INXS coming to concert on Aug. 15

Curtain-raisers:

• Funfare condoles with the family of Dr. Angel P. Tan of Catbalogan, Western Samar (and one-time municipal doctor of my hometown, Las Navas, Northern Samar), who died last June 12 at a hospital in Cebu. He was 69 (born on May 27, 1937). The wake is in Catbalogan where the interment will be held next Saturday, June 24.

• L.A.-based concert producer Ivee Fresnosa happily reported that Martin Nievera’s three-day show at the Sycuan Casino in San Diego, California, was a sell-out. On June 7, first day, no ticket was left unsold. On the second day, June 8, 51 seats had to be added; and on the third day, June 9, 150 more seats.

• Reader "GZ" (of New York) e-mailed the following interesting rejoinder to Funfare’s recent story about Ana Roces: Her real name is Marinela (or Ela) Adad. Her father, Rene Zayco Adad (who used to be the president of Coca-Cola Export Philippines), comes from the prominent Spanish-mestizo clan of Negros Occidental, particularly Kabankalan City (where the vice governor, Elpidio Zayco, is Ana’s uncle). Rene is the second cousin of Bernard Zayco Bonnin, so Ana is the cousin of Charlene Gonzalez Bonnin (Bernard’s daughter). Ana’s mother is Carmina Gutierrez; Ana has two older brothers, Ito (Luisito) and Ene (Rene). Another cousin is JC Bonnin (now a pastor based in London), son of Gaby Zayco Bonnin, Bernard’s brother.

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After music fans of the Baby Boomer variety seemed to have a monopoly of the local concert scene featuring foreign acts with the endless stream of top singers of the ’60s and ’70s during the past 14 months, it will now be the turn of the younger generation to listen to and enjoy the type of music they are thoroughly familiar and can easily identify with with the forthcoming visit to Manila two months from now of one of the hottest rock bands of all time – INXS.

Yes, dear Pinoy rock fans, you read it right: INXS!

No less than Renen de Guia of Ovation Productions excitedly confirmed to Funfare, in an overseas call to us while we were in Los Angeles, the performance of INXS on Aug. 15 at the Araneta Coliseum as part of its current world tour to promote its latest album, Switch.

Billed as INXS Switch Tour, the Manila leg of the concert series to be mounted by Ovation Productions will mark the famous Australian group’s first visit to the country, which is expected to expand its base of fans among millions of Pinoy music lovers, especially the younger set.

As every rock fan knows, INXS is a rock band from Sydney, Australia which skyrocketed to become one of the most popular bands in the world, with over 30 million albums sold worldwide, 17 Billboard hits (seven of which were Top 10), 23 United Kingdom hits, 33 Australian hits and six consecutive Top 10 in the UK and US albums.

In the course of its 25-year musical career, it has performed over 4,000 live shows for more than 25 million people in almost 50 countries.

Among the hit songs which catapulted it to the top of the rock world were Pretty Vegas, Afterglow, Devil Inside, Original Sin, New Sensation, Listen Like Thieves, I Need You Tonight, Never Tear Us Apart, Devil’s Party and Suicide Blonde.

INXS is composed of J.D. Fortune, vocals; Andrew Farriss, keyboards and guitar; Timothy Farriss, guitar; Jonathan Farriss, drums; Gary Beers, bass and Kirk Pengilly, guitar, saxophone and vocals.

Switch is the band’s first new release and concert in eight years and the first without the original lead singer Michael Hutchence (he passed away tragically in 1997), who has been replaced by J.D. Fortune. It is the group’s 11th studio disc, recorded by a new producer and most important of all, features a new lead singer.

As everybody knows, J.D. Fortune became the first new member of INXS in 2005 after being chosen from among 15 finalists from thousands of contestants on the hit series Rock Star: INXS, an elaborate, globally-televised audition that the group put up with reality-show maverick Mark Burnett.

But that’s just the prologue to an interesting story. Fortune, a former Elvis Presley impersonator from Canada, considered joining the contest a dream come true and the greatest experience of his life and with all the elements of a male Cinderella story.

The 31-year-old singer confessed that he discovered INXS as a teenager growing up in Canada, and, after catching one of its videos on TV, he begged his grandfather to buy him a guitar; after which he immediately taught himself how to play Devil Inside.

This was followed by many years of dogged determination, perseverance and patience as he cut his teeth doing odd jobs by day and playing in any hole-in-the-wall club that would sign him up by night. He was living out of his car when he heard the INXS was holding auditions for a new lead singer.

And the rest, to use a cliché, is history.

"It’s an understatement to say that this is a dream come true," Fortune says. "(While I was) growing up, INXS albums like Shabooh Shoobah Listen Like Thieves and Kick were a huge influence (on me). I’d listen to those songs and wonder what it would like to be in this band. That they chose me to be their new lead singer – and that the first single is a song I co-wrote – is just mind-blowing."

That Fortune seemed to be cut out for his new role is supported by the favorable comments of keyboardist and guitarist Andrew Farriss.

"Not only was J.D. incredibly passionate about wanting the job," according to Farriss, "but he has this enigmatic charisma. As an artist, he thinks outside the square and does things that are a little edgy. I like that. He’s also a storyteller – and you recognize that in another songwriter."

Fortune and drummer Jon Farriss collaborated on Never Let Go, while Andrew Farriss and Fortune co-wrote two songs for the Switch album: Devil’s Party and the smash lead single Pretty Vegas, which debuted on Billboard’s Top 100 at No. 17, the highest-charting debut single of the band’s career.

Catch INXS on Aug. 15 at the Araneta Coliseum.

For ticket inquiries, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.

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