ok,this is menat for INXS.com,so some references to ppl at the site & also not a full on extensive review of the actual show,but anyway here goes:



Joshy's INXS Weekend

Having bought my tickets for Clipsal 500 the day they went on sale (only because i found out the day prior that INXS would play the AfterRaceConcert) . . .i had been busting for this gig for quite awhile.

Thursday we were informed we were lucky enough to have won Gold Pit-Straight passes for the weekend,which meant we had to leave Melbourne early Friday morning so they could be picked up from the radio station.(5AA AM)
The Night before i had seen BruceSpringsteen Live (& i thought THAT was incredible!?)

Dad was fully intent on going saturday afternoon,however since motorsport bores me, (yes i know i'm a guy,i don't like fast cars,SUE ME! :-p ) I wasn't so sure.
Finally,5mins b4 he was going to leave,i said "OK I'M GOING!".
WELL...during the ute race,...this is in the afternoon,Dad noticed the Ford Focus' with the INXS logo plastered all over them just behind the pit-straight grandstand... i said "let's go down there & check it out",having no idea what was in store.
i approached the cars...looked into one & said 2 myself "HOLY S%$#!...IT'S ANDREW FARRIS!"
Then noticing the whole band there,buckled up,ready to go out for a couple of practice laps around the Adelaide street circuit.
I was wearing my INXS cap,luckily on this day.
First,i waved & yelled out to Rangi,only 5metres from me (at this point i am just in awe,as its the closest i have come 2 my music idols) & he gave me a thumbs up back.
Then it was over to Jon Farriss,as i noticed his window also down.
He was extremely friendly,Dad had rejoined me again & he couldnt resist telling Jon how much i love INXS' music,how i have all their albums & the cap i snagged from America... i also asked Jon the question i was dying 2 know the answer to:
"will you be playing 'Hungry' during your show?"
As i absolutely LOVE the song.He informed me that they wouldn't be,but 'Sugar' would definately be in the set (& boy did the Adelaide crowd love it Sunday night!)
Then after i was done talking to Jon for a couple of minutes,i said hello to kirk,shook his hand,& again Dad was saying to Kirk how much i admire INXS & their music & all that stuff...
I then said hello to Tim,told him i was excited about the show the following night,which he was happy to hear.
They were about to go out onto the track,so b4 they did i said hello to Andrew through the window of his car & then they were off (unfortunately i didn't get to say hi to Garry)

As the band were circling the track,i met another fan,Nicole.
She was hysterical,she had the GreatestHits cd signed by the whole band there,thanx 2 a nice security guard (yes there are a few around surprisingly) who passed the cover to each member in their cars to sign for her.
She was especially over the moon to have said hello to Andrew Farriss.
I started talking to her about INXS,& how amazing it was to meet the guys as,for me,it was a pure accident!
I had NO IDEA the band would be there Saturday.

SO...we talked & talked & as we would later realise,my Dad helped them with training their dog at the GermanShephard Club at WestBeach,which was really freaky! (If i played 6 Degrees Of Separation,i'm sure i could link my Dad with everyone in Adelaide.)

When INXS drove their cars off the track & down to the Ford Focus tent,where they parked,Nicole & I followed them up,with her husband John & my Dad in tow.

We talked 2 the band,were lucky enough 2 have photos taken with the band,& also single photos with (unfortunately didn't get to talk 2 the other guys much,as i was pretty much tongue-tied,i knew i wanted 2 say thank you to them all,especially Andrew,but it just didn't come out)
But i made an effort to tell Rangi that i love everything he did with Noiseworks & told him how i appreciate what he is doing with INXS so far,& how great a job he is doing.& he was genuinely extremely greatful.
he asked me if this was my first INXS show & i told him that my first was actually newyearseve2000 at leMans,to which he replied "We've improved since then!"
HEHE...but of course i knew this as i have seen & heard footage with Rangi & co.

