STACK #197 Mar 2021

MUSIC FEATURE

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INXS THE SWING

Bryget Chrisfield explores the creation, impact, and astonishing legacy of her favourite classic records.This month, it’s the album that spawned INXS’s only Australian #1 single: The Swing .

INXS (‘The Swing’ world tour) 13 April, 1984 Festival Hall

watched as I was falling into the audience, and said ‘That’s my daughter’. The audience laughed as I was the smallest, youngest girl to go onto the stage. What a charmer! I had the smell of his cologne mixed with his BO on the blue V-neck jumper I wore. What a blissful smell! I put the jumper into a bag and swore never to wash it again. The following days I walked on air. This was the event of a lifetime.”

“The best day of my life. I went to the INXS concert. Sitting on my bed I wonder, ‘What actually happened?’ dribbling from the mouth. After making Lisa repeat the story over and over I decided to get it down on paper so I can remember the night clearly. I began to get frustrated, Michael Hutchence of INXS kept persisting in standing far enough away from me that I just couldn’t reach. Several girls leapt up on the stage and kissed him. He looked so cute wearing his old jeans displaying the cutest arse in history, black leather jacket and shirt (later removed), white singlet with a bird in the corner. That hair, those eyes, oh... And then finally I couldn’t hold back. During the song All The Voices I commenced my struggle to hoist myself onto the stage. With the help of a lovely girl, I was on the stage. I headed for where he originally was, but he had moved. I looked around frantically because the bouncers were but metres away from me. I saw Michael. I rushed towards him and grabbed him around the waist. At first he looked startled, but he turned around and smiled and said ‘Hello’ in a dreamy voice. He put his arm around me and commenced singing once again. I swooned. I danced with him and was bitterly disappointed

when the bouncers once again headed towards me. Michael kept looking down at me... smiling that playboyish smile he does so well. I saw the bouncers and rushed toward the edge of the stage. The bouncers caught up and hurtled me off the stage. Michael

Year 1984

C learly 14-year-old-aspiring- music-journo Bryget was stoked about her first- ever stage invading experience. But I also remember feeling disappointed that Michael obviously thought I looked too young to date. I had actually

At first he looked startled, but he turned around and smiled and said ‘Hello’ in a dreamy voice

hoped Hutch would catch a glimpse of me in my pinstripe 3/4-length stretch ankle-zip jeans – so tight that I had to lie back on my bed to do the top button up – and instantly fall in love. Still, soaking up the charisma that oozed from his every pore at super- close proximity – even for a few treasured moments – was pretty bloody spesh. By the time INXS next played Festival Hall, in September 1986, my obsession had blossomed to wag-school-to-loiter-outside- stage-door level. Our little posse was soon rewarded when Michael arrived for soundcheck and got INXS’s tour manager to let us through backstage into the venue so that we could bags front-row spots. When the doors eventually opened, the sight of mad INXS fans bolting towards us before looking disgruntled ‘cause the six

Michael Hutchence during INXS’s first world tour, 1984. Photograph by Stewart Cunningham.

78 MARCH 2021

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