At a time in which both the pop and rock scene seem to have gotten lost for good, the myth of the passionate and vigorous rock band, INXS, make a huge difference. The Australian group, and specially their singer Michael Hutchence, gear up with fresh and energetic rock -not any less danceable- and get the crowd, devoid of leaders, swept off their feet. All over the world.
Beyond the glamorous image that INXS projects on stage, this Australian band that triumphed in the rest of the world is composed of six young men dedicated to their craft, with a high propensity to be on fire at their shows. The image of the group is as ambiguous as the band's origin, with frontman Michael Hutchence.
"When I had to decide my future I was really confused. My father always wanted me to work in business just like him, and I liked architecture, though I hated math. My parents were opposed to my interest towards music, but now they're very content with my choice.
Those who know my origins at pubs and domestic environments have a hard time associating me with concerts' confusing and spectacular environment.
AN AUSTRALIAN IN CALIFORNIA
Hutchence's playboy rocker image makes you think that he prefers a glamorous life with limousines and excesses. The four videos that the band put out throughout the past two years, the new album and Hutchence's acting on "Dogs in space" place the singer at the crest of the media's wave, something he encourages. He's constantly posing, maybe because -as sax player Kirk Pengilly puts it- that's always been his natural state. He dresses like a rockstar, behaves lavishly, owns an apartment in Hong Kong, appears to be a confident guy, and according to his bandmates, he's the most socially skilled. When he pleases, he gets along with everyone, a trait that perhaps appears after having lived in three different continents.
Hutchence spent his childhood in Hong Kong, then went back to Australia to attend high school and when he turned 15 he attended school in California for a year, an experience that, in his words, influenced a lot his career as a composer.
"The fact that I was in Los Angeles at 15 years old made me mature a lot. It's not like I was falling behind before, but in Australia at that age you still wear an uniform and can't drive until you're 18. It's a way of staying little for a while longer. In the US it's very different, people try to grow up faster, not in a real sense but a superficial one. I made friends there, but I felt disappointed with many things that surrounded me. Let's say I wasn't very popular. I always opposed the systems, the stereotypical stuff. When I was in Los Angeles I was always on my own and that's how I started writing poems and tales and anything of the sort.
Just like the Rolling Stones, INXS is a band with personality, and like in the Stones Jagger's personality stands out, in INXS Hutchence's does. However, one of the characteristics that separates INXS from the rest of successful rock bands is that big stadiums and huge crowds don't affect them at all. Behind the show and the makeup there's people of low profile and core values. Another aspect that differentiates them is their music. In a world where the concept of rock and attitude grows and magnifies, INXS's songs are idealistic but generalized at the same time. Going back to comparisons, just like the Stones managed to build a bridge between the 50s blues and 60s soul, INXS created the difficult and undefined bond between punk of '77 and danceable music of '87.
"I think the INXS sound as it is comes from the juxtaposition of the two movements. The root of our music is that of bands like AC/DC, with strong power chords. We added danceable rhythm to that. In Australia there's pub music and we put the dance ingredient into it. There's no pretty boys with nice haircuts going "chchchchch" there. It's rare to see that kind of rock in Australia. I consider that INXS always played too clean to be a punk group. We're more oriented towards danceable stuff. My thing is soul, always has been. It's the music that my parents played at parties. Motown music and all that. In Australia there's not really a scene of black music, that's why that weird juxtaposition of styles happens."
In the movie "Dogs in space" directed by Australian filmmaker Richard Lowenstein (who also directed the video for What you need), Hutchence plays the role of Sammy, an astray punk singer. The realistic acting of Hutchence is valued by the fact that Sammy's personality is nothing alike to his own. Hutchence states clearly, he's not attracted to a nihilistic bohemian life, or money.
"When I lived in Hong Kong we had everything. Butlers, chauffeurs, cooks, a house with a view of the beach. That's where I realized that money doesn't buy happiness. Rich people are twice as unhappy as poor people, because they're confused about everything. Things get too complicated for them, like in Dynasty. Overall, INXS doesn't have much to do with the punk scene portrayed in the movie. The whole punk thing and its message was very selfish. In Sydney, where we live, rock's always been a matter of fun, music under the sun, guitars and barbecue. The punk scene was nihilistic, nonsensical, without any positive elements. That had nothing to do with our music. We wanted to make a living from music. Actually, I was more into punk than the rest of my mates, but I never got a mohawk or anything like that. I didn't hang out with punks because I didn't feel that committed to their ideology. I was a center-left and my friends were poets that got together to comment on their poems weekly."
Hutchence still defines himself more like a writer and actor rather than a singer. Nonetheless, his voice and his music, that accommodate so well to this decade's needs, make INXS's rock be the sound of the moment, as their songs evidence.
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