Sounds from Down Under Blog Series: INXS

Sounds from Down Under Blog Series: Day 4

INXS (pronounced "in excess") is an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. They began playing covers in Western Australian pubs and clubs occasionally mixed with some of their own original music. Mainstays were main composer Andrew Farriss on keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on guitar, Kirk Pengilly on guitar and saxophone, Garry Gary Beers on bass, and main lyricist Michael Hutchence on vocals For 20 years, INXS were fronted by Hutchence, whose "sultry good looks" and magnetic stage presence made him the focal point of the band. Initially known for their new wave/ska/pop style, they later developed a harder pub rock style, including funk and dance elements.

In the early 1980s, INXS first charted in their native Australia with their debut self-titled album, but later garnered moderate success elsewhere with Shabooh Shoobah and a single, "The One Thing". Though The Swing brought more success from around the world, its single "Original Sin" was even greater commercially, becoming their first number-one single. They would later achieve international success with a series of hit recordings through later in the 1980s and the 1990s, including the albums Listen Like Thieves, Kick, and X; and the singles "What You Need", "Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside", "New Sensation", and "Suicide Blonde".

In the 1990s, INXS brought a new audience following Hutchence's romance with pop singer, Kylie Minogue, and achieved greater acclaim in the UK. However, starting with Welcome to Wherever You Are, in 1992, they achieved less success in the United States. Michael Hutchence was found dead in his hotel suite in Sydney in November 1997 and INXS did not perform publicly for a year. They made appearances with several guest singers including Jimmy Barnes, Terence Trent D'Arby, and Jon Stevens; Stevens formally joined the band for a tour and recording session in 2002. In 2005, members of INXS participated in Rock Star: INXS, a reality television series, broadcast worldwide, culminating in the selection of their new lead singer, Canadian J.D. Fortune, and the release of "Pretty Vegas" and "Afterglow" as singles, and its album Switch.

In late 2010, they recorded and released Original Sin, a tribute album, featuring guest artists such as Kavyen Temperley (of Eskimo Joe) and Ben Harper. In September 2011 the band announced that Northern Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin had replaced Fortune as their lead vocalist ahead of a planned tour of South America, Australia & Europe later in the year.

On 11 November 2012, during their performance as support act to Matchbox Twenty at Perth Arena, Australia, INXS announced that the performance would be their last, though they did not officially announce a permanent band retirement.

In 2014, INXS released a tell-all history of the band on an Australian television interview special THE STORY BEHIND INXS. Drummer Jon Farriss made the statement: "Never say never", regarding the possibility that the band could record and perform more music in the future, during the interview.

http://youtu.be/Vr-I5xX_BFk