Image: Andrew Southam
The surviving members of INXS took the stage at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion to accept the prestigious Ted Albert Award during APRA’s centenary celebration. While the evening was meant to honor the band’s immense contribution to the Australian music industry, it quickly became an emotional retrospective of the band’s legacy and the irreplaceable presence of their late frontman, Michael Hutchence.
The acceptance speech was marked by raw emotion and deep reflection from the band’s surviving members. Tim Farriss opened the speech by noting the palpable absence of Hutchence.
“I was away with these guys, my brothers here behind me, and, of course, Michael, missing him very much at this time,” Tim said, thanking his bandmates for their shared belief in what the band could become.
The most poignant moment of the night came when Andrew Farriss directly addressed his longtime songwriting partner. The two collaborated on over 300 songs from the time they were children.
“Thank you for being our mate, Michael, and for simply being able to do the impossible with us as INXS. We all miss you, brother.”
Bassist Garry Gary Beers echoed these sentiments, referring to the group as a family that has remained bonded since high school, while also honoring late manager Chris Murphy.
To close out the emotional speech, Kirk Pengilly revealed a defining goal of Hutchence’s throughout his career.
“Michael, you know, on a number of occasions used to say, ‘All I want is that we matter,'” Pengilly told the audience. “That one day people will go, ‘Well, yeah, they did something, they contributed, they mattered.’ This award says that.”
The celebration of the band’s achievements was further highlighted by special live tributes from a roster of respected artists, including Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano, Paul Dempsey, and Kav Temperley, all paying homage to the enduring catalog of INXS.
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