I watch: Rockstar, Inxs

Da Music Issue

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Today was the launch the new Mark Burnett reality TV show. ROCKSTAR: INXS. The search for the new lead singer of Inxs. They put 15 people in a big mansion, then somehow people around the world end up voting. I think the original members have say as well, as they voted the first person out tonight.

Mainly, the best I can describe it, is that its like American Idol for the rock crowd. You don't have to listen to daft songs like, "Up where you belong," or "I am not a superwoman," and any of that, instead you listen to things like, "Celebrity Skin," "Teen Spirit," "Knocking on Heaven's Door," and "A little bit of my heart," and oh, and the only black person on the show sang, "Cult of Personality," by one of the few black rock band, "Living Color."

Since the time different is great. I watched it at 9am this morning while eating breakfast.

I think the people are all pretty talented. but I can't see any of them being able to replace Michael Hutchence. What hit home was that even if they "Talent Searched" 20 cities, picked the best. These people still are not up to the quality of the top lead singers like Hutchence, like Cobain, like Vedder, and that really they are extrapordinary and therefore worthy of our rememberence, and adoration.

The one let down of this whole thing is the cheese factor of it is cranked up. The minute the carmen electra look-a-like called Brenda Burch/Burke (??) came on, I knew this was not as I conceived it. This is not going to be a classy show at all. It can't be to have a bay watch type girl standing around. Before I even got over that shock, It was followed by Dave Navarro being the person who would "Guide" the contestents in the next few months. I groaned.

Navaro is quite a smart guy, I read his blog once or twice, but he's sappy americana, he's married to Carmen electra. My friend directed a movie she was in. There are some funny stories about her, both good and bad. He played in Jane's Addiction and the Red Hot Chilly Peppers but he's left both.  So Dave isn't exactly... em.. what I was hoping for. I just wanted something a bit more "serious." The whole show was too much Dave and not enough INXS. It was like he was the center of everything. I wanted to see the band, they were always hidden, and I wanted to see them a bit more.

I think Inxs is more like the elder states men by now they deserve better. Although I guess if you're running out of money, anything will do. I don't know if they are. I assume they must be. It's nearly ten years since Hutchence, "Committed Suicide," or whatever it is they say how he died. I noticed they glossed over his death very quickly, and surely didn't bring up the sordid parts of the story. Seeing his coffin was a bit creepy. I wasn't in the first world when it hapenned, I had no access to news channels or newspapers, so I missed the whole hoopla of his death really, thus never seeing his coffin.

You know what's odd as well. I forget Inxs was so long ago. They were pre-nivana, pre-grunge, pre-acid house, pre-techno, pre-dance scene, pre-rap, pre-hiphop. it was like a different landscape of music. It's... like they are historic.. like Disco, or the Rolling Stones or something.

My friend and I watched "Live Baby Live," about two months ago and i honestly was amazed by how many incredible songs that band had, and we were just saying how the band was dead, as how could the band ever find another front person. And he said, "Well, he was the only talent, the rest are useless, and there is no way they could ever replace Michael Hutchence."

I said, "Hmm. Maybe they aren't. They just haven't found someone else to head it. I would sure like to hear the songs live for once. I keep hearing that they might find someone else, but I don't think they ever would."

I decided the only way that was possible was if they invited some other lead singer from another band to do it, like a one off thing. You know award shows, or charity shows, Glastonbury... but not a long terms regroup. I keep thinking Eddie Vedder would be a good person. He of course would strip away all the "joy" of Inxs, but I think he could add the weight and seriousness that people often missed when it came to them. I think Inxs was a more serious band that people gave them credit for.

Little did we know, while we were discussing the future of Inxs, all this other stuff was in the works.

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