INXS

With a career spanning 25 extraordinary years, INXS are undoubtedly one of the world's great bands. With more than 30 million records sold worldwide, countless awards from their peers and fans, platinum certifications, and a history peppered with outstanding achievements, the band are arguably Australia's most successful rock export.

From their first gig as the Farriss Brothers in Sydney's Northern beaches in August 1977, Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly, Garry Gary Beers, Tim Farriss, Andrew Farriss and Jon Farriss quickly won Australian then international acclaim.

Throughout the 80s and into the 90s INXS were a consummate global rock band with a musical distillation of strength, sensitivity, unity and intelligence. Asked to describe their own music, the members would use such terms as "white boy dance music", "big, basic dirty noise", "intoxicating little songs". Critics were more eloquent. They spoke of certain songs' "blend of instrumental colours, the silky glide of vocal melody over sinewy rhythms" and of an overall "spare, elegant funk" and "dense, glossy beauty."

Determined, dedicated and sure-footed, INXS propelled themselves out of the frantic new wave, indie label environment of Sydney, Australia at the end of the 70s with such energy and resilience that in less than a decade they were being hailed by major music journals as being, with U2 and Guns N 'Roses, one of the three biggest bands in the world.

With each step of their path to the upper strata of international music carefully considered and deftly executed, they performed before gauchos in Buenos Aires, Royals in Melbourne and teens in Tokyo, then headlining before 75,000 at Wembley Stadium and playing to 100,000 at Rock In Rio. Earning 17 Billboard hits, 7 of which were top tens. Britain came on line a little later, with their 23 hit run commencing with “What You Need” in 1986. There were six consecutive Top Ten U.K. and U.S. albums, seven MTV awards, three Grammy nominations, and albums which hit #1 all over the world.

The death of Michael Hutchence in November 1997 had a profound impact on the members of INXS, who had been close friends and collaborators for two full decades. The future for the band was very much uncertain.

Eighteen months later, with guest vocalist Terence Trent D'Arby, they returned to the concert stage, before 90,000 and a vast television audience, to officially open Sydney's Olympic Stadium with a blistering performance. A May 2000 concert - their first with Jon Stevens - saw 1200 loyal fans scrambling for tickets, which was followed by a series of dates in Northern Australia. INXS then performed at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games in September 2000, broadcast to an estimated television audience of several billion people.

The Life Ball in Vienna in June became INXS' first performance outside Australia in three years. By August, the band was back in Europe for five more shows (Germany, Poland, Romania, Ireland). In September they played before 90,000 in the Melbourne Cricket Ground at the nation's premier sporting event, the Australian Football Grand Final. What had begun as a tentative venture into the possibility of life after a shattering death had taken on a momentum very much of its own.

Next up INXS received the ultimate accolade from the Australian music industry when band members were inducted into the ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association) Hall Of Fame.

Just a year into the new century it was obvious that the unmistakable INXS sound was finding a whole new audience with dance releases such as Precious Heart by Tall Paul & INXS and Rogue Traders' One Of My Kind. An essential part of the process of re-evaluation of the pivotal music of INXS has been the preparation of quality retrospective projects. In 2001 the band involved themselves in the creation of the various compilation retrospectives.

By the middle of 2002 the inevitable and inexorable return of INXS to the international concert arena saw the band depart for South, Central and North America on a full-scale tour reminiscent of their legendary 80s jaunts around the planet. The response was overwhelming, the band re-igniting the love affair that had existed with fans and media. Next up was the bands first tour of the UK in more then five years.

After a Christmas break, the band returned to Latin America, headlining the huge Vina Del Mar Festival in Chile, broadcast to a global audience of 180 million, and also appeared on the country’s music awards program to receive the public-voted People's Choice Antorcha Silver Award - one of the Chilean music industry's most prestigious accolades.

Later in 2003, INXS spent two months in Belgium and Holland playing the Night Of The Proms. A thirty-two date sold out arena tour with a 72-piece orchestra and 40-piece choir that was the highest grossing event in Europe for those months.

The band has showed they are back with the same extraordinary focus and cohesion that enabled them to straddle hemispheres with a sound of absolute integrity and innovation. A sound that has so far sold over 30 million records.

The band has just released its double career retrospective DVD “I’m Only Looking” - an extraordinary two-disc set in 5.1 Surround Sound.

On September 1 2004, INXS celebrates 25 years since their very first gig in Sydney. It’s been an incredible journey since then, and one that is far from over.

For the latest news and information, visit the online world of INXS - www.inxs.com