Rock band INXS are in London on their worldwide quest to replace former frontman Michael Hutchence. Phil Williams headed to the open auditions at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, but after seeing the depleted pool of hopefuls he pondered whether a good frontman can ever be replaced.
Whether you're a middle aged rocker, a teenie bopper, or a stage diving mosher, the one thing we all look for in our bands is a good frontman.


Michael Hutchence died in 1997
When I use the term frontman, let me be clear with you that I'm using it as a generic derivative term. I'm not discounting Debbie Harry, Gwen Stefani, Justine Frischmann or Cerys Matthews.

The frontman is the person who makes you sit up and take note of the video. It's the person whose animal magnetism draws you to see the band live.

It's the same person who persuades an otherwise perfectly sane individual to raise their hands above their head and clap along with 80,000 others at Wembley.

In Michael Hutchence, INXS had that. In Freddie Mercury, Queen had that. But how feasible is it, that you try and replace the irreplaceable?


Have your say on INXS holding the auditions
Queen are currently touring with the ex-Free singer, Paul Rogers. The tour's pretty much sold out, and I'll defer judgement until I've seen the gig.


Debbie Harry provided the charismatic front for Blondie

INXS have taken a different option. The last great refuge of the scoundrel. The reality TV show. Their global search for a new frontman sees them sweeping the world for talent, before taking a shortlist of potentials to Hollywood where they'll be whittled down before a TV audience.

But given the credentials I've just listed for being a frontman, what chance is there of finding someone who'll do the same for INXS as Michael Hutchence?

Is Diego - the non-English speaking Italian who flew in especially to try out today - really the answer to the band's plea for rock n roll? Could it really be George the Australian, who's lived here for 12 years and told me he'd never seen INXS perform live?

You could argue the band are doing this for publicity. But as I turned up this morning to report on the London open audition, there were more journalists there than auditionees. Surely, that's negative publicity?


Freddie Mercury's flamboyance put Queen in the limelight

We're all fond of nostalgia but the fact that INXS fans were conspicuous by their absence this morning could indicate they'd prefer to remember their stadium sell out band with their enigmatic frontman, rather than see them now in 2005 with a new untried hopeful who can never be expected to fill the boots or the leather trousers of Michael Hutchence.

The point about music, rock or pop, is that it's a transient picture postcard of your life at any particular moment.

You sang along with your first love and Freddie in '86. You danced with your hairbrush in front of the mirror when INXS's Kick came out. You mouthed across the dance floor, "you're one of my kind." Then it became part of your history.

And our great memories are where these band's frontmen should remain, rather than on the repackaged greatest hits circuit under the guise of a Great Pretender whose shoulders are positively buckling under the weight of a reputation and back catalogue to die for.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4246855.stm

ahahahahaah fuck off with the Alvin Stardust shit!!!!!

INXS?? Could you choose a much more obscure band?? :nyanya:

ahahahahaah fuck off with the Alvin Stardust shit!!!!! [/b][/quote]
I was merely suggesting that he would be a good option for a front man :biglaugh:

It was on tv that they had all these "hopefuls" singing their lungs out, and that it hadnt worked before trying to find someone, in fact they are doing a reality tv show about finding the person. Can anyone say "not another pox ridden reality show".

Freddie Mercury was a different league altogether ..

so slide over here...and give me chooca choo your moves are so raw my chooca choo

who is inxs?

Newton,

Just signed you up to get the Alvin Stardust Newsletter :)

Admit it , you love him....

No, you just tried to sign me up for it ... I just got the feckin email LOL

My point exactly! :lol:

I've heard of them but sheesh.... :rolleyes:

Am I the only one who can't name another member of INXS outside of Hutchence?
;-)

that is why he can't really be replaced
it would be as ridiculous as The Doors 2000 (Ian Atsbury is an amazing vocalist, but he's no Jim Morrison when it comes to taking that stage and just making it his)

the Queen thing is pretty bad, but at least Brian May is there playing every night, but without Freddie Mercury and his vocal acrobatics, it would be tough to watch...

I remember seeing something about how Michael Hutchence lost his sense of smell and taste after a bike accident. He was completely miserable because he loved food and could no longer enjoy having all the money in the world to spend at great restaurants.

How much would that suck??!

hopefully one that doesnt wear a belt:)

Psss Jim Morrison isn't fit to shine Ian Asbury shoes
Dead or alive
Jim Morrison was a fat boring piece of human fecal matter
If you get beyond his lack of talent notice that he ripped of Voltaire. Kind of makes since doesn't it

There are many acts I don't care for who I can readily admit are talented

The Doors suck. That whole generation was so fucking doped up they would have listened to anything, oh the Doors are living proof of that

The Doors had a real nice bass player

ah ha ha ha

and Paul Rogers filling in for Freddie Mercury is the worst joke I've heard this year

and in the craziest answer you'll hear
To front INXS .......


.... David Bowie

Revive 2 careers, do a bunch of upbeat Bowie tunes and some INXS stuff (they actually had a few hits)

Very interesting possibility