JOHN EARLS + STEVE HARNELL
Left to right: Jon Farriss, Kirk Pengilly, Michael Hutchence, Garry “Gary” Beers, Tim Farriss, Andrew Farriss
© Peggy Sirota
When you’ve got a frontman as powerful and charismatic as Michael Hutchence, it’s easy to romanticise your band’s history. Not INXS, who emphasise that Michael had to learn how to be a proper rock star. “Michael was a terrible singer when we started,” says bassist Garry “Gary” Beers fondly. “Michael had something, but it wasn’t a great voice. That old joke about ‘Ringo Starr wasn’t the best drummer in the world… he wasn’t even the best drummer in The Beatles’… that was Michael.”