negus commented about the fact that Hutchence allegedly seemed fine; when
having dinner with his father the night before his death he was also
allegedly reassuring him he was OK. "Well, I guess that's one of the
danger signs, isn't it?" says Tim. "When someone keeps reassuring you how
positive and good they are feeling. Now I'm starting to realize that
they're people to be worried about. It's the people who can tell you
they're not happy and there's something wrong with their life that maybe
have a better chance. It's this kind of facade or something."
The band also briefly talked about the future, but didn't mention the
Billboard Bulletin rumor that Jack Jones would be taking over the lead
singer duties. Kirk Pengilly says that the band's release schedule will go
ahead, with the next single being "Searching," "which funnily enough is
one of Michael's favourite songs on the (Elegantly Wasted) album. We'd
always planned to release that single and we're still going to do that."
The day of the release of the Negus interview, Sydney's Sun Herald ran an
article which reported that the band was considering having secret
auditions over the next two weeks, in either Australia or London, for a
replacement for Hutchence. According to the article, the band had yet to
decide whether to formally advertise the job or just do it on a word- of-
mouth basis. The band's publicist, Shawn Deacon, labeled the report "pure
fabrication" and the band and management made a press statement on the
matter on Monday (Dec. 15), saying that they "wish it to be known that the
band is not auditioning for replacement singers following the recent death
of their close friend and professional colleague Michael Hutchence, as
reported in this past weekend's Sydney Sun Herald."
In the aftermath of Hutchence's death, at least two books -- no doubt the
first of many -- are on the way on the man. The writers are both Sydney-
based and both have had a long association with INXS. The literary side of
the tragedy is still making major headlines in Australia with actress Kym
Wilson, who was allegedly the last person to see Hutchence before he died.
She is selling her story to Woman's Day magazine for a reported $150,000
Australian, though the money is going to Hutchence and Paula Yates'
daughter, Tiger Lily.
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