I'm writing a paper about Michael Hutchence's suicide and was curious how the fans of INXS or Michael Hutchence reacted to his passing. Was anyone here a fan back in 1997? Or does anyone have any friends who were? I'd love to hear thoughts on how the fans of the band or Hutch reacted when they heard he had passed. Were they surprised? Shocked? Was it a long time coming? Did some have a bad feeling from the lyrics of "Elegantly Wasted" or Michael's appearance in person? I've heard everything from some fans were shocked, to some who saw him live in April, said he looked like he was out of it and didn't seem right. I'd love to hear thoughts from fans.

Please refrain from passing judgement on the man, as this is not the purpose of my curiousity. There is a time and place for that and this IS NOT the place. Thank you so much in advance.

Thoughts???

[Edited 10/30/10 7:11am]

[Edited 10/30/10 7:12am]

I think it was a surprise to most fans, but INXS fell off the map for a lot of people in the 90s.

I had a worse feeling about Michael Jackson not making it through his "This is It" shows than I did INXS, but that's prob. because INXS was playing theaters and not really in the public eye as much as Jackson was.

Suicide? since when?

He hung himself whilst wanking as i recall. Auto-asphyxiation or something.

I was a fan in the '80s. Hadn't heard much from MH/INXS at the time of his death. I remember feeling and hearing a lot from other fans that it was an incredible waste.

ThreadBare said:

I was a fan in the '80s. Hadn't heard much from MH/INXS at the time of his death. I remember feeling and hearing a lot from other fans that it was an incredible waste.

It was that for sure. Paula Yates demise was desperately sad too.

Marrk said:

ThreadBare said:

I was a fan in the '80s. Hadn't heard much from MH/INXS at the time of his death. I remember feeling and hearing a lot from other fans that it was an incredible waste.

It was that for sure. Paula Yates demise was desperately sad too.

Yeah, it was sad all the way around.

Marrk said:

Suicide? since when?

He hung himself whilst wanking as i recall. Auto-asphyxiation or something.

Apparently, the coroner's official ruling was that he died of a suicide.

I've always been undecided on whether I thought he died intentionally or not, but I do recall being sad either way, especially given he left behind a partner and child. I can't say I was shocked, though -- not because I was aware his recent life had been so plagued, but because neither he nor INXS had been much on my radar since Welcome to Wherever You Are in '92.

I was a huge fan of INXS since the mid-80s and well into the mid-90s. Michael's passing still resonates with me, especially when I listen to INXS music. I don't care what the official coroner's report was: his death will always be considered an accident to me.

To put it one way, I felt Michael's passing in the same way that the Y Generation felt Kurt Cobain's passing.

To put it another way, Listen Like Thieves and Kick rank just as highly in my collection as 1999 and Purple Rain.

I was shocked when I heard of his death. I had known about INXS as a child so of course I was sad by his death.

Mostly surprised. I thought most people believed it was auto-erotic asphyxiation.

It was a total shock for many reasons. ONE i had just seen the band a few months prior play a show for Elegantly Wasted, also that album was in a constant rotation for me, possibly their best. Another reason it was a shock was that, Michael didnt seem to be a down type guy, which is why i never bought suicide from him, and though its the "official" cause of death, when people hear about things like OD or whatever they assume suicide. Now sure there was alot of despair in Mikes life but i dont think he was the type to go there, just hearing all his friends speak on it, especially Bono who had seen him very near the end. He said Michael was like "oxygen" and he thought suicide was a waste.

But for me i took it hard, similar to the way i took Freddie Mercury's, these were personal artists to me that i enjoyed growing up, for INXS they were coming up as i started to form a "taste" of my own for music, prior to that, i heard what my brothers played around the house, which was great too, but INXS was ownership to me, i used to save my allowance and go buy their 45's on the weekend, this is why i tell people that the experience of "music" is over, there isnt that desire when you can just go online and steal a track, as opposed to have to save your fucking allowance for two weeks and buy the album, so, music fans of today, your fucking spoiled, and why you cant carry that torch on. (but thats another topic)

I cant say INXS were my favorite band, but to me they are right up there with all of the great bands from the best BAND era, the 80's, it aint ever gonna happen like that again folks. To put it simply, Michael dieing was the Oxygen going off on Music

dalsh327 said:

I think it was a surprise to most fans, but INXS fell off the map for a lot of people in the 90s.

I had a worse feeling about Michael Jackson not making it through his "This is It" shows than I did INXS, but that's prob. because INXS was playing theaters and not really in the public eye as much as Jackson was.

Maybe playing theaters in some areas but I was in NYC in September 97 and I seem to recall that they were playing Madison Square Garden that week.

pacey68 said:

dalsh327 said:

I think it was a surprise to most fans, but INXS fell off the map for a lot of people in the 90s.

I had a worse feeling about Michael Jackson not making it through his "This is It" shows than I did INXS, but that's prob. because INXS was playing theaters and not really in the public eye as much as Jackson was.

Maybe playing theaters in some areas but I was in NYC in September 97 and I seem to recall that they were playing Madison Square Garden that week.

I think the site is right on this one... I remember Irving Plaza being one of the dates they played because I had seen them playing arenas in 1990 and was surprised about them playing theaters in '97, saw it in the Village Voice - I almost went to the show, that's why it stuck out in my memory. They really had a good chance for making a comeback.

http://www.songkick.com/artists/161656-inxs/gigography?end_date=1998-10-31&page=7&start_date=1996-7-1&tab=

i was very saddened. i remember listening to the radio and there was confusion on what exactly had happened. to this day i still hear conflicting stories. but it doesn't matter. it seemed a bit surreal as it does sometimes when someone passes. to this day, when i listen to INXS i forget that the he's passed on.

dalsh327 said:

pacey68 said:

Maybe playing theaters in some areas but I was in NYC in September 97 and I seem to recall that they were playing Madison Square Garden that week.

I think the site is right on this one... I remember Irving Plaza being one of the dates they played because I had seen them playing arenas in 1990 and was surprised about them playing theaters in '97, saw it in the Village Voice - I almost went to the show, that's why it stuck out in my memory. They really had a good chance for making a comeback.

http://www.songkick.com/artists/161656-inxs/gigography?end_date=1998-10-31&page=7&start_date=1996-7-1&tab=

No mention of a MSG show in NYC... my memory must be playing tricks on me

i remember being in new orleans attending a u2 show i believe when i heard about it..i was really upset..i can only remember one other time i was upset like that and that was with kurt.

CHIC0 said: