In Memory: Michael Hutchence

 

A decade ago today an energetic and unique voice was silenced. Michael Hutchence died at the young age of 37 in a Sydney hotel room …alone.

A decade later this week his fellow INXS band mates paid tribute to him on its website.

“Michael will always be remembered as a young, vibrant, gifted and passionate person. Age will not weary him as it gradually does his band mates,” wrote drummer Jon Farriss.

Farriss’ older brother, songwriter and keyboardist Andrew added, “I miss him very much. I miss his sense of humour, his intelligence and cheeky smile.”

I had the good fortune of meeting Hutchence while on the band’s X World Tour in 1991. It was part of a meet and greet inside Arco Arena’s men’s locker room. I distinctively remember facing my parents when a strange feeling erupted inside me. Seconds later I slowly muttered, ‘he’s here’ and turned my head to face eight men in suits. In the middle stood Michael Hutchence. Leather pants and partially unbuttoned green shirt with an odd rash looking mark on his chest.  

Michael was nice and gracious. My father on the other hand, coerced me to kiss him on his right cheek. (A few minutes later I realized I had his cologne on my face.)

While talking to a girl next to me, I became fascinated with his opened shirt and the fact that it was revealing a nice part of his chest. Suddenly he turned to me; I looked up and then again turned my gaze downward when he turned away. Again he looked me, this time catching me in the act. I jerked my head up and smiled.

When it came to my turn, he looked at me and quickly averted his eyes to his right. I looked over there. “So?” I thought. I looked back at him, he did it again. I looked again to my left. “What is he doing?” He looks again straight at me and does it again this time purposely widening his eyes. “Oh! Oh….these are just my parents.”

They were annoyed with me to say the least.

Later, I handed him a black and white poster I had bought in a Reno mall years earlier. He signed it ‘Michael Hutchence 1992.’ Didn’t have the heart to tell him it was really 1991.

I also gave him a 2’X2’ yellow album cover concept I created in my high school art class. I remember how proud I felt following through on a promise I made myself just months earlier. The paper depicted two crossed barbwire lines underneath two giant red roses. In the middle of that, moon cycle calendar.

The last time I saw it, he was cradling it in his hands walking out of the room.  

I first saw INXS play at Sacramento’s Cal Expo in June 1988. It was before they had a limit on how many people could be let into the outdoor arena. While waiting for the show my parents and I learned 5,000 tickets alone were sold just 24 hours earlier.

“New Sensation” was their big hit on mainstream radio at that time. When they played that song, from where I was sitting I could actually see steam rising above the jumping crowd huddled before the two-level stage.

The last song played that night was “Don’t Change.” Later, I learned it’s their signature encore. Every concert I saw from then on also ended the same way.

The last time I saw the original lineup was again in Sacramento in April 1994. Sentiments Michael made to the crowd that night would eerily emerge after his untimely death.

It was the day after singer Kurt Cobain’s body was found in Seattle. A few songs into INXS’ set, Michael loudly proclaimed, “He’s a fucking idiot for killing himself.”

The irony here is that a coroner ruled Michael’s death a suicide three years later.

The next time I saw them was in Reno in June 2002 with semi-permanent singer Jon Stevens. After some begging, a concert worker let me go backstage and meet the rest of them.

I was in awe my childhood idols were my height! I grew up thinking they were six giants.

I handed Andrew the same black and white poster to sign. He unfurled it to see his dead best friend’s signature. “How did you get this?”

“He (Michael) signed it.” Then he surprised me by forging his brother Jon’s signature on my poster after I complained missing him. “Think it looks like that.”

Andrew’s brother, guitarists Tim and Kirk Pengilly also signed it for me. Even singer Jon Stevens signed it; he dated it 2002. And once again, Jon Farriss eluded me.

As a side note, I also gave Axl Rose the same hand drawn yellow poster. I scribbled it on the night of my junior prom; no one had asked me to go so instead I watched the Headbanger’s Ball and drew another copy of my art class drawing.

I remember thinking how terrified I would be if I was asked if that was an original. But what would be the chances of that? Actually pretty damn good.

I ended up meeting him also. He actually sounded somewhat surprised when I told him my secret artwork.  

Last I heard of that copy, it toured the world on a tour speaker case then apparently ended up in his home.

To this day, I haven’t seen either copy. No matter, I am forever thankful for what I contributed to rock n’ roll history.