Miscellaneous Articles


Geldof has no Live Aid regrets
'Saint Bob' marks 10th anniversary of concert.
The Toronto Sun - Thursday July 13th 1995. London (Reuter) - Irish rock star Bob Geldof has no regrets about launching the Live Aid concert that changed the face of pop - even if his career then flopped and his marriage failed. Geldof dubbed "Saint Bob" for raising $100 Million for African famine relief with the world's biggest charity concert, said on its 10th anniversary: "I'm not much interested in nostalgia." He will appear, though, on an eight-hour anniversary film this Saturday, airing on MuchMusic starting at 1:30 pm. It included the 1985 concert and new documentary footage.

Geldof's wife, Paula Yates, has left him for Michael Hutchence, lead guitarist of the Australian group INXS. "I needed to get out for a while and get a sense of perspective," he said of his return to Africa. But Live Aid took its toll on the 40-year-old Dublier, given an honourary knighthood for Live Aid, which was staged on both sides of the Atlantic and headed by all the great names of pop from Mick Jagger to Tina Turner.
"I spent so much time working on it constantly for the next few years that my personal life and career both suffered as a result," said the former lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, whose solo singing career never really took off after Live Aid.
"I got built up into a cult personality, someone who really wasn't me," he said "Fans would come up to me and start crying. I'd just tell them to shut up."
"My life is a soap opera. I really don't know what will happen next."

INXS singer, model split (03/27/95)
London (AP) - Rocker Michael Hutchence and model Helena Christensen have split up, his publicist says. Hutchence, of the band INXS, made tabloid front pages in Britian recently when he was seen with Paula Yates, estranged wife of rocker Bob Geldof. "despite the current media furor, the parting is perfectly amicable," said a statement from publisist Poole Edwards. Christensen was quoted in this week's Hello! magazine as claiming she and Hutchence had a "very steady relationship."

Michael Hutchence
According to the Associated Press, the INXS frontman, "was fined $620 for punching a photographer outside a hotel where he had spent the night with Bob Geldof's estranged wife." I'm guessing the fine would have been higher had Hutchence spent the night with the estranged wife of someone likable.

Singer fined over punch-up
London (AP) - INXS singer Michael Hutchence pleaded guilty yesterday to punching a photographer outside a hotel where he had spent the night with Bob Geldof's estranged wife. The rocker was fined $620 and ordered to pay $2,900 in court costs and other expenses. Hutchence snapped because of media attention over his relationship with Paula Yates, said his lawyer, Jonathan Laidlaw.

Concert News
As we told you last month, INXS are the latest arena rickers heading back to the club curcuit, May 14th at the Phoenix. Tickets go on sale today at 10am at the Phoenix only. They're $22.50, cash only, with a limit of two per person...

In June, the company will reissue eight of the band's albums from the late '70s. In addition, on May 20, RCA Classics will unveil The Symphony Music Of The Rolling Stones, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra and guest vocalists Michael Hutchence of INXS, Marianne Faithful, Maire Brennan of Clannad, and Mick Jagger himself, on a new version of Angie. --John Saskamoto

Charllie Sexton Sextet (Under the wishing tree)
INXS hasn't been doing much of a job itself these dyas, so it falls to the job of another sextet, and the unlikely person of Texan Charlie Sexton, to deliver us to r'n'b-inflected rock Michael Hutchence used to do with such style. The comparison only works for a few tracks (Tom Petty comes to mind on others) but throughout this ex-Arc Angel establishes himself with a compelling voice, guitar and pen.

Hutchence! Gesundheit.
It may be risky, rep-wise, for a stadium act like INXS to slum it on the club curcuit. Nut apparently, the band fears for its health more than its pride. The one-time hitmakers are now playing in smoking venues again 9such as the Phoenix last May). And these days Michael Hutchence and Co. reportedly have oxygen ready in the wings for when the tobacco fumes threaten to overcome them. The last rocker we remember with an oxygen supply was Meat Loaf. But speculation persists that he was, in fact, inhaling liquid cheeseburgers the whole time.

(Star Magazine/Music Mania) Getting a Kick out of INXS With INXS' seventh album, Kick, topping the record charts, STAR brings you the facts about the hetest band from down under.
1. INXS was formed by six Australian youths-keyboard player Andrew Farriss, his brothers, Tim, on guitar, and Jon, on drums, Kirk Pengilly on guitar and saxophone, bassist Garry Gary Beers and lead singer Michael Hutchence-in 1979.
2. The band was originally called The Farris Brothers and, later, the Vegetables.
3. Michael made his film debut this year in an Australian movie entitled Dogs in Space.
4. Due to his dad's job as an exporter, Michael was born in Australia, but lived in Hong Kong until he was 14, when his family moved back to Sydney.
5. Kirk usually gives the gold records he receives from the band's record company to his parents.
6. Michael's not giving up his music career, but he plans to put his resemblance to Jim Morrison to good use by starring in a movie about the life of the late lead singer of the Doors.
7. Michael's mother was a movie make-up artist.
8. At the age of 11, a friend of his family convinced Michael to record the voice of Santa Claus singing 'Jingle Bells' for a doll that sold very well in Hong Kong.
9. The videos for Kick were filmed in Czechoslovakian capitol of Prague.
10. Since Czechoslovakia doesn't have MTV, the locals thought that there was something very strange about the band running around in 17th century costumes and makeup.
11. Tim's favourite music is by L.L. Cool J and Cameo.
12. Andrew writes almost all of INXS' music, while Michael writes the lyrics.
13. Michael was a film extra in one of the Australian-filmed Mad Max movies.
14. The band often thinks that their sound is a mixture of Sly and the Family Stone and feollow Australian rockers, AC/DC.
15. INXS' future plans include domination of the music world.

INXS

INXS