It was a day i will NEVER forget,& thankfully with these photos which Nicole's husband took for us,i will always have a momento.(Sunday,Nicole was lucky enough to meet them there again & since she had printed the photos out herself at home,she had them signed by the band for me,& talked to Tim & Kirk some more.
Much Peace,Love & Thanx Nicole...i really appreciate what you have done for me)

Sunday came,i woke up early after not much sleep,& around Noon,it was time to head to the circuit & wait by the stage until the show kicked off at 4:30pm.
New Romantics (an 80s cover band,who were excellent in their Prince-inspired puffy shirts) & Clearway (90s rock cover band whose cover of Metallica's 'EnterSandman' went OFF!) entertained the crowd & got us revved up for Diesel & the geratest climax u could have to any event,INXS.
Diesel was absolutely fantastic!
So many songs he played i hadn't heard in YEARS,which was a great thing,to hear some great Aussie rock,in these days where the airwaves are clogged with so much garbage.
He displayed his great guitar skills,& has such a funky bass player also.
I was lucky enough to catch his guitar pick,my first pick caught at a concert!
WOOHOO FOR ME!!!

He played a couple of new songs from his forthcoming album,& judging from those 2 selctions,('AngelFace' being one of them) i will definately have to pick that one up.



IT WAS TIME FOR INXS to hit the stage,& the crowd started chanting "INXS! INXS! INXS!"... "One Of My Kind" blared out of the speakers.I had a feeling all day that the guys would start with 'GunsInTheSky',& JonF came out (at this point i am going INSANE!) & kicked into the beat...
then followed by 'NewSensation' & 'ListenLikeThieves',the crowd was singing along,jumping,screaming, everything you expect that would go along with the excitement of an INXS show.
However this was a greater reception than even I expected.
The first few rows were clogged with full on INXSaries...a couple had been waiting since 9am...myself since 12:30... Nicole ended up next to me at the left of stage (FRONT ROW!!!...right in front of Kirk...you could say we had Pole Position. tee hee)

Some of my favourite moments include 'Sugar',which the crowd LOVED,& began singing along into the 2nd chorus.
Of course I already knew the song,so I was being a lil' Funkster from the first beat.
Not Enough Time was performed with such beauty,such romanticism,tenderness...

Before NeverTearUsApart,Andrew came to the front of the stage & said how the band has been around the world & done so much over so many years...& the one man they shared that with,was MichaelHutchence.
As the intro bellowed out,& Michael's images were played on the screens behind the band,i couldn't hold back the tears.
I didn't think i would cry,as i knew it was part of the show,it wasn't a surprise to me.However emotion took over.
They were tears of sadness,thinking "how i wish Michael was here on stage... he is so sorely missed" & also tears of happiness...Celebrating how Michael's legacy & music are being carried on through Andy,Kirk,Tim,Jon,Garry,& JonS.& how fortunate we were to see that.
As the number came to a close,the final shot on the screens was michael giving the PEACE sign,at which point all the band members turned to the screens,& gave it back to Michael,with Jon Stevens saying "We miss you Michael,God Bless You".
It was such an amazing,emotional,touching moment to be a part of.i was still wiping the tears away as the next song,'Need You Tonight',began.

Also,during one song,i forget which though...i was jumping up & down,up & down,up & down...(actually that was me for 50% of the night) & Kirk was looking at me,& started to jump up & down,immitating me.
Nicole said to me: "KIRK IS JUMPING UP & DOWN WITH YOU!"...or something to that effect.
HAHA!...that was so funny,it's still making me smile :- )

Other favourite moments were 'By My Side' (my favourite INXS song),'Devil Inside' (The devillish look on Tim's face probably scared the kiddies in attendance.I know i was terrified :-p ) ,'SuicideBlonde' (full-on headbanging session during this number from yours truly) & the closing 'Don't Change',which had the whole crowd going WILD!.
(i think they all knew it was going to be the final song so everyone made the most of it)

I could go on & on & try to remember/disect every little thing,but i left that unenviable task to Cherie & Danielle
:-p


Peace
&
Love,
Joshy



ps: Rangi is Jon Stevens' nickname.he is originally from NewZealand,& Rangi means "musical" in Maori.he was given the name when he was a kid because he was always singing.
It just stuck.

Edit Inside,Edit Inside,every single one of us the Edit Inside
[This message was edited Mon Mar 24 6:45:43 PST 2003 by Joshy84au]
[This message was edited Mon Mar 24 6:49:19 PST 2003 by Joshy84au]

Possibly one of the greatest rock bands...

TIGHT!

I saw INXS a number of years ago at Wembley Stadium and then a couple of years later in the 'secret' gig at Kentish Town in London. They were excellent, 2nd best live act I have seen.

How do they compare now though that Michael Huthence ain't lead singer??

Thanks for sharing. I take it the new singer was good then?

Tell us how the new singer is working out.

Does he have his own unique sound like Michael Hutchence? or is he more of a carbon copy?

Not to insult the new guy, but I'd really like to know.

I went to http://www.inxs.com and didn't find any new songs on there displaying the new guy's voice.

Well Jon Stevens ha his own style,his own vibe.
He gives the songs his own vibe & vocal stylings without leaving any doubt as 2 whose songs they are.
The band is funky & tight as heeell!!!
of all the per4mances i have seen/heard since Michael left us in 1997...this was perhaps the most on fire they have been.

Jon Stevens has been playing with the band since late 2000.
Terence trent D'Arby did a 4-song gig at the OlympicStadium opening in 1999.That's as far as that collaboration went.

They couldn't have picked anyone in Australia,or the world quite frankly,better than JonStevens 2 join the band.
This was the 2nd time ive seen them in person with Stevens,plus all the tv specials i have seen & bootlegs from their early shows in 2000.

if u can check out the Noiseworks albums,his old band from the late 80s-early 90s,do so...
Simple Man,Hot Chilli Woman & Touch were their stand-out tracks i feel.

2 find out more about Jon Stevens,with bios,pics & Noiseworks msg board... visit http://www.noiseworks.com.au
My friend Cherie runs the site.

peace
love,
Joshy

yamomma said:

oh no...Rangi is definately not a copy of Michael.
like i said,he has his own vibe & his own unique style/voice.
& what was so great when i met him,as the impression i got of him thru the media was...he is a genuinely nice guy.
One thing he has just like michael tho,is charisma & energy!
Michael&Jon actually sang 2gether on a Noiseworks cover of Sly Stone's "Take U Higher" back in 1991 for their album 'Love Versus Money'.
Hutch sings Larry Grahams bass part.

INXS & Michael knew Jon Stevens back in the day,so they were friends anyway....its not like they just hunted down a guy with a good voice 2 sing with them.

i have some soundboard mp3s of Jon singing INXS material live (from 2000 & recently) & also his own stuff with Noiseworks (& 1 of the new songs with INXS) so if u would like 2 hear them hit me up on AIM.

smoo: can we see u in the LIVE BABY LIVE video of the Wembley gig?
that show is legend


ps: check in2 inxs.com sometime this coming weekend,i should have my photos up there hopefully
[This message was edited Mon Mar 24 8:39:15 PST 2003 by Joshy84au]

http://www.inxs.com.ar
try this site for videos or mp3s with Jon's vocals.
they may have stuff,not sure.
its in latin,from Argentina,so try & decifer as best u can


they have lotsa pix tho i know that much

Joshy84au said:

I actually arranged tickets for the after-race concert so that I could see Diesel. I decided to leave before INXS so that I would get home to watch the World Cup final. My friend told me they were awesome, and your account certainly doesn't contradict that.

I thought Diesel was excellent. As you said his guitar work is pretty much out of this world, and I think he has Australia's best voice. I must confess I could have done without the two cover bands, although their version of Enter Sandman was something of a carbon copy (which for many would mean that it was good).

I bought Diesel's new album late last year. On the basis of some big assumptions I think you would really like it. I think he can do a lot better. It's very processed and lacks the soul/roots influence of his best stuff. The other new song he played on the night (which is called Getta Kick) was just great, but the album version doesn't have quite the same intensity.


Anyway thanks for the report, and glad you enjoyed yourself

cool that u were there fairmoan.

hehe yeah about EnterSandman...it's one of the only songs that actually rocks if the cover is exactly the same.

About Diesel...i wanna get a hold of his early stuff.
i'll try my local 2nd hand store

Joshy84au said:

I doubt it, there were one or two people there I seem to remember have to be honest though and say seeing them at Kentish Town was far better cos we were right in the front (as much as you can be with only 2000 people there) and he seemed to be able to hold the audience superbly.

Best from Wembley (excl INXS obviously) was Roachford doing a 20 min version of Cuddly Toy (how many of you remember that one!) and Debbie Harry looking like a whale in stocking, suspenders and a basque (god i still feel sick thinking about it)

smoo said:

oh so the Kentish gig was with Rangi Stevens then?
i remember a review saying that Debbie was wearing something Kylie would wear...
im still in shock over the pussy shot posted on this site a while back