INXS in concert

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 4

INXS in concert

INXS at the Christchurch Town Hall Auditorium last evening. Reviewed by Grant Bradley. The hard-rocking band INXS proved in Christchurch last evening why it can lay claim to be one of Australia’s finest. The brazen Aussie rockers (excepting a New Zealander, Jenny Morris, the former lead singer of The Crocodiles) did not quite blitz the large crowd but they certainly had them bopping. While there was not much variety in its sound, INXS played good honest loud rock ’n’ roll. Not an issue or bandwaggon group, the vocalist, Michael Hutchence, made only fleeting reference to peace, did not dwell on pollution or get bogged down on uranium mining. Instead he had a good time and his energy quickly spread to the crowd, which wanned up rapidly. This was the first New Zealand show of the band’s “LiWen Like Thieves” touryS

and not surprisingly most of its songs were from the recently released album of the same name. “What I Say” was popular, as was “What I Want,” and Hutchence displayed good vocal control and endurance in “This Time Will be the Last Time.” The band’s soulful streak was to the fore in “Shine Like it Does” and the title track from the album was tight and complete. Kirk Pengilly on saxophone was unobtrusive but gave the band a rich and at times a more mellow sound. The guitarist, Andrew Farriss, was smartly subtle but let rip at times. Sound mixing was generally good and clear, and while the volume was adequate it was not deafening. The stage setting was austere but effective with manageable amounts of dry ice drifting around the band for most of the show. The lighting was simple apart from the inevitable but nonetheless visually exciting

strobe light attack towards the end. Remote transmitters freed the guitarists and Hutchence from the constraints of guitar and microphone leads and allowed plenty of movement and energy.

Since its last tour three years ago, INXS has had a string of hits in Australia and success in New Zealand. While it has been tempered somewhat it has retained the earthy, raw sound it built on. Some songs lend themselves to being pumped out loud to blow an elderly relative out of his or her chair, while others have a bouncy, less serious feel. None more so than “Burn For You” played, and warmly received in the first encore and enhanced wonderfully by Morris’s backing vocals. It is hard to know whether INXS won many converts in Christchurch last evening but judging from the number who eventually got up in the aisles to have a, hop there could well have a few